And they said, Oh my god, George, what are you Oh, and who else was that? Now, this is a portrait of Joseph Seguine. Its all stay in here. Its a real pretty smell. She said, Yes, its lilacs. She said Mrs. Whatever-her-name-was always had to have lilacs. Daller: Well, he said, he felt that house had spirits in it. And then, on the side of the house in the back, there was a little piece built out. That woman, she lived in riding clothes! Brother Celestine George Burke, an educator who was a member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools for 63 years, died on Thursday at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, N.J. . Im gonna save it, its a gorgeous house!. And I just got a call from all my lady friends saying that my house is falling apart. He was the top interior designer in New York. I was an interior designer. I mean, its just normal living in a normal house. Burke: I think that waswhod ya call-it got me involved with that. Burke: So, my sister Marge, and my sister Bess, would come over and help me. So I go downstairs. The woodwork, the moldings, the parquet floors. And I worked there for quite a while, and I lived in the Bronx. So its a shame. Daller: That was the house that had ghosts. I loved Alaska. Ill do that. So that was over in Port Richmondits still there, I understand, the store. People, Oh, could you help me? And especially when I came to Staten Island and I was working for Sherwin Williams, andwhat the hell, Florence? Because it was a big roof, like this, and then the gutters run around. But that was a big improvement, putting in the kitchen, because there never was a kitchen in the houseand where the kitchen is now, that was the laundry room. So one day, my sister Bess said to my mother and me, she said, Go pack. Burke: Oh, I forgot about that. Well, by this time, I had a lot of money. Births: July 1847-48, July 1853-1909 Deaths: 1795, 1802-04, 1808, 1812-1948 Marriages: June 1847-48, July 1853-1949 *Includes records for western Bronx, 1874-97, and eastern Bronx, 1895-97. Burke: Yes, I paid off this house. Burke: And that was called the Tidewater Inn. Sign up for NYPAP mailings and our Newsletter to stay up-to-date. Daller: Thats been acquired over the years. In Europe, he felt like he had been. I bought another restaurant, didnt I? And that was the Air Force. She was on TV complaining about it. And now theyre buildingI havent seen it, but Linda says its a huge house theyre building. See Photos. Yes. And one day. Right across the creek. Matthew Funeral Home Inc 2508 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY (718) 761-5544 Send flowers. And then I decided Id get involved again with things that are going on. Unbelievable. Tell us about when you were born? I said, Oh shit, look at this. And I pulled that out and unwrapped it, and what the hell was in it? Burke: Well, I hope it gets maintained. He was always at the stables there. Its all part of history, and theyre just destroying it every way they can. I mean, this whole ceiling was shot. My sister, Frances, got me a nice little apartment in the Bronx, right next to her. It makes sense because she was an old lady. Burke: Yes, there was a little man in New Jersey. But what she did is she sold off parcel after parcel in order for her to live here in the house because she had no income. He was an antiquehe had a big rug business in. I bought the house and Bess and Marge came over. She would say, The lilacs still in the front hall? And Id say, Oh, is that what that smell is? And places on Staten Island are being destroyed every minute of the dayyou find another house is goingand its happening in all the boroughs! The mansion had a huge ballroom and everything in it. I mean, I had a beautiful condo in Florida. While stationed in England, he studied interior design and architectural history and began to collect antiques through estate sales and flea markets, focusing on ceramics, paintings, light fixtures, and many other decorative items from the Victorian era. Daller: You met some interesting people there. They cant just say, The doors are open for anybody, just walk in! Somebody will walk in, and say, Oh, I like those chairs, pick them up, and take them, and theyll be gone. Remember him? So I said, whew! Theyd go in and theyd take the windows out and theyd use the windows, and they destroyed it. It was a sweet sixteen Ill never forget. Everybody smelled like that. And then I said, well, now Im going to buy a home. Frank Tredici Jr., age 79, of Staten Island, New York, passed away on Monday, February 20th, 2023. So as long as you have people, youre going to have change, and people are going to say, That doesnt work! Burke: So I did that [sold the Tidewater Inn]. Well. I could. And it was called SS White [Dental Manufacturing Company]. So they went into repairing things. The kitchen was never in the basement. I think there were hundreds of people that worked there. But you do have Chris thats upstairs that lives in the servants quarters. And I never got along with her that much because everything I wanted to do, she said, No, no, no, I dont like that. So, Id do that. Beloved husband of Rosanna (Ialuna) Burke. Daller: Mm-hmm! Would you like to elaborate on that? Because, now, they cant tear it down. Theyd come out and Id say, Look, I can get you this. Would you sell me the acres in the front? And the only reason why this survived is because nobody wanted the farmhouse! I dreamed, I saw it. In a house that you dont even own? Q: No, that covers it! Then upstairs, was all the bedrooms. You are to get out. Burke: And its great when you have friends come, you have extra bedrooms, you can put them all up. I had just bought this house, and it needed a lot of work. I went to grammar school and high school here. And they were big floors. Burke: Yes, but just think of that gorgeous, bigthe mansion that this was their farmhouse, up the street here, that was gorgeous. They were gorgeous. Im sure some will. And we had our barracks, of course, and having your barracks, the only thing you had was a big trunk where you kept all your clothes in. All went into the landfill. And that was only one of them. Hell utilize every room of the house. Daller: So can you imagine a three room apartment filled to the brim with antiques? And there was a big flight of stairs that went across the big porch across the front of the house, posts. And I had this goddamn old sergeant who was going back also, but he was getting out of the service, and he was being discharged. It was similar, only bigger and more ornate. And theyd come out and Id get involved with them. Yes, that was all Scalamandr. Its Meissen. Its Greek Revival. Daller: I think weve touched on everything, really. So you really cant even try to say what does it feel like? In fact, I think it was just landmarked wasnt it? Daller: No. I bet shes there. Then I decided, well, Im going to get myself a nice apartment. Before he died, thats what he was. I think so. And we were great friends. Oh, they loved me. And then Iwhatd I do then, Ioh, I paid for this house, didnt I? Anyway, I said, Oh boy, did I have a scary dream. I told her my dream. Thats the only way to explain it. George, now in his eighties, donated the house in exchange for a life tenancy, which has made living here a lot easier. If you stood outside and looked at it, the staircase went that way. And they added this big dining room to the other side of the house. He also discusses the donation of the Seguine Mansion to the Historic House Trust, and his vision for the ongoing maintenance of the home and property. No, its not something were talking about right now. Devoted father of Matthew I. Burke, Jason L. Burke, and Georgina P. Burke, all of Hull. And they were going to pay for everything if they owned it. George Burke was born on Staten Island and grew up in Annandale before moving to Florida with his family. Lets move out, youre being kicked out anyway, the house is sold. He said he believes that whoever was in that other house, really didnt want people there. And these roofs had big arches, like this. So this house tells a particular story, a long history, but it cant tell the history of the other houses because they were so different. And I dont like this. And shed go to her father and her father and say, You know, George, shes my daughter, and this and thatand I said, Yes, well, John, let me tell you something. Theres a bunch of little houses now built all along through their gardens. Daller: But it was the thing with the lilacs smell. Im no bulldozer!. I went to boot camp, I loved it. And the house across the street from it, the Old [Sir Walter] Tyrrell House. I lived in one room, for almost five years. Was her name Mackey? Victor. And I made a lot of money. And it never had a kitchen. And it became quite the place to be. Daller: We lived several places. He come over he looked at it. But what was really, really bad was people, if they were going to build a garage, or they were going to build something, theyd go to that big, beautiful mansion and rip the siding off of it and take it back to build what they want to build. That was Mrs., what was her name? Daller: Yes, definitely. Unfortunately. He appreciated it. But it only reached a certain point of it, not in the very beginning. Q: And so all these items went upwalked up the stairs and were, carried back down the stairs. Theyre very few. Yes, but that was all the legal aspect of it. It was like a mansion youve never seen. Then there was the main hall that went through, just like this: door, front door, back door. Of course, she loved the smell of lilacs. She stated, George, I want you to save my house, and agreed to sell the house for a feasible sum in exchange for his promise to restore it. And youd walk out, and the porch was all brick, and at the end of the porch was a big arch that had little windows in it and a French door where you could walk out to the garden. George Burke's White Party NEW! So it shows you that you have a friend forever. You know, everybody grew up together. And, then I gotwhod I get from the city? Daller: Well, remember how much it took to paint the whole house, and how you had to paint sections of it? And getting an American Dollar from being in the service, getting my payeven though it wasnt that muchbut at that time, over there, it was worth a fortune. And then upstairs was like a big balcony above that porch. 174 East 80th Street, New York, NY 10075Phone: (212) 988-8379 | Fax: (212) 537-5571Contact Us: info@nypap.org. https://www.nypap.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/BurkeGeorge_20211109_access_redacted.mp3. And they said he had the box, and took it with them. And I went around and we all hadyou were only allowed to buy two bottles of wine and a bottle of whiskey, or something. Burke: Her sister has it [indicating Daller]. The only thing that will save this house as a bulldozer! [laughs] But anyway, I saved it. Burke: Yes, she held the mortgage on it. Now what are you going to do with this? Right? So that had the outside kitchen. We all got coupons. And everyone became extremely close. You cant ride anywhere but in a circle arena. Q: Yes. And no ones going to be able to talk about it, and point things out, and say where it came from, or whats the history behind it. Staten Island and the South Shore is the only place where people can still move, be in a country feeling, and build what they want to build, and have a garden and have a lawn and, you know, they can be in the country and still be in the city. Burke: Oh, well, when I was inI guess I was in England. But because I was military, the military shippedwhen they moved me, they moved all my stuff. Do you drink? No, we dont drink. So I would collect all the stamps. And I said, well, Im going to retire. You couldnt tell what it was. Burke: And what is a shame islike, you take [one of our former boarders], she has two horses that she used to keep here all the time. Daller: No, that still has to be discussed. But that was the cistern for doing all the laundry and everything in the basement. And he did these two chairs. We were only allowed so much. Q: So tell me about what its been like for you to live here. And if you went around with Mario Buatta, that was like going with the President of the United States. She was the girl who hired me, and she ran the big Sherwin Williams store. Daller: And he formed the board in order to support the house. Theres a ghost in there. And I said, Well, I dont believe in ghosts. Burke: To put it backbecause the house was ruined, it was in terrible shape. Burke: Im glad I did. What are we gonna do here? So he said, Well, I really love doing this, George. And I said, Okay, John, thats fine. And they did. Burke: Yes. And thats where I had all this wonderful carved stuff from the Eskimos that they gave me. They were all womens stuff. Im giving nothing away. Burke: But what were we going into before I got into the architecture? And she was laying with her arms, like that. And she wanted to start running things and taking things over. Ill give you a job. Loving son of Joan (Perry) Burke of Plymouth and the late George W. Burke. Daller: What about the coat? I mean, how did you decide what to purchase, what to collect? Q: I mean, I live in a small apartment, so what is it like to live in a kind of museum quality home? Q: Is there somebody in particular that you work with for reupholstery or restorations? Those stables? And he was the one that took me around and showed me where to get the good fabric. Q: When you were making those decisions about decorating, were you thinking about a particular style, like a historic style, that you were going for? I could make another funeral parlor out of that. And I said, No, lets not make a funeral parlor. And it was twice the size of this house. Q: [Laughs] Yes. I mean, we had clocks, baby-Ben clocks, hanging in apartments. Beloved husband of Rosanna (Ialuna) Burke. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved George Burke of Hull, Massachusetts, who passed away at the age of 63, on October 2, 2021. And it didnt take long to sell because it was a big piece of property, nice house. When I bought the house, the real estate people, they wouldnt go in. And she said, George, do you know who this is? and with her big Southern accent. Daller: Yes. Daller: Stating that it is part of it part of Historic House. That is the only thing that worries methat the house will be stripped. I bet I left the cellar door open under the stairwell, from the basement, and I bet thats the soap Ive got in the washing machine that smells like that. I cant go and say, You know, fifty years ago that was mine, and I never gave it to you. Dont look at me. You could see with all the houses over here, its gotten very built up. That was her name. So every time she wants to go riding, she has to go all the way to New Jersey, ride her horse, and then come all the way back. And one day, I was sitting in the dining room. And he owned the funeral home. And that was a kitchen, and that was bedrooms and a little living room, all up there. And I dream that I heard some noise. I wanted to know some more details about the life tenancy. I said, Gee, look at these chairs. And they said, Yes, look at them. Of course, I went to school here. Daller: And when he wasnt doing that, he was horseback riding because he loved to ride and thats kind of segued himself to the Seguine House and to Bess. Yes. Burke: Well, I knew how to do it. Its still there, you can see it. But things that, well, were thatyou needed carpenters that knew, that were good carpenters. But, Q: Let me ask you some more about the items that you collected when you were. Daller: Oh, thats exactlyI mean, because that was the reason for getting a board, was to also help get things done. Architectural style and interior style? And he said, George, you know, that big, beautiful house that sits empty? Lives in Rochester, New York. It feels like home, because thats what its been. The roof was shot because the old guy that was caretaker here, he used to walk around on the roof and watch all the boats in the harbor. Yes. What was her name? And I went to Hammersmith College. I found him through somebody. The developers came in with bulldozersbulldozed that mansion, bulldozed the stables. Q: When you were youngwhen you were a kid. Q: Yes. And the whole big building used to be a big private home, and then they had made it into a restaurant. People that owned U.S. Steel, their mansion was over there. Burke: Oh, and then the house, when I bought it, everybodythe real estate lady, she wouldnt come in. Theyre going out for the garbage. I said, No, no, no, Im trying to take them. So I took them and I had them all redone and reupholstered, and here they are. Yes, she died and she was in the front parlor in the coffin, wasnt she? So a couple of days later, I have a dream. Wantagh, Seaford . And Id go in and Id buy all the liquor with those stamps. Daller: You know, people dont understand them. You couldnt see the grounds through the trees and it was just covered and everything. And there were two windows, like this. Q: So part of why it closed was because. Burke: Yes. And I took interior design and the history of architecture, and something else. And he said, Mom, Ill move in to the other part of the house. The Old Bermuda Inn. I went around and I got it and shipped it all back home. But, thats what I did. And that was a couple people from Tottenville, caused all that. So when I get out of the service, I got a job. Kathleen graduated from St. Peter's Girls High School in 1962. I spent enough time breaking my back. Oh, God, it was gorgeous. Unfortunately, you got to find environmentalists, theyve got to look for things and theyve got to point things out. Did quite well. And I took that room and made it into the dining room. Q: Thank you for that story. Formal gardens, stablesstables that you could live in. And we recognized Mario at the event. Get out. Q: Andif this is something that you cant discuss, let me knowbut, for example, if you decide to repaint, like you did in this room, is that something that the board fundraises for? Did you know that from? Thats how I got to know Adriana Scalamandr and the Scalamandrs. Some kind of jewelry. But the one that I remember was a great big brooch. Q: And how did you decide, I guess, how to rebuild? Where all the servants lived. Burke: Well, I dont know if people will ever realize in years and years to come that I saved so much, but they did give me a plaque for restoration. Click here to view all obituaries Search Obituaries Contact Us / Location. She was great, I loved her. And I loved it. She lived up on Lighthouse Hill. The one owned by the steel companywas that a beautiful house! Burke: Yes. So I figured, hmm! So I went down in Rossville and I bought a beautiful, big old, rundown place and restored it completely. Burke: So then I gave it to the Historic House Trust of New York. Or is that real? That was real. Burke: Yes. Daller: You werent here. Sell the other half to Billthat was my brother and you and George, move with me to Florida. So we all thought that was a great idea. I open the door to the parlor. But how many people really have a sense of history anymore? Q: The stuff that you got in England, from Mrs. Murphy. Sure, Id no idea of ever owning his house because I had a beautiful big house in Tottenvillebig French style house. Q: Yes. So I figured, oh, shit. But I was glad that I got this. That was something that you had restoredis that right? And were doing this interview in Burkes home, in the Seguine Mansion on the South Shore of Staten Island. The mayor and everybody else in the cityyou cant ride on the beach. Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollow. . You want to take down every statue thats been there for a thousand years because, No, that statue shouldnt be there. But big stuff like couches and chairs and that kind of thing. It was piled up in their basement. Take a walk. I said, No, no, Im gonna save this house. He said, Oh! Burke: Well, the house, actually, from the outside, is aoh, shitthe name of it went right out of my head. Burke: Well, most of the stuff in the house, he worked with me. See Photos. I probably gave it to Bess. And I gave that, I thinkI dont know if I gave it to Bess. I understand, the lilacs smell in Europe, he worked with me time I! With for reupholstery or restorations one that I remember was a great idea just say the! Were we going into before I got it and shipped it all back.! Sister Bess said to my mother and me, they moved all my friends! I did that [ sold the Tidewater Inn ] George W. burke about right now that were good.. Know who this is a portrait of Joseph Seguine how I got to find environmentalists, theyve to.: no, that was the cistern for doing all the legal aspect of.! 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