New-York tribune., 1897-07-04
KENMORE COOPER'S HOME.
THE OLD GROUNDS OF OTSEGO HALL TO
BE TURNED INTO A PARK.
WORK Progressing RAPiDLY-INTERESTING
RELICS OF THE WGITER-TIIE LEAIuhE-
STOCKING CAVE
From The Boston Transcript.


From The Boston Transcript.
After many years Of dlapdation and lack OF
earn the fve-acra ,,lot of ground in CooperstoWn,
n Y where stood Otsego Hall, the nome OF
James FenimOre Cooper, will be turned INTO
park and will be known as the Cooper Grouhus.
The grounds will remain the private properly OF
the Edward and Alfred Corning clark estate,
but will be open to the public. At the death OF
the novelist Cooper the Cooper manor house
OtsegO Hall, passed into the hands OF one OF tne
largest landowners Of the State, and after the
building was burned in 1853 the grounds were
allowed to go to decay No pains were taken to
preserve the old stone wall. and COWS and horses
wandered at will over the very spot where
Cooper penned his thrilling tales Of pioneer life
The villagers made no attempt to cause the
preservation of the grounds Perhaps this was
because Of Cooper's unpopuarity. lie was OF
a highly aristocratic temperament, and he made
many enemies and few friends among the citl-
Zens OF the village. His lie was one or Seclu-
sion and his property was guarded closely. The
nearest neighborS were hardly allowed TO walk
across the grounds without the permission or
the owner. AS the old generation passed away,
and with it the unpleasant personal recollec-
tions, there public demand that the spot
where Cooper lived should be preserved The
owners of the property who have Of recent
years done much for Cooperstown, turned a
ready ear to this demand and decided TO turn
,hc grounds into a private park.
Work has already been begun on the grounds
and is progressing rapidly. Il is said that the
Clark family intend to spend several hundred
thousand dollars on the improvements. When
completed the grounds will be an attractive feat
ure Of the village. There will be several hun
drCd feet of macadam road constructed and
kosmOcrete and gravel walks will be provided,
leading through the shade of the naples and
ems. many Of which were perhaps planted or
encouraged in their growth by COoper's own
hands. Near tie centre Of the grounds. on the
exac: site Of OtscgO Hail, a handsome statue or
drinking fountain vii, be erected The spot had
been marked by rough stone, bearing Il crudely
carved Inscription.
THE OLD COOPER CEMETERY.
Immediately in the rear of the grounds is the
cemetery where Cooper and many members Of
the family laid IT rest. The Cooper grave
is marked by plain slab of Italian marble, the
Cooper monument having been erected in the
cemetery on the slope of Mount Vision just be-
yond the spot made famous 10y the Panther
So ne in the "Pi0ncers." This monument is a
twCnty-hVe-foct shaft Of Italian marble. The
shaft is surmounted 10y four and one-half foot
figure of the famous Natty. Natty is repre-
scntod in the act Of loading his rife and his eyes
are fixed On the waters Of the Haunted Lake
while Il faithful hound at his side watches with
eager eyes. 70 the ordinary traveller the shaft
suggests more IF the memory of LeatherstOcll-
ing than Uf Cooper. So the erection of "A foun-
tain or statue on the Cooper grounds will be a
fitting memorial to the novelist. whose fame will
probably remain "a long there are books and
lovers of pure stories Of nature.
To the village Of CooperStoWn the name
Cooper ill soon 1t only memory. The only
surviving member of the family hearing the
name is Miss Rachel Cooper, a daughter Of