Historic Graveyard Tours at St. James’ Church

As seen on Ken Burns’ “The Roosevelts”!

Gertrude Lewis Livingston Lowndes       (1805-1883)

Known as “Gitty”, she was foremost a Livingston, New York’s premier family dynasty. Growing up, Gitty spent her winters in NYC and summers at the Staatsburgh estate of her grandfather, Gen. Morgan Lewis, 3rd governor of New York, and grandmother, Gertrude Livingston Lewis.

In 1826 Gitty left the Hudson Valley to marry a rice planter from South Carolina, Rawlins Lowndes, a friend of her brother from West Point student days.  Gertrude would call Wicklow Hall in SC home for 35 years.  January through March was spent in Charleston during the city’s social season, then Wicklow Hall until the heat of summer and the threat of malaria sent them north, either to NYC or Staatsburgh.

   performed by Deirdre Mae Micker

Emma Victoria Pitkin Marshall (1866-1946)

Once known as the “Poet Laureate” of Dutchess County, she was born Emma Victoria Pitkin in Brooklyn in 1866 and moved to Hyde Park in 1896.  She purchased a farm in East Park with her uncle. They called their new homestead ‘Pinehenge’ and together they worked from the ground up on harvesting fresh vegetables and producing homemade cheese which was sold at markets in Poughkeepsie.

Emma was 50 when she met and married Culver Marshall. Marshall was not pleased with a prenuptial agreement, which ultimately led to him to sleep in the barn. Emma’s attorneys came to the conclusion that Mr. Marshall was “not mentally sound”, and she declared him to be nothing more than a “squatter”. A judge dismissed the case and eventually Emma and Culver parted ways.   

             performed by Wendy Urban-Mead

Catherine Kennedy Harper (1830-1901)

Catherine Kennedy immigrated to the United States from Ireland during the mid-19th century and gained employment in Staatsburg as nanny and nurse to the two daughters of Maturin and Ruth (Baylies) Livingston, Ruth and Elizabeth.

While employed on the estate, Kennedy met and eventually married John Harper, who worked as a footman/coachman for the Livingston family. In 1882, Ruth Livingston married Ogden Mills and six years later the couple inherited the mansion, which they expanded to 65 rooms. Catherine became their housekeeper.  

                     performed by Faith Ray

Augustus T. Cowman (1814-1854)

Cowman was the son of Captain John Cowman, who sailed ships in the employ of John Jacob Astor (going twice to China).  In 1833, Coman married Ann B. Gillender, the daughter of another sailing captain.

Cowman’s father invested heavily in Manhattan real estate, quite possibly with the tutelage of his boss, Astor.   A list of property left to Augustus in his father’s will includes 19 building lots between 14th and 15th Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues; 14 lots on West 16th Street; nine on Fifth Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets; the large lot of land “known on the map of Cowman’s Union Place” between Fifth Avenue and Broadway on 17th Street, and more. The exclusive residential enclave encircling Union Place (later Union Square) began construction in 1832. The adjacent blocks (including those owned by Cowman) would see the rise of upscale, brick or brownstone-fronted homes.

Cowman inherited a 60-acre estate in Dutchess County, along with its 18th century “cottage” from the estate of Magdelena Hosack.  Cowman was a contractor, a publisher and an architect.  St. James’ Episcopal Church, when rebuilt in 1844, was designed by Cowman.      

                 performed by Zachary Veith

Rev. John McVickar, D.D.  (1787-1868)

John was born in New York City and graduated from Columbia College (1805). He travelled in Europe until 1806 and entered into Holy Orders the following year (1807).

In 1811, he was appointed Rector of St. James’ Church at Hyde Park, New York. In 1818, he was elected Professor of Moral Philosophy, Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres at Columbia. There, he delivered the first course of lectures on Political
Economy ever given in America.

From 1844 to 1862, he was Chaplain to the U.S. Forces at Fort Columbus, Governor’s Island. In 1809, he married Eliza, daughter of the distinguished Dr Samuel Bard, of Hyde Park. They lived at Inwood and were the parents of nine children.

                  performed by Robert Cogliati