Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-29

II, 1871 yorktown, Oct. 10, 1881 ~
all in transparency.
When the Phoenix moved from tho wharf,
another salute was given from the two boats.
His Excellency.the Governor, Gen. Kellogg,
the secretary TO the Governor, and Council,
and his staff, together with the Burlington
committee OF arrangements. accompanied the
General TO Whitehall where he was received
with the usual honors bestowed upon the
| Nations gLest.
The Levec AZ GOV. Van Ness's.
For the i, wing article we are indebted to our
ipSnsnan James W. Hickok, Esq.l
In Juigc Smalleys short biography CT
Gov. Van Ness, written In 1863 he says
"llis reception of Lafayette in 1926 is re-
menber-,i; him and the State officers he re :
celved ani entertained at his fine mansion In
a style u magnificent hospitality suited to
his libcr i temper and ample means"
The ladies' now living who attended the
levce, sag that it was something extraordin-
ary for Vermont at that carly period and
was talked OF for years thereafter, on occount
of the abundance aud choiceness of the re-
| freshments, the large and distinguished at
tendance aud the brilliant and elaborate
preparaticgs for their reception and enter
tainmcnt the grounds being elegantly light.
ed up and tables spread through them loaded
with luxuries.
The uniform tradition in Burlington has
been that this levee was holden at what was
| for quarter of a century after 1924 known
as "thc Van Ness place" OH the hill near the
head Of Nam street and opposite Williams
| street. This tradition has beer recently
disturbed by letter in Plattsburgh paper
from a geEtleman who says he was present
at Lafaye,tc's reception in Burlington IN
1925 ami attended the levee aud, returning
to Burlington after the lapse of 40 years,
Recognized in one Of The parlors of the Ameri-
can Hotel 'ihc verv place where the brave
old general stood, rhe bosom friend of Wash
ingtop, and received the salutaton of the
masses who crowded the apartment" Adopt
! ing this le,tc. IS god authority, the new
Gazetteer Chiuenden county, published
by IL: Child, Esq, (on page l20), states
''that Lafayette during his visit at Burling-
ton in 1925 held lcvee in one of the parlors
OF the American Hotel"
| Now 1t is evident from the Sentinel's
detailed account of every movement of Gen.
Lafayette, during his short stay in Burlng-
| ton, that there was only one levee and
that not held by Lafayette bu. given in his
honor by Gov. Van Ness at bis fine man.
sion.
| The American Hotel was not in existence
in lS25-only the two story brick dwelling
house, the northwest corner of it, built by
Moses Jewctt and owned by Gov. Van Ness,
but rented and occupied as n dwelling house
in 1926 by Frederick Orvis of the firm of
Emerson Il Orvis, merchants, doing business
on the north side of the Square on the spot
now occupied by Stearnss drug store. SO say
John Is. llollenbeck and others.
This house and its premises, standing, as il
does, close upon the south line of Mair
street, were entirely insufficient for the
lsplendors of the lcvee as described bv tn,
Sentinel and by contemporaries now living
The Van Ness Mansion.
II appears from the town records thai
Thaddcus futile decided to Gov. Val
Ness his large property on the hill
on the 9th day of April, 1924, ant
that Gov. Van Ness owned it for 81 year
thereafter,-as, on the 18th day of July
lS45, he conveyed it entire to Henry Lcaven
worth, Esq.,-bounded north by Main stree
east by Tutte street, west byWillard str ct
the mansion of Col. Cannon and 80 acres q
his land adjacent, magnificent property O
81 acres of land all in compact body.
Mr. Leavenworth opened streets through
it and divided IL up; but the noble mansion
) which in 1925 was indisputably the finest IL
Burlington and which still, after the lapse o
} more than half century, stands IN the from
rank among our elegant private residences
to adorn its splendid sile by its fac proper
/ lions, and its antique but beautiful style o
finish, is now the property of our highly es
7 teemed fellow citizen, Lawrence Barnes
Esq.
In number 6 of series of letters writer
by one "E. V. S." for the National Journal
dated Burlington, May 30, 1925, and pub
lished in the Sentinel OF lS25-this was on
month before the visit of Lafayette to Bur
lington-the writer, speaking of the plain
I ness and simplicity of Governor Van Ness
s character, says: "rhc only princcly attri
, butte of Governor Van Ness Is his residence
which stands on the summit of the hill ant
: overlooks the scene of which endeavored t,
give you faint idea in my last view from
cupola of old colege.] His grounds arr
most happily situated to give effect to orna
E meIt. His orchard aud garden are stored
with fruit, his land is neatly enclosed ant
a bespeaks the care and taste of the owner"
. The Sentinel OF July 8, 1926 in its account
| Of the levee, says: The court yard presented
! an elegant appearance-limps and chandel
E iers were suspended from the trees and shrub
berry and across the gate at the foot of the
avenue leading to the house was thrown
+ transparent arch bearing the inscription
a WELCOME LAFAYETTE
The town records aud the description o
/ the Sentinel of 1925 fix beyond all doubt th,
place where this celebrated levee was held.
1t will possibly interest some to know
!. what our Older cltizens say about this mat
= ter.
e Mr.. Abner Lowry says ''hc came to Bur
4 lington in 1924 as u painter, and that Va
Ness gave him, as his first Job, the paintin
J, of his house or the hill and that he attende,
q q the levce there"
Henry p. Hickok says he was at that tim
h a student in college aged FL years-that h
n saw the corner stone laid and attended tn
@ levee at Gov. Van Ness's house on the hill.
| Mr. Guy Willard says he went out to Viii
h lston with the cavalry to meet Lafayett
n and attended the levee there, and remember
n particularly the tables spread through tn,
]. grounds. loaded with refreshments.
Mr. Daniel Kern, shortly before his recen
@ decease said TO the writer that he went u
d there to the levec and walked about III
d grounds but did not go into the house.
|. Mr.. Kerns friends will recognize, In this
v his modest, unassuming character. Mr..
Is G. Loomis says ''he attended the levee ther
,r and recollecis seeing Uncle David Da
1t there, wearing the sword presented to him b
1. Lafayette fifty years before"
d Frederick Smith says "he was then q DO
&c living at Williston, but came down to Bul
) lington to see Lafayette and attended tn
d levee there"
q The venerable John d. Hollenbeck, no.
}. over 90 years old Mr.. l.. NJ. Aagar, Nj
). William l.. Strong, Mr.. Horstio Loomi
r Mr.. VIM. l.. Crooker and Mr. Heman Crool