July 29, 2006

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY’S PROGRAM. IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. AS FAR BACK AS I CAN REMEMBER, THE PLACE NAMES HOP BOTTOM, KINGSLEY, DIMOCK, HARFORD, NICHOLSON, TUNKAHANNOCK AND BROOKLYN HAVE BEEN A PART OF MY CONSCIOUSNESS. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, WE HAD A COPY OF WESTON’S HISTORY OF BROOKLYN, PENNSYLVANIA AT OUR HOME IN WILKES-BARRE AND FROM TIME TO TIME MY FATHER WOULD SHOW ME THE SECTIONS OF THE BOOK WHERE OUR FAMILY NAMES WERE RECORDED, WHICH REINFORCED THE HISTORY FOR ME. SO I HAVE FELT CONNECTED TO BROOKLYN, SPECIFICALLY TO HOP BOTTON, ALL MY LIFE. OUR ANCESTORS, PRINCE AND JUDITH PERKINS AND THEIR CHILDREN CAME HERE FROM CONNECTICUT IN 1793 WHEN SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY WAS STILL A PART OF LUZERNE COUNTY AND GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS THE NEW NATION’S FIRST PRESIDENT. AS I WAS PREPARING MY REMARKS FOR TODAY, I COULDN’T HELP THINKING OF HOW PLEASED AND PROUD MY PERKINS AND DENNIS ANCESTORS WOULD BE TO KNOW THAT, THROUGH THE LAND, THEIR DESCENDANTS ARE STILL CONNECTED TO THE AREA AND THAT YOU HAVE INVITED ME TO BE YOUR FEATURED SPEAKER THIS AFTERNOON. IT IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL BECAUSE THIS MONTH MARKS THE 140^TH ANNIVERSARY OF MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER, SUMNER DENNIS’ BIRTH. BORN JULY 1, 1866, TO HENRY AND ANGELINE PERKINS DENNIS, HE WAS PRINCE PERKINS’ GREAT-GRANDSON AND THE LAST MEMBER OF THE PERKINS-DENNIS FAMILY TO BE BORN ON THE FARM IN HOP BOTTOM (ALTHOUGH HE HAD THREE SIBLINGS WHO DIED AS INFANTS). SUMNER WAS NAMED IN HONOR OF CHARLES SUMNER, THE US SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS WHO FOUGHT FOR AND LED PASSAGE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL OF JUNE 1866. CLEARLY, THE DENNISES WERE AWARE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON AND OF THE EFFORTS OF THOSE LIKE CHARLES SUMNER AND THE PENNSYLVANIA CONGRESSMAN THADDEUS STEVENS WHO SOUGHT TO ENSURE THAT, IN THE WAKE OF THE CIVIL WAR, AFRICAN AMERICANS WOULD HAVE THEIR FULL RIGHTS AS AMERICAN CITIZENS.

READING AND DISCUSSING HISTORY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF OUR FAMILY LIFE AND WE INHERITED THIS INTEREST. I HAVE WITH ME TODAY A COPY OF A BOOK THAT BELONGED TO HENRY DENNIS, SUMNER’S FATHER. THE TITLE OF THE BOOK IS THE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION, AND INSIDE THE COVER, HE HAS WRITTEN “DIMOCK, PA, HENRY W. DENNIS, 1849.” I ALSO HAVE A HISTORY OF THE US THAT BELONGED TO HENRY’S TWO OLDER SONS, BOTH OF WHOM HAVE THEIR NAMES WRITTEN INSIDE, “P.W. (PERKINS WILLIAM) DENNIS AND NAPOLEON B. DENNIS.”

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, IN 2001, MY AUNT, HOPE DENNIS, SUMNER’S YOUNGEST CHILD, AND I FOUNDED THE DENNIS FARM CHARITABLE LAND TRUST FOR THE HISTORIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION OF THE FARM. THESE HISTORICAL BOOKS AND OTHERS LIKE THEM ARE NOW A PART OF THE TRUST AND WILL BE PRESERVED.

ORIGINALLY, WE WERE GOING TO CALL THE TRUST SIMPLY, THE DENNIS FARM TRUST, BUT OUR LAWYER ADVISED US TO INCLUDE THE ADJECTIVES “CHARITABLE” SO THAT IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IS A NON-PROFIT AND “LAND” SO THAT IT’S CLEAR THAT IT IS A LAND TRUST, NOT A FINANCIAL ONE. AS WE’VE MOVED FORWARD WITH OUR PLANS, I’VE REALIZED THAT THE EXPANSION OF THE TITLE WAS THE FIRST OF MANY EXPANSIONS. INDEED OUR CONCEPT FOR THE TRUST ITSELF HAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE NOT ONLY PRESERVATION BUT ALSO ARCHEOLOGY—BUT MORE ABOUT THAT LATER. HOPE DIDN’T WANT THE FARM TO GO OUT OF THE FAMILY ON HER WATCH, BUT SHE DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. WE BEGAN TO TALK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE PROPERTY IN 1996 AND 1997, AT WHICH TIME I BEGAN TO RESEARCH WHAT WE MIGHT DO IN EARNEST. IN 1998, I VISITED HISTORIC HOMES IN LOUISANA THAT HAD COME TO RUIN, AND THEN BEEN REVITALIZED FOR PUBLIC USE. IN FRANCE, IN PARTICUALR, I LEARNED HOW EVEN THE OLDEST PROPERTIES CAN BE BROUGHT TO LIFE AGAIN. EVERYWHERE, I ASKED QUESTIONS AND MADE MENTAL NOTE, STORING IDEAS FOR OUR FARM. MY AUNT AND I UNDERSTOOD THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FARM AND WANTED TO ENSURE THAT IT WOULD NOT BE LOST. OUR GOALS WERE TO KEEP THE NAME THE DENNIS FARM, PROTECT AND MAINTAIN THE CEMETERY, PRESERVE THE FARMHOUSE, SAVE THE PROPERTY FROM REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS—AND OF COURSE, SECURITY.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A SIMPLE PLAN, BUT NOTHING IS AS SIMPLE AS IT SOUNDS. ONE CANNOT SIMPLY CLAIM THAT A PLACE HAS HISTORIC VALUE; THAT DETERMINATION MUST BE MADE BY HISTORY AND PRESERVATION PROFESSIONALS. SO, MY FIRST STEP WAS TO FIND THE APPROPRIATE EXPERTS TO HELP US. IN THE 1980’S, I’D WORKED AS THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER FOR THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA IN PHILADELPHIA. HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE GRAD SCHOOL AND AS A PART OF MY JOB, I’D WRITTEN ABOUT PRESERVATION PROJECTS. WHEN I BEGAN TO RESEARCH POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FARM, I CALLED PENN’S DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION WHICH IN TURN, PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH THE PRESERVATION OFFICER FOR THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA IN HARRISBURG. HARRISBURG THEN PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH ELIZABETH WATSON, A PRESERVATIONIST WHO IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF SAVING AMERICA’S COUNTRYSIDE. AS PART OF A TEAM FROM JOHN MILNER ASSOCIATES, A FIRM THAT SPECIALIZES IN PRESERVATION, ARCHITECTURE AND ARCHEOLOGY, MS. WATSON HAD RECENTLY COMPLETED WORKING WITH A TEAM ON A MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN FOR THE ENDLESS MOUNTAINS HERITAGE REGION, INC., WHICH ENCOMPASSES FOUR COUNTIES INCLUDING SUSQUEHANNA. SHE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE FARM THROUGH HER WORK WITH ENDLESS MOUNTAINS. IN FACT, ENDLESS MOUNTAINS WAS INTERESTED IN INCLUDING THE FARM IN ITS PLANS FOR THE REGION. WHEN ELIZABETH AND I MET AND TALKED, SHE WAS WORKING AS AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT AND OFFERED TO WORK WITH ME. THROUHG HER, I MET THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF ENDLESS MOUNTAINS AND PRESERVATION PENNSYLVANIA AND AFTER A FIELD TRIP TO THE FARM; THEY AGREED TO BE PARTNERS OF THE TRUST.

WHEN I FIRST THOUGHT OF PRESERVING THE FARM, MY INITIAL CONCERN WAS THE FARMHOUSE AND HOW TO REPAIR IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, I SOON LEARNED ONCE AGAIN, THAT IN PRESERVATION, NOTHING IS THAT SIMPLE. BEFORE WORK COULD BEGIN ON THE HOUSE, WE NEEDED TO HAVE FEASIBILITY STUDY DONE ON THE ENTIRE PROPERTY AND IN ORDER TO HAVE THE STUDIES DONE, WE NEEDED A CALL FOR PAPERS AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEEDED A GRANT AND IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A GRANT, WE NEEDED A GRANT PROPOSAL. FORTUNATELY, WE SUCCEEDED IN DOING ALL OF THE ABOVE AND WERE AWARDED A GRANT FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA HERITAGE PARKS PROGRAM, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.

WE SELECTED THE AWARD-WINNING FIRM JOHN MILNER ASSOCIATES TO PREPARE THE STUDY BECAUSE JMA WAS ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE REGION AND HAD SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THE FARM. ALTHOUGH OSTENSIBLY, IT APPEARS THAT WE HAVE NOT MADE MUCH PROGRESS SINCE 2001, AFTER ALL THE HOUSE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED AND THE GROUNDS HAVE NOT BEEN LANDSCAPED; WE HAVE IN FACT MADE PROGRESS. FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE RE-ESTABLISHED CONNECTIONS WITH OUR LOCAL NEIGHBORS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE WANT THE FARM TO BE AN ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY. WE’VE MADE PROGRESS IN ANOTHER WAY, AS WELL—TWO WEEKS AGO, WE RECEIVED THE COMPLETED STUDY, WHICH SERVE AS THE BLUEPRINT FOR WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT. BEFORE I SHARE WITH YOU SOME EXCERPTS FROM THE STUDIES, I’D LIKE TO NOTE THAT THE FIRM THAT PREPARED THEM HAS WORKED ON PRESERVATIONS PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE EAST, AMONG THEM ANDREW JACKSON’S HERMITAGE IN TENNESSEE AND THE AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND IN LOWER MANHATTAN. THEY HAVE OFFICES FROM NEW YORK’S HUDSON VALLEY TO CHARLOTTSVILLE, VA.

THE TEAM THAT WORKED ON THE DENNIS FARM INCLUDED A PROJECT MANAGER, HISTORIAN AND AN ARCHEOLOGIST WHO IS A PRINCIPAL IN THE FIRM AND THE AUTHOR OF THE STUDIES. HE CONSULTED WITH ME THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND DESCRIBED THE FARM AS “VERY EXCITING, A TREASURE FOR THE REGION” THAT IS “UNIQUE TO PENNSYLVANIA.” IN THE REPORT, HE WRITES, “THE DENNIS FARM IS A REMARKABLE PROPERTY BECAUSE WHILE IT SHARES CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE COMPARABLE SITES, IT IS UNIQUE IN ITS POTENTIAL COMBINATION AS AN AMERICAN HISTORY, AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, AGRICULTURAL HISTORY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER. THERE ARE PRESENTLY NO OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE NORTHEAST THAT COMBINE THESE INGREDIENTS OR COMPONENTS AND THAT ARE TRYING TO ACTIVELY INTERPRET THEM, PRESERVE THEM AND PRESENT THEM TO THE PUBLIC.” THE STUDY LISTS THE DAVID LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN WASHINGTON CROSSING, PA; FRUITLANDS MUSUEM IN HARVARD, MA; THE BENJAMIN BANNEKER HISTORICAL PARK AND MUSEUM IN CANTONSVILLE, MD AND MOUNT CALVERT HISTORICAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL PARK IN UPPER MARLBORO, MD AS SITES THAT COULD SERVE AS MODELS FOR THE DENNIS FARM TRUST.

THE STUDY DEFINES FOUR POINTS FOR STUDY AND RESEARCH THAT REPRESENT EVIDENCE OF SETTLEMENT IN THE FARM: THE DENNIS FARMHOUSE AND AGRICULTURAL COMPLEX RUIN, THE PERKINS-DENNIS CEMETERY, THE PRINCE PERKINS ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE AND THE STONE WALLS. THE STUDY RECOMMENDS THAT A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT BE DONE TO IDENTIFY THE SIGNIFICANT LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS OF THE FARM AND THE MARTIN’S CREEK VALLEY. THIS REPORT WOULD ALSO BE USED TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING PATHS, VIEWSHEDS, WAYFINDING MARKERS, VEGETATION PATTERNS AND OTHER LAND-RELATED SITE DEVELOPMENTS.

AMONG THE PRIORITY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FARM IS TO REHABILITATE THE HOUSE FOR ADAPTIVE USE AS THE DENNIS FARM EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER. IN ITS ORIGINAL 19^TH CENTURY CONSTRUCTION, THE HOUSE HAD A CLASSIC NEW ENGLAND CENTRAL-CHIMNEY DESIGN. WHEN THE HOUSE WAS REMODELED AND MODERNIZED, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MY AUNT, EDITH ANGELINE DENNIS, THE CENTRAL-CHIMNEY PLAN WAS LOST INCORPORATED BY THE NEW CONSTRUCTION. BECAUSE OF THIS, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO RESTORE THE HOUSE TO ITS ORIGINAL DESIGN. SO REHABILITATION RATHER THAN RESTORATION IS RECOMMENDED. BEFORE THE HOUSE CAN BE REHABBED, HOWEVER, A HISTORIC STRUCTURES REPORT MUST BE DONE. UNTIL THE HOUSE IS READY, THE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER CAN BE BASED AT TWO SCHOOLS, ONE FOR HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND THE OTHER FOR ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH. POSSIBLE SCHOOLS FOR HISTORICAL RESEARCH ARE SWARTHMORE COLLEGE AND THE U OF SCRANTON. OUR ARCHEOLOGIST HAS ALREADY SPOKEN TO SUNY BINGHAMTOM ABOUT DEVELOPING AN ARCHEOLOGY FIELD STUDY FOR THE SITE. BOTH THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT AND THE HISTORIC STRUCTURES REPORT CAN BE UNDERTAKEN, WITH AN EDUCATION GRANT, AS PART OF AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM. AMONG THE FEASIBILITY STUDY’S OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THE FOLLOWING: THAT THE FARM BE NOMINATED FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND THAT THE FARM, THE BRISTOL BUDD SAMPSON SITE, THE PORTION OF THE MILFORD-OWEGO TURNPIKE ADJACENT TO MARTIN’S CREEK ROAD, AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD CONNECTION MIGHT QUALIFY AS A NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.

BEFORE I CONCLUDE, I’D LIKE TO MENTION MY MOST RECENT RESEARCH AND EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE TRUST. IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS, KNOWING THAT THE STUDY—WHICH WE NEED FOR FUNDRAISING—WAS NEAR COMPLETION, I HAVE HAD MEETINGS AND CONFERENCE CALLS WITH COLLEAGUES IN WASHINGTON, NEW YORK AND BOSTON, AND WITH POTENTIAL FUNDERS FROM FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN PHILADELPHIA. DONE. A SCHOLAR OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THE ARCHEOLOGIST WHO WROTE THE STUDIES FOUND LITERATURE FOR ME ABOUT THE BATTLE OF STONY POINT, NY WHICH BRISTOL BUDD SAMPSON, AS A MEMBER OF GENERAL WASHINGTON’S ELITE LIGHT INFANTRY CORPS, PARTICIPATED IN, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF STONY POINT FOR THE AMERICANS WAS THAT IT PROVED THAT THE CONTINENTAL ARMY COULD TAKE EVEN A WELL-DEFENDED BRITISH FORTRESS. MOST RECENTLY, I’VE SPOKEN TO THE GENEOLOGIST AT THE CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND SHE IS NOW RESEARCHING PRINCE PERKINS IN CT, AND THE DENNIS FAMILY IN MASSACHUSETTS AND VERMONT FOR US.

FINALLY, IN SORTING OUT MY AUNTS’ BELONGINGS, I FOUND A GUEST BOOK FROM THE FARM FROM 1940-1951, WITH THE NAMES OF SEVERAL BROOKLYN NEIGHBORS WRITTEN IN IT, PERHAPS YOU WILL RECOGNIZE A FEW OF THEM. I HOPE I HAVE GIVEN YOU A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT OUR PLANS ARE FOR THE FARM. THE RESEARCHERS SEE IT AS A DESTINATION SITE FOR EDUCATORS, SCHOLARS, SCHOOL GROUPS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURISM. ONLY THOSE WITH A KEEN INTEREST IN HISTORY WILL MAKE THE TRIP TO THE FARM—AND THEIR TRIP WILL BE WELL WORTH IT.

Front of house and lawn , circa 1940

Back of farm house ,field trip 2006