Is there a greater source of inspiration than nature? The natural world has inspired great works of art in every genre and style from cave paintings to classical sculpture, lyric poetry to hit movies, orchestral works to electronic soundscapes. Landscape architecture takes this process one step further, in which nature becomes the art. A landscape architect studies for years to learn the art, science and craft of working with plants and trees to make an artistic statement that complements both the natural surroundings and the architecture and meets the needs of their client.
New York State Parks and Historic Sites preserves many remarkable landscapes. As National Garden Week draws to a close, discover iconic landscapes at our historic sites and the fascinating stories behind them.
Black History Month is drawing to a close. But at the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, research into New York’s Black history is continuous. From the 1627 arrival of the first 22 enslaved African men to the 1827 abolition of slavery in New York and into the future, Black history is the history of New York and of the United States. This is a cornerstone principle of ‘Our Whole History,’ a Parks initiative launched several years ago to thoroughly research and share the stories of New York State from the multiple points of view of all who lived it.
As research continues, a more complete picture of the past emerges. The stories of the Black New Yorkers who contributed so much to New York’s history are revealed through painstaking, detail-oriented research. Key caretakers, highly skilled laborers, folks who contributed to a smooth-running household become clearer.
To piece together their stories, our dedicated historians conduct archaeology, study physical objects, and delve deep into records of all kinds: account ledgers of both homes and businesses; census data; estate inventories; wills; letters and journals; city directories; diaries, and more.
Several of our historians shared with us the stories of Black figures who shaped the history of their sites.
Holiday cooking is one tradition that most people partake in, even those who normally order take-out or nuke something frozen for dinner. Family recipes are unearthed from the back of the recipe box or perhaps your junk drawer. The house fills with the nostalgic smells of favorite treats. Recipes are often our most evident tie to our heritage and historians can glean a lot from one family recipe.
Lorenzo State Historic Site in Cazenovia has their own treasure trove of handwritten recipes from the families who have lived there. Spanning the early 1800s to the early 20th century, these cookbooks contain both handwritten recipes and clippings from newspapers. In addition to food, there are also entries for home remedies for health and cleaning.
Recently, these cookbooks were digitized so that the books themselves, which are quite fragile, no longer need to be handled and so can be protected from accidental damage. Researchers will be able access the books digitally, helping us better understand generations of the Lincklaens, Ledyards, and Fairchilds who lived at Lorenzo. Established in 1807, the Federal style home of John Lincklaen, Holland Land Company agent and founder of Cazenovia, Lorenzo was continually occupied by the family and its descendants until the property was conveyed to New York State in 1968.
One of the fragile cookbooks that was digitized so it now can now be handled as little as possible. The cookbooks at the Lorenzo State Historic Site have been one of the most requested items for research.(Photo Credit – NYS Parks)
What can historians learn from recipes over the years? The foods we eat can tell us about media, transportation, technology, and trade.
For example, vanilla was used sparingly prior to the mid-19th century. This fragrant spice is native to central and South America and vanilla orchids were brought to Europe and Africa through colonizers of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, but without successful cultivation of the fruit.
That all changed in 1841, a young enslaved man named Edmond Albius, living on the island of Réunion, a French island off the east coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, developed a hand pollination technique for the orchid, which only blooms for 24 hours. With the agricultural production of vanilla beans now made possible, the vanilla industry was catapulted around the world, which made the spice much more affordable. Cookbooks started to fill with this popular flavor by the end of the 1800s. Since the plants are still hand pollinated today, vanilla is one of the most expensive spices, second only to saffron. Prior to vanilla being widely available, many foods were seasoned with rose water or orange flower water.
This hand-written custard recipe comes from one of the cookbooks and uses vanilla. It is likely that this recipe dates from the second half of the 19th century. It is from a cookbook estimated to have been kept between 1910 and 1917 by Helen L. Fairchild. (Photo Credit – Lorenzo State Historic Site)
Many earlier recipes used spices that are often associated with the holidays today such as nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cardamom, and candied citrus peel. These ingredients were imported to the United States and Europe at significant expense and added interest and flavor. Nutmeg was originally imported from Indonesia. The Dutch, in addition to colonizing New Netherland, which became New York when England took control, also colonized Indonesia, primarily for the profitable spice trade. Nutmeg continues to be an important ingredient in both sweet and savory holiday recipes. How spices are used also gives a hint to your family’s heritage.
Also found in the cookbook kept by Helen L. Fairchild, “Eliza’s Gingerbread” recipe looks quite familiar to modern bakers. The earliest know gingerbread recipes originated in ancient Greece. Other recipes date to 10th century China. Europeans were eating gingerbread by the late Middle Ages, and its appeal continues to this day.(Photo Credit – Lorenzo State Historic Site)
Not all the recipes in these books seem palatable to modern audiences. There are many ingredients that have gone out of fashion. Suet, the rendered fat of beef, is an ingredient in many puddings. Tongue, calves head, and terrapin (turtle) are also present in recipes. Folks were also willing to put just about anything into gelatin including little ham balls seasoned with cayenne pepper.
Whether these dishes were daily fare or for special occasions is hard to decipher from these cookbooks, although terrapin became quite popular by the end of the 19th century until overharvesting made the creatures quite rare and expensive.
It is interesting to note that a few recipes are repeated in more than one cookbook. Perhaps each generation of women passed down the recipes to the next. The recipes might have been recopied in a new book when the old one deteriorated.
Eve’s pudding recipe is for a traditional pudding much like those still eaten during holidays in the United Kingdom. Puddings were a common desert, especially before the widespread availability of leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder. This pudding contains apples and raisins, but other examples could have included other dried or candied fruits, breadcrumbs instead of flour, nutmeg, and, of course, some brandy for a holiday glow.(Photo Credit – Lorenzo State Historic Site)
Lorenzo State Historic Site can now keep these recipes safe and accessible for many generations to come. And that is something you can do at home, too.
Which recipes will you be serving at your holiday table? What do those recipes say about your family’s heritage or status?
Recipes are considered primary source documents if your grandmother or great-grandmother was the first to write it down. How will you preserve this tradition? Share a recipe with your family and friends. Tell the stories that surround your memory of that food. This is intangible history, but just as important as your recipes. Stay safe and well fed this holiday season.
This satirical print made by George Cruikshank in 1835 is titled At Home in the Nursery, or The Masters and Misses Twoshoes Christmas Party. A popular English illustrator in the mid-19th century, Cruikshank portrayed the chaos of the nursery at Christmas that is well understood by any parent of small children. Of course, a tray of tasty treats is being brought into for their enjoyment. (Photo Credit – Rijksmuseum)
Cover Shot: The first commercial Christmas card, printed in 1843 in England and sent from John Callcott Horsely to Henry Cole, shows folks dining as a symbol of the holidays. In the same way so much of our celebrations revolve around food, with recipes often a cherished tradition passed to each generation. (Photo Credit – Victoria and Albert Museum, London)
Post by Amanda Massie, Curator at Bureau of Historic Sites, Division for Historic Preservationat NYS Parks.
Want to have some fun at home with historic recipes from Lorenzo State Historic Site? Here are some to try… And Happy Holidays to you and yours from New York State Parks!
For lovers of horses
and history, the annual Lorenzo Driving
Competition is the jewel of Cazenovia’s summer traditions.
The click of hooves, the hum of carriage wheels, the shimmer of sunlight on canvas tents: It’sa singular weekend, a chance to be transported to a time when road trip meant four legs and a whip.
A driver puts her horse and carriage through the course. Photo courtesy of Janis Barth.
The competition, held July 19-21, is once again set on the central great lawn of the Lorenzo State Historic Site, once the home of John Lincklaen, a Holland Land Company agent who founded the town in 1793 and named it for his boss, Theophilus Cazenove.
Lincklaen’s neoclassical mansion is a signature surrounding, the gentle slope of the ring designed to recreate a traditional driving experience and show off the unique combination of skill, attire and showmanship that define the sport of pleasure driving.
Interior hallway of the mansion.
For
spectators, who are invited to bring chairs and
blankets and find a comfortable vantage point, the restored historic
buildings provide the perfect backdrop.
Plan for a full day, because the Lorenzo grounds and restored mansion beckon between classes. Wander the Dark Aisle Arboretum and the spectacular formal garden. Absolutely leave time to explore the carriage house and collection of antique vehicles that provide a link between the driving competition and Cazenovia’s rich equestrian history.
Visitors mingle with some of the horses and their drivers. Photo courtesy of Janis Barth.
The
heart of the weekend, however, belongs to the polished pleasure-driving teams.
Competition will take place in two rings: one featuring such crowd favorites as
the Carriage Dog and Antique Vehicle classes, and one dedicated to a Christmas
in July-themed obstacle class.
Yes, that is right! Carriage dogs… A carriage dog or coach dog refers to a type of dog rather than a specific breed. Originally, dogs of this type were bred and trained to trot alongside carriages to protect the occupants from banditry or other interference. They were usually owned and used by the wealthy or traders and merchants. Dalmations were once one of the most popular breed of carriage dog in England, starting in the 18th Century. The more carriage dogs that attended a carriage, the greater the indicator of the occupants’ wealth and prestige.
An elegantly-attired driver and his team in front of the neoclassical Lincklaen Mansion. Photo courtesy of Janis Barth.
Friday at Lorenzo starts with driven dressage classes, testing the skill of horse and driver as they perform prescribed patterns with circles, diagonals and changes of gait. Then it’s off through fields and woods to neighboring Empire Brewery. Pull up a chair and watch from the front lawn as teams weave between traffic cones topped with tennis balls – points lost for every ball knocked to the ground.
The day ends with something new: a
Picnic Class, where competitors are judged on their ability to drive a horse
and then set up a posh meal on tables around the main show ring. It’s an
elegant nod to a bygone era and, as you might imagine, more fine china and
silver and less plastic forks and paper plates.
On Sunday
morning look for Lorenzo’s signature 5-mile, Pleasure Drive-Pace through the
lush countryside south of the mansion. During the lunch break, JK Percherons
will dazzle in the main ring with their four-horse hitch.
A driver and passenger show their joy on the course. Photo courtesy of Janis Barth.
Bring
the littles and check out the Kids Korral, the many vendors along Market Lane
and a silent auction featuring unique items – equestrian cocktail shaker,
anyone?
As
always, there is no charge for parking or to attend any day of the competition.
There’s something special about Lorenzo weekend– the mansion, the polished trophies, the gentle snort of horses and well-mannered woof of carriage dogs. This summer, plan to be part of the tradition.
For more information and updates go to lorenzodriving.org or follow the show on Facebook. Also, there are many other events at the Lorenzo site this season, and further information can be found here.
Hope to see you there! Photo courtesy of Janis Barth.
Post by Janis Barth, editor and publisher of New York Horse magazine and a member of the Lorenzo Driving Competition board.
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