1890 House Museum
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1890 House | |
 1890 House Museum | |
   | |
| Location | 37 Tompkins St., Cortland, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°35′46.1″N 76°10′56″W / 42.596139°N 76.18222°W |
| Built | 1890 |
| Architect | Samuel B. Reed[2] |
| Website | the1890House.org |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001179 (original) 82001116 (increase)[1] |
| Added to NRHP | March 18, 1975 (original) November 17, 1982 (increase)[1] |
The 1890 House Museum, also know as 1890 House Museum & Center for Victorian Arts, is a Historic house located on Tompkins Street in Cortland, NY. It was built in 1890 for Chester F. Wickwire (1843–1910), and was designed by architect Samuel B. Reed. Chester Wickwire lived in the home from 1890 until his death in 1910. He made his fortune by building and running the Wickwire Brothers Company in Cortland, NY. [3]
In 1975, the 1890 House became a museum after campaigning from Cortland County leaders. The 1890 House Museum was an important part of Tompkins Street District’s entry on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[1][2] In 1984, the 1890 House Museum received its official NYS Charter to operate as a 501(c)(3) historic house museum.[4][5]
History
First Wickwire Family
Family
Chester Wickwire built the 1890 House for his family and to show off his newfound wealth. He, his wife, Ardell Wickwire, and sons Charles and Fredric moved into the house on June 1st, 1890. After Chester’s death in 1910, Ardell Wickwire lived in the house until her death in 1915.[6]
Chester was born in McGraw, NY to a farming family, but when he was 19 moved to the city of Cortland. He married Ardell Rouse from Greene, NY on October 2, 1866. They had three children, Raymond, Charles and Fredric. Raymond died when he was 5 years old of scarlet fever in 1878.[7]
Margaret Stack
In addition to the Wickwire family, there were many servants that lived at the 1890 House like Margaret Stack. Margaret Stack immigrated from Athea, County Limerick, Ireland. She worked at the house from 1904 to 1911, after which she moved back to Ireland. Back in Ireland, she married John Lane, who she met in Cortland, and ran a grocery store with her husband.[8][9]
Second Wickwire Family
After Ardell’s death, the house lay dormant for about 8 years when Fredric moved into the house in 1923 with his own wife, Marion Goodrich Wickwire, and their 4 children, Chester, Cynthia, Lyman, and Winthrop.[7]
Fredric died in 1929, leaving his children and wife to live in the house. Marion later remarried local judge C. Leonard O’Connor, who moved into the house. Marion Goodrich Wickwire O’Connor outlived her second husband and lived in the house until 1973 and was the last inhabitant of the house.[4][7]
Wickwire Brothers Factory
In 1873, Chester Wickwire received a carpet loom that he was able to make weave wire. Shortly thereafter he opened his own factory with his brother called the Wickwire Brothers Company. By 1883, they had become the second largest producer of wire goods in the United States, mainly because of Chester’s patents on the machines that he created.[6]
The Wickwires hired many immigrants, mainly coming from Germany, Italy, Russia, and Ireland.[10] The factory saw seven industrial accidents between 1887 and 1897. In February 1888, a 14-year-old boy running a planer at the nearby Cortland Door and Window Screen Co. lost his toes and part of his foot. In April 1888, one man had his fingers mangled in the gears of a loom at the plant.[10]
Museum Today
The museum today has both guided and self-guided tours available for visitors. All three floors and the cupola are open to visitors.[3][5] The 1890 House is also involved in the community, having various public programs for children and adults.[11] They also participate in community events in Cortland such as the Diary parade and Downtown Community Clean Up. The museum has also recently launched a series on YouTube focusing on the Victorian age and the lives of the people who lived in the 1890 House.[12]
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Fernery & Sun Parlor of the 1890 House -
Stained glass side door of the 1890 House
See also
References
- ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ a b "CNY Arts - View". weare.cnyarts.org.
- ^ a b "The 1890 House Museum - Cortland County Convention & Visitors Bureau". experiencecortland.com.
- ^ a b "Mission & History - The 1890 House Museum". the1890house.org.
- ^ a b "1890 House Museum - Cortland, NY 13045". www.iloveny.com.
- ^ a b "Chester F. Wickwire - The 1890 House Museum". the1890house.org.
- ^ a b c "The Wickwire Family - The 1890 House Museum". the1890house.org.
- ^ WickWired (30 May 2018). "The Servant Life" – via YouTube.
- ^ "Servants - The 1890 House Museum". the1890house.org.
- ^ a b "The Factory - The 1890 House Museum". the1890house.org.
- ^ "Packages". Discover Upstate NY. 10 August 2018.
- ^ "WickWired". YouTube.
External links
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