Visiting Granny's House
My grandmother, Rebecca Hall was widowed in the 20's and soon remarried to a widower, John Bleecker. She had four children, he had five, so they needed a big place to live. In the late 20's they bought a decrepit three-story Second Empire mansion in West Chester, Pa. and rehabbed it for their family.
They named the house "Bleecker Hall" because it was the home of the Bleeckers and the Halls.. Mr. and Mrs Bleecker raised their nine kids in that house. Two of them were married there. Granny was a fine cook and a gracious hostess. Dad Bleecker was a renowned host and raconteur. The parties they threw in that place were legendary. I only knew Granddad Bleecker when he was old and sick, but of a summer evening he'd still dress up in his white suit and serve "Bleecker Blockbusters" (his particularly potent species of Manhattan) to his guests.
My family lived in Tennessee in the 50's, so our summer visits to see Granny and Granddad were always special. In 1957, I survived a bout of Hepatitis A and my parents sent me to spend the summer and convalesce at Bleecker Hall. All of the Bleecker/Hall kids were on their own, and Granny and Granddad lived alone in the big house.
After Granddad died in 1959, Granny sold the house. She and the family were heartbroken, but it was far too big for her. We lived in Valley Forge and my Dad considered buying the house for us, but it was not to be. He worked in North Philadelphia, and in those days, before Rt 202 became a superhighway, commuting from West Chester to Philly wasn't something he wanted to do.
I remember helping to clean out Bleecker Hall. The family heirlooms were distributed through the family. Granddad's "prohibition liquor cabinet" with three bottle hidden behind a false back has a place of honor in my dining room today, and have inherited the silver shaker and cups that are the only true way to make and serve the Bleecker Blockbuster.
It has been over forty years since I last was in Bleecker Hall, "Granny's House". Saturday is Chester County Day, a charitable event for the benefit of Chester County Hospital. It includes house tours of various historic and stately homes in and around West Chester. Bleecker Hall or "The Pinkerton Mansion" (Pinkerton was its first owner) will be open on Saturday. I'm driving down to Philadelphia tomorrow after work and on Saturday, I'm going to see my Granny's house again.
Oh, I know it will seem a lot smaller than it did when I was ten. It'll be full of somebody else's furniture. The crystal chandelier, the red drapes in the dining room, the grandfather clock will all be gone. None of that matters. The memories will still be there.
They named the house "Bleecker Hall" because it was the home of the Bleeckers and the Halls.. Mr. and Mrs Bleecker raised their nine kids in that house. Two of them were married there. Granny was a fine cook and a gracious hostess. Dad Bleecker was a renowned host and raconteur. The parties they threw in that place were legendary. I only knew Granddad Bleecker when he was old and sick, but of a summer evening he'd still dress up in his white suit and serve "Bleecker Blockbusters" (his particularly potent species of Manhattan) to his guests.
My family lived in Tennessee in the 50's, so our summer visits to see Granny and Granddad were always special. In 1957, I survived a bout of Hepatitis A and my parents sent me to spend the summer and convalesce at Bleecker Hall. All of the Bleecker/Hall kids were on their own, and Granny and Granddad lived alone in the big house.
After Granddad died in 1959, Granny sold the house. She and the family were heartbroken, but it was far too big for her. We lived in Valley Forge and my Dad considered buying the house for us, but it was not to be. He worked in North Philadelphia, and in those days, before Rt 202 became a superhighway, commuting from West Chester to Philly wasn't something he wanted to do.
I remember helping to clean out Bleecker Hall. The family heirlooms were distributed through the family. Granddad's "prohibition liquor cabinet" with three bottle hidden behind a false back has a place of honor in my dining room today, and have inherited the silver shaker and cups that are the only true way to make and serve the Bleecker Blockbuster.
It has been over forty years since I last was in Bleecker Hall, "Granny's House". Saturday is Chester County Day, a charitable event for the benefit of Chester County Hospital. It includes house tours of various historic and stately homes in and around West Chester. Bleecker Hall or "The Pinkerton Mansion" (Pinkerton was its first owner) will be open on Saturday. I'm driving down to Philadelphia tomorrow after work and on Saturday, I'm going to see my Granny's house again.
Oh, I know it will seem a lot smaller than it did when I was ten. It'll be full of somebody else's furniture. The crystal chandelier, the red drapes in the dining room, the grandfather clock will all be gone. None of that matters. The memories will still be there.