Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-22
,6|LLOP HOUSE
WAS VISITED
Preservation of Historic Man.
sion Discussed by Chamber
of Commerce

TOTTENVILLE, Sept. 22:-The
preservation of the historic old
Billop House on the shore of the
Staten Island sound in Tottenville
and taking over h grounds sur
rounding The famous old relic for a
park by the city of New York was
the main theme at the meeting of
the Staten Island Chamber of Com
merce held in the auditorium of the
Tottenville school yesterday and at
the visit to the house following the
session. Although the weather con-
ditions altered the program which
had beer laid out by the Tottenville
committee, there were more than
two hundred who had braved the
rain to attend the gathering, which
was termed a "get acquainted" meet
ing and the first to be held by the
organization at Tottenville.
A procession of twenty-five auto
mobiles left borough hall at 8 o'clock
yesterday afternoon carrying the
and guests from the north
&and east shores of the island to the
meeting. They were headed by
President Cornelius G.. Kolff, of the
Staten Island Chamber of Commerce,
and Borough President Calvin d.
Van Name. In the party were a
number of women members of the
organization.
The meeting was opened by Fred
Cozzens, chairman of the Tottenvllle
committee, who troduce MISS
Elsa E. Evans, president of the Phil
emon Literary and Historical Socie-
ty. Miss Evans extended the well
come in behalf of the members of
the Philemon society and the c1tl-
gems of Tottenville' to those members
and guests from the other sections
of the island.
Miss Evans told of the founding
of the Philemon Society twenty-five
years ago, the outcome of h New
York Public Library in Tottenville,
the public drinking fountain In Ell
lott avenue and of it's efforts on va
rious occasions for the preservation
of the Billop House.
Mr.. Kolff in his brief address said
he was well pleased with the SHOW
Ing made by T~ottenville. He spoke
of the starting of the Chamber of
Commerce in 1895 and told of some
of it's work since that time.
Charles A. Marshall, a lawyer OF
Tottenville, followed with ar address
IN What Tottenville Needs" Mr..
Marshall spoke of the great advan-
tages of the borough of
since annexation in opening his re-
marks and then went on to tell or
some of the things particularly need
ed in Tottenville.
He began by telling of the trans
portation system from Tottenvllle to
the other side of the island and said
what was most needed was smaller
trains with two and three cars run
i1nore frequent than the five n SIX
year trains over a schedule of forty
. minutes. Mr.. Marshall said that
what was really needed in the way
of transportation was the electrify-
ing of the present railroad for quick
service over the fifteen-mile run.
Borough President Van Name
gave a complete history of the Bill
lon House from the time of its erec-
ton in 1868 up until the present
time, Mr.. Van Name while he was
In the legislature had a bill intro
duced % have the State of New York
take over the Billop House but the
bill was defeated.
At the close of his address, the
''Star Spangled Banner" was sung
and the members and the guests
went over to the work shop of the
school where members OF the Phlle.
mon Society served refreshments or
sandwiches, coffee and crullers.
Community singing during the ad-
dresses was led by George p. Allen
and Mrs. George Williams was at
the piano.
When all had finished with the re-
freshments a visit to the Blllop
House was made, where the pledge
was again renewed after seeing the
ruined condition of this structure.
The room where the famous peace
conference was held between LORD
Howe. and John Adams, Benjamin
Franklin and Edward Rutledge was
visited by all, as we'll as the dun
geon which was used during the rev.
olution as a prison. All went to the
shore to the spot where it is said
hat the landing was made by
Adams, Rutledge and Franklin IN
coming to the conference.
Among the noted guest at the
gathering were Mrs. Jane Teller, OF
New York, an antiquarian, who re-
Eacently succeeded in having the '1ty
Rake over a famous mansion in 61st
street, Manhattan, for historical
and william ]. Robinson,
q western man. who is greatly in
terested in relics. Both were intro
duced at the Billop house. Borough
President Van Name. Mr.. Kloff and
the Tottenville committee were given
three cheers in front of the historic
house after which the automobile
-1aos.io, {,rpad touar5 home