"Hillside"

 residence, place with historical importance, LIGC - Long Island Gold Coast

198 East Main Street.

An Account of Significant People Associated with the Adelia & Cornelius McCoon House in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York

The house known today as Hillside or the Trousdell House was originally built by Adelia and Cornelius McCoon in 1844. Adelia Albertson (1819-1846) and Cornelius McCoon (1810-1884) were married on June 27, 1842.1 Rev. Marmaduke Earle, a Baptist minister and important Oyster Bay figure, officiated at their wedding. Just a few years later Adelia Albertson was given lands in Oyster Bay by her father in 1844. Adelia & Cornelius McCoon proceeded to construct a house on the site.

Cornelius McCoon was a prominent merchant in New York City, having been born there in 1810. He founded the grocery house of McCoon & Sherman at 51 Front Street. McCoon retired from the grocery business in 1845, though continued to serve as director of the Merchants’ Bank and the Second Avenue Railroad. McCoon resided in a townhouse on the north side of Madison Square at 17 East 26th Street.

The life of Adelia McCoon was tragically cut short. She died on July 13, 1846, at the age of 26.2 She was survived by her husband Cornelius and their one-year old daughter Anna Adelia. Cornelius McCoon, as guardian for Anna Adelia McCoon, conveyed the two acre property and house he had built to William Henry Bridgens (1806-1887) of New York City in 1849. Cornelius McCoon became an invalid by 1866.3 He transferred management of his estate to his brother-in-law William H. Townsend because of ill health. Cornelius McCoon died January 13, 1884, leaving three children.4

William Henry Bridgens (1806-1887) was an engraver who worked at 189 William Street in New York.5 He and his wife Elethere Brewster (1808-?) operated a tavern and inn from the former Adelia and Cornelius McCoon house during the 1850's. The Bridgens sold the property to Richard Irvin, a merchant from New York City in 1861. Even after the house was sold, members of the Bridgens family maintained a presence in Oyster Bay. Frederick Bridgens, son of William Henry Bridgens lived with his wife Sarah Johnson on a farm. Following his death, Mrs. Bridgens and her three sons Fred, Frank, and Albert went to live with Mr. & Mrs. Landon on the East Norwich Road. She was deeply grieved by the loss of her husband, however, and tragically drowned herself in the Mill Pond.6 In obituaries at the time of her death it was commented how Mrs. Bridgens was a cousin or alternatively an aunt of Louise Whitfield, the wife of famed industrialist Andrew Carnegie.7

Following purchase, Richard Irvin (1799-1888) was supposedly responsible for renaming the property “Hillside.”8 Richard Irvin was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 2, 1799. He had another residence at 21 West 21st St.9 Irvin was a member of one of the oldest mercantile firms in New York City. In 1838 he was agent for the first steamers making regular trips across the Atlantic – the Great Bristol and Great Western.10 Richard Irvin died in Oyster Bay at the age of 89 on June 27, 1888.11

His son, the Rev. William Irvin, purchased Hillside from the estate of his father for $14,000 on November 15, 1897.12 Rev. William Irvin served as the first Chaplain of the Seawanhaka Yacht Club.13 For some time he owned the last house on the north side of Center Island Road just before approaching the clubhouse and grounds for Seawanhaka. Richard and Thomas S. Irvin, as executors of the will of William Irvin, conveyed the property on East Main Street to Grace Moore Cook and William Mason Cook in 1913.

Before speaking about changes the Cook family made to the property, it may be helpful to say a word about the Moore family of which Grace Moore was related.

Asa Moore (1758-1830) moved with his family to Leverette, Mass. That is where his son Lewis Moore was born in 1787, and died in 1843. Lewis Moore had a son Lucius Moore (1827-1903) who left Leverette at a young age for Hudson, New York. Lucius Moore started as a store clerk in Hudson and rose to become one of the most successful businessmen in that area. Lucius had several wives and children. Grace Moore (1855-1932) was a daughter by way of his wife Phoebe Ann Jenkins (1821-1858).14 His newly born daughter Phoebe Ann Jenkins Moore died on February 18, 1858, and her mother Phoebe Ann Jenkins died a month later on March 17, 1858.

Grace Moore went on to marry Rev. William Mason Cook (1851-1915), a minister with the Episcopal Church. Rev. William Mason Cook was the son of Rev. William Henry Cook (1809-1891) and Mary Ann
Palmer (1812-1879). Rev. William Mason Cook was born March 15, 1851, in Schenectady, New York.15 He served a variety of congregations throughout New York, though perhaps his most significant pastorate was at St. Augustine's in Ilion where he served as rector from 1888 to 1908. William Mason Cook and Grace Moore had three sons. Lucius Moore Cook (1891-1952) and Palmer Henry Cook (1894-1949) lived through adulthood. Another son, Augustine Cook (1897-1898), died as an infant. Grace M. Cook was mentioned as a defendant in a case brought by the United States of America v. Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, while living at a house on 1 West North St. in Ilion, New York.16

Among the significant accomplishments of Rev. William Mason Cook include leading a campaign to build St. Peter's of the Lakes Episcopal Church in the Adirondacks. A 1902 New York Times article referred to a number of subscriptions Cook had raised, and how “The plans have been drawn up and it is expected that the chapel will be built next year.” 17 As building projects often go, this aggressive timeline was somewhat delayed. The dedication of St. Peter’s of the Lakes Episcopal Church did not occur until 1905.
Rev. William Mason Cook and his wife Grace had a summer house in the Adirondacks. While there Cook most likely found himself in contact with Mrs. Harrison, wife of former President Benjamin Harrison. The Harrison’s summered at Berkeley Lodge on the First Lake of the Fulton Chain. Rev. William M. Cook regularly conducted Episcopal services on Sundays while residing with his family at Camp Ogden on Fourth Lake.18

Rev. William Mason Cook and his family are said to have spent time somewhere in the South as well.19,20 Rev. William Henry Cook, the father of Rev. William Mason Cook, married his wife Mary Ann Palmer in Hilsboro, Georgia, on June 20, 1836. This may provide a clue to the Southern roots of the Cook family.

When Rev. William Mason Cook purchased the house in Oyster Bay in 1913, he bought it from the estate of another minister, Rev. William Irvin. Almost immediately upon acquiring this house, the Cook’s hired Architect William Bottomley to lead a major expansion. Building plans from Hewitt & Bottomley were dated March 18, 1913. A biloggial portico was added to the front, an extension to the west, and an ample porch wrapping around four sides of the building, effectively opening up the building to its lush surroundings.

The connection, if any, between Grace Moore and Edward Cook Moore who was a founder of Tiffany & Co. and his son John Chandler Moore is as of yet unknown. What is known, however, is that John Chandler Moore built his estate Mooreland, just south of the Adelia & Cornelius McCoon House.

The Rev. William Mason Cook died in Oyster Bay in 1915. Rev. William Mason Cook, his wife Grace Moore, and son Augustine were all buried in the Hudson City Cemetery, in Hudson, New York.21 His widow continued to own the house for several years later, before selling it to Chauncey B. Garver of New York for $40,000 in 1921. By that time Grace Moore had permanently relocated to Los Angeles, where her two surviving sons, Lucius Moore Cook and Palmer Henry Cook also lived.

Lucius Moore Cook gained some fame on stage and film. He appeared in several Broadway plays. He was Director and staged three plays in 1936. One of these, the Class of ’29, was produced by the Popular Price Theatre of the Federal Theatre Project of the WPA. 22,23 The other two plays were Help Yourself and American Holiday.24 His film career included appearances in Lone Star (1952), as a Congressman in Goodbye, My Fancy (1951), and as Second Steward in Francis Goes to the Races (1951).
Palmer Henry Cook went on to study at Princeton University. On his draft card for World War I he listed Oyster Bay as his primary residence.25 He later relocated to Los Angeles where he married Dorothy Jones on December 14, 1918.

The sale of the former Cook property to Garver was reported in a November 27, 1920 article in the New York Times. In referring to the house, it mentioned this as “one of the finest in the Oyster Bay section.”26 The Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide mentioned the sale of the Cook property in Oyster Bay to Chauncey B. Garver in the December 4, 1920 issue.27
Chauncey B. Garver, along with his father John A. Garver,28 was a lawyer, a graduate of Yale University,29 and a member of the firm Shearman & Streung, with offices at 55 Wall Street in New York City.30 Chauncey Garver was engaged to Miss Alice Pine in March 1917. They later married on June 27, 1917. The married couple lived together at 720 Park Avenue. At the time of the wedding it was mentioned how Garver was a member of the University Club, Seawanhaka Yacht Club, and Piping Rock Club, with the later two both located in the vicinity of Oyster Bay.
Frequent references are made to Garver in the New York Times, especially as it relates to social events. Garver was reportedly present for the 21st birthday party for Colles J. Coe.31 He was an usher for the wedding of Edith M. Baldwin and Roderick Beebe held in Stamford, Connecticut, on May 14, 1910.32

Mrs. Garver is the first among those listed, responsible for organizing an ingenious “Shadow Ball” to benefit the Florence Baker House. Reflecting on the fact many people subscribe for events then do not attend, the request for subscriptions read: “The pleasure of your company is requested at the Shadow Ball on Thursday evening, April 35, in the ballroom of the New Metropolitan Opera House, 15,000 Fifth Avenue, entrance via Fort Washington Bridge or Holland Tunnel, in support of Florence Baker House.”33 Those who contribute will then be informed they can through such purchases gain admission to “a quiet evening at home.”34

An Island Ball was held on September 20, 1930. Over 500 guests danced for charity to music by an orchestra stationed in the great ballroom of William M. Chadbourne’s country home, Knollwood, in Syosset. 35 Mrs. Chauncey B. Garver was again on the committee to benefit the Florence Baker House.36
Chauncey B. Garver purchased a sixty acre estate for himself in Oyster Bay in 1930. The estate had a residence and garage that was owned by the Falmouth Land Company, Mrs. George Thompson, president.37

By 1932 the Garver marriage had soured to the point where Alice Pine Garver asked for a divorce, charging cruelty. In her suit for divorce, Alice Garver asked for an agreement settling property rights and for custody of their two children. Chauncey B. Garver at the time was identified as counsel for the Consolidated Gas Company of New York, and as residing in Oyster Bay.38
Tragedy seemingly befell tragedy for Chauncey Garver, for on October 23, 1936, his father John Garver died of a heart attack while at his country house in Oyster Bay.39 Among his memberships at the time of his death included the Yale University Club, Century Club, and Bankers Clubs of New York, and the Piping Rock Country Club and the Creek Club of Long Island. His home was at 300 Park Avenue in New York City.40
Chauncey B. Garver married Virginia Victoria Rook on May 7, 1938. His previous marriage to Miss Alice Pine ended in divorce in Nevada in 1932. Following the wedding to Rook, it was said that “Garver and his bride will live in Oyster Bay for the Summer and later will make their home in this city.”41 Garver is reported to have leased the entire floor of a building at 956 Fifth Avenue in 1940, comprising 10 rooms and four baths.42

The Garver tradition of hospitality continued. Mrs. Chauncey B. Garver opened the gardens of Ehrenvale, her home on Sandy Hill, for a benefit on September 13, 1942, to aid the local unit of the American Women’s Voluntary Services. The theme of the party was a “gay nineties” revue, with a pantomime entitled “The Life of Deborah the Debutante.”43

Garver split the two-acre lot in 1945 selling the front piece with a large house to Dr. and Mrs. Trousdell in 1949, and a cottage to the rear to Clara Irvin. The Garver family would maintain an Oyster Bay connection even after selling the Adelia & Cornelius McCoon House. Chauncey Garver served as Mayor of Oyster Bay from 1948 through 1959.44 A 1957 New York Times article referred to a supper dance held at Wrexleigh, the country estate of Chauncey B. Garver on Sandy Hill Road in Oyster Bay.45
While living in Oyster Bay, Garver maintained an active interest in New York City affairs. He wrote a fairly impassioned defense of the scenic qualities of Central Park. This letter to the editor was published in the New York Times on June 13, 1960. In the letter he opposed a sidewalk café and restaurant proposed by Huntington Hartford within the boundaries of Central Park.46
Chauncey B. Garver died Wednesday, February 21, 1973, at his estate on Long Island. Surviving him were his wife Virginia, four daughters, a son, twelve grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.47
James and Marjorie Ruth Trousdell were the third group of newlyweds, following the McCoon and Garver families to own and reside in Hillside immediately following their nuptials. Dr. James Trousdell married Marjorie Ruth Trousdell in August 1948. Dr. Marjorie Trousdell was born July 14, 1916, and graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University in 1937, and the LI College of Medicine in 1946. She specialized in pathology and was on the staff of Mercy Hospital, retiring in 1981. Her husband James’ specialty was in internal medicine. He practiced in Oyster Bay from his house until retiring in 1990. They had four children: Barbara; James, Jr.; Elizabeth, and Bruce.48 Marjorie died December 22, 2004, and was buried at Youngs Memorial Cemetery in Oyster Bay.
The property was sold by the Trousdell family to the North Shore Land Alliance in May 2011. An easement was placed on the property to protect the open space. Efforts to support historic preservation of the house are now underway with the support of a number of community groups in Oyster Bay.
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Written by Isaac D. Kremer
July 26, 2011

1 Christopher Hawxhurst family tree, rootsweb, Ancestry.com. Accessed July 26, 2011. Direct link: freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rclarke/page...
2 Christopher Hawxhurst family tree, rootsweb, Ancestry.com. Accessed July 26, 2011. Direct link: freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rclarke/page...
3 New-York Tribune, January 14, 1884, Image 5. Direct link:
chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1884-01-14/e...
4 Atlantic reporter: Cases argued and determined in the courts of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Volume 17, West Pub. Co., 1889. p. 821.
5 Trow’s New York City Directory, Volume 71, Trow, Firm, Directory Publishers, New York, 1856. p.101.
6 “Recent Deaths,” The Newtown Register, September 28, 1899. p. 2.
7 “Mrs. Bridgens a Suicide,” The New York Times, September 23, 1899.
8 Theodore Roosevelt--many-sided American, Natalie Naylor and Douglas Brinkley, 1992, p.52.
9 “Died,” The New York Times, June 29, 1888.
10 “Obituary Notes,” The New York Times, June 29, 1888.
11 “Died,” The New York Times, June 28, 1888.
12Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 61, no. 1557: January 15, 1898. p.139.
13 Wikimapia.org, Accessed July 26, 2011. Direct link: wikimapia.org/7238924/Irvin-House-Before-1850
14 Miller, Stephen B. Historical sketches of Hudson, embracing the settlement of the city, city government, business enterprises, churches, press, schools, libraries, &c. Hudson, New York: Bryan K. Webb Printers. 1863. p. 174.
15 Leonard, John William and Lewis Randolph Hamersly, Frank R. Holmes. Who's who in New York City and State, Volume 4, L.R. Hamersly Co., 1909. p.314.
16 “United States of America, petitioner, v. Standard Oil Company of New Jersey et al., defendants," Government Printing Office, 1909.
17 “Old Forge, Mrs. Benjamin Harrison to Occupy Her Camp, Berkeley Lodge,” The New York Times, August 31, 1902.
18 Historic St. Peter’s Church, Adirondack North Country Scenic Byways, Accessed July 26, 2011. Direct link: adirondackscenicbyways.org/resource/st-peters-church-by...
19 “Rev. William M. Cook Died in New York,” Utica Herald Dispatch, January 10, 1915.
20 Materials provided by the Oyster Bay Historical Society and at Wikimapia.org refer to a Mr. and Mrs. Cook of Georgia. As of yet it has been impossible to determine what those Georgia ties specifically are. See: Wikimapia.org, Accessed July 26, 2011. Direct link: wikimapia.org/7003092/Irvin-s-Hillside-Inn-and-Tavern-...
21 Gravestone Inscriptions of the Hudson City Cemetery, Hudson, Columbia County, N.Y., Part 7. Accessed July 26, 2011. Direct link: dunhamwilcox.net/ny/hudson_cem7.htm
22 “Class of ’29,” www.munseys.com, Accessed July 26, 2011. Direct link: www.munseys.com/diskthree/cltafdex.htm
23 “Class of ’29,” Internet Broadway Database, www.idbd.com, Accessed July 26, 2011. Direct link: www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=12082
24 “Lucius Moore Cook,” Internet Broadway Database, www.idbd.com, Accessed July 26, 2011. Direct link: www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=14487
25 "World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Record for Palmer Henry Cook," Ancestry.com, Accessed July 26, 2011. Direct link: tinyurl.com/3plgka6
26 “Long Island Estates Sold,” The New York Times, November 27, 1920.
27Real estate record and builders' guide, vol. 106, no.23, December 4, 1920, New York: F. W. Dodge Corp. p.771.
28 John S. Garver used as alternate name and initial depending on source.
29 Directory of the Living Graduates of Yale University, Issue of 1914, Meriden, Conn.: The Curtiss-Way Co. p. 126.
30 Brown, Hubert Rutherford. The Lawyers’ List New York. 1922, New York: Hubert R. Brown Publisher. p. 240.
31 “Celebrate 21st Birthdays,” The New York Times, March 29, 1914.
32 “Society at Home and Abroad,” The New York Times, May 8, 1910.
33 “A Stay-At-Home Ball,” The New York Times, April 1, 1928.
34 “A Stay-At-Home Ball,” The New York Times, April 1, 1928.
35 “500 at Island Ball Dance for Charity,” The New York Times, September 20, 1930.
36 “Island Ball for Charity,” The New York Times, September 14, 1930.
37 “Deals in the Suburbs,” Oyster Bay Properties Sold and Leased, The New York Times, June 30, 1930.
38 “Wife Asks Divorce from S. Roebling,” The New York Times, November 27, 1932.
39 “John A. Garver, 82, Attorney, Is Dead,” The New York Times, October 24, 1936.
40 “John A. Garver, 82, Attorney, Is Dead,” The New York Times, October 24, 1936.
41 “Virginia Rook Wed at Home of Aunt,” The New York Times, May 8, 1938.
42 “Suite in Fifth Ave. Taken by Lawyer,” The New York Times, June 1, 1940.
43 “Revue Will Assist Women’s Services,” The New York Times, August 31, 1942.
44 “Chauncey B. Garver, Expert on Bank Law,” The New York Times, February 24, 1973.
45 “Miss Joan B. Garver Bows at Oyster Bay,” The New York Times, June 18, 1957.
46 “Letters to The Times,” The New York Times, June 13, 1960.
47 “Chauncey B. Garver, Expert on Bank Law,” The New York Times, February 24, 1973.
48 “Obituaries,” The Oyster Bay Enterprise-Pilot, January 7, 2005.
49. futureofoysterbay.blogspot.com/2014/01/1844-hillside-ho...