Visits through historic homes

As the last few auburn trees in our neighborhood park shed their leaves to give way to winter, we received an invitation from a family friend to meet up at Tarrytown, north of New York City. Our time together would bring us to the historic Sunnyside, a charming cottage along the Hudson River of Washington Irving, “America’s first man of letters.”

I love tours of this sort. Months ago, we traveled around the Newport mansions in Rhode Island to peek into the life of America’s moneyed clans. Of the six major mansions, we chose The Breakers, an opulent Italian Renaissance summer villa of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his family. The Vanderbilt family operated one of the greatest railroad empires in 19th century America.

Exploring homes of remarkable personalities allows me to imagine life as it was and conjure up scenes, which I had only read from books or had seen from films. In excursions like this I try to draw insights from thought-provoking or inspiring vignettes of their storied lives and weave them into our current realities.

At the tour of The Breakers, it was quite inconceivable how in the late 1800’s, a 70-room mansion by the sea, equipped with technological wonders such as plumbing, heating and electricity existed. Interestingly, the 13-acre summer home dazzled with lavish pieces of furniture, luxurious chandeliers and artworks, a massive library and rooms for every activity and occasion. Astounded by the mind-blowing extravagance and tales of how summers were spent in the Vanderbilts’ vacation home, I came to know that running the household was made possible and sustained by a legion of 40 staff.

It is said that around that time “there were more than 2,000 servants in Newport, many of them newly-arrived immigrants.” Working in houses like the Vanderbilts’ was a foothold to realize their great American dream.

For someone who takes a keen interest in the immigrant experience, either from stories I read and watched on mainstream media or from my everyday encounters around New York, I thought of how conditions remain quite the same, 130 years hence.

If the Vanderbilt family’s mansion displays an overwhelming aura of affluence, the home of Washington Irving who, aside from being a literary luminary, was also a diplomat, exudes an irresistible air of bucolic charm. Sunnyside, as his Dutch style, Gothic architecture inspired cottage is named, was built in 1835. Our tour guide Beth, who I reckon must be in her late 60’s but with a luminousness of someone in her 40’s – knowledge and demeanor-wise, walked us through the house and parts of the estate.

Dressed in a period costume reminiscent of the 1800’s, Beth interchangeably regaled us about Irving and his home. Sunnyside was initially built as a retreat with Irving’s original study, matching chairs, a couch (“Irving loved to nap,” Beth said with delight) and volumes of books still intact. The house would eventually become a family home when Irving’s brother Ebenezer, a widower with four daughters, moved in. Irving adored his nieces, he bought them a piano, which to this day still sits in the living room.

I marvel at how this show of affection and concern and how the concept of family in 18th century America has radically evolved over the years. In modern American society, children are expected to leave home when they turn 18 years of age, while elderly parents move to care homes when their children could not take care of them.

We learned that aside from writing, Irving also loved to entertain. It is said that after a splendid meal, Irving and his friends would gather at the parlor. I pictured the scene as I gazed at the very space where the literary star and his friends must have swapped wonderful conversations. There was so much to absorb and gain inspiration from out of the tour. One thing that kept me in awe is how historical sites, such as Irving’s home, remains well-preserved for almost two centuries now. Beth said that when the “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of the Sleepy Hollows” author died at age 76 (a ripe age in the 18th century), the ownership and preservation of the estate was always contained among family members until the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Foundation eventually bought the property. Sunnyside has since been designated a “National Historical Landmark.”

I believe that turning over ownership of historic monuments to private foundations helps maintain and sustain these important landmarks for the next generation to benefit from. Like similar tours we have gone to (such as the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park) there is always a fee and people are willing to pay, listen, ask questions and expand their knowledge of history. I think entrance fees are important as they help support the operation of these remarkable places. I say this because we can learn from this template.

At my homecoming a few months back, my family revisited the Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna. We were pleased at how the historical site has improved since our last visit many years ago. A group of Spanish speaking tourists was also visiting. We were surprised that there was no entrance fee. We simply had to register while donations are encouraged. I feel that since entrance to the Rizal’s Shrine is free and accessible to all, perhaps a decent museum shop with a wide selection of merchandise and souvenirs could be set up. This could also be done through collaborations with book publishers, including children’s books about Jose Rizal and his contemporaries. There are several ways by which the management and upkeep of our national hero’s ancestral home could be further upgraded if we wish to highlight his life and works, especially to the young generation, balikbayans and tourists visiting our country. A scheduled tour with eloquent guides garbed in costumes resonant of 19th century Philippines could make the tour both informative and meaningful.