Burke: Yes, I had to go down in the basement, and put a post, and then I had to jack up the stairs. Daller: Its life estate that he has. WHEN George Burke was growing up on Staten Island in the 1930s and '40s, he used to ride horses with a pair of sisters, Elizabeth and Belle Seguine. In fact, he was just a few years older than I, and wasnt it last year we were trying to locate him? So I moved into the house here. I could. I mean, look, theyve been trying to get rid of the carriage horses in the city, for how long now? It has to stay exactly as an old plantation house. Thats what I wanted. George Burke. But that was the cistern for doing all the laundry and everything in the basement. Big fluted columns with big Corinthian capitals on them. I traveled all over the world, traveled to Alaska, all over, with the military. And I went to Hammersmith College. Will they appreciate it? And there were two windows, like this. In this interview, Burke talks about working with designer Mario Buatta, along with the House of Scalamadr, to select furniture and fabrics to decorate the home in the Victorian style. Yes. But the other house, one of his friends was pushed down the stairs. And right outside the window right here, is a great big round, thing thats all brickgreat big round thing, big as this room, covered-overand thats where all the water from the drain pipe from the roof would go in there and fill it, and it was called a cistern, and that was connected to the kitchen downstairs. But you do have Chris thats upstairs that lives in the servants quarters. And I walked into there and I walked up, and the lid was closed on the coffin. A lot of the windows were broken out of it. And I said, What in the hell is this doing in my house? So I opened up the lid and there was this old lady laying in there, with this big lace collar around her neck, and her hair was puffed up behind her head, like that, was all gray. And, you know, who has that!? I know the Port Richmond store you just bought. Like our page to stay informed about passing of a loved one in Staten Island, New York on facebook. And think about it. Dont look at me. Because, now, they cant tear it down. Burke: It was. And I took that room and made it into the dining room. Q: Was it Mario that suggested the life tenancy agreement? Q: You mentioned that the South Shore has changed in the last few years. So Walter was re-stationed to Fort Lauderdale in Florida. He was 63. And he did these two chairs. She was on TV complaining about it. So my mother decided she would make it into a two-family, and rent out one part of it. 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. They are Chinese Chippendale. I said, No, no, no. The walkway going to the beach, its still there, where the house was. And a lot of it got given away, got lost. I mean, as a kid going down here crabbing, down on the beach, we used to look back at the house all the time. Unfortunately, all the grounds areI dont even know if the house is there anymore! Id come back up and I could still smell it in the hallway. Lets stay friends. Daller: Well, remember how much it took to paint the whole house, and how you had to paint sections of it? So, thats it, I said, to hell with it. Burke: And that was called the Tidewater Inn. Daller: What about the coat? George Burke is the restorer of the historic Seguine Mansion on the South Shore of Staten Island, where he has lived and taken care of the property for over four decades. And the White Party we do in order to take care of doing cleanup on the lawn, doing any kind of plantings, or anything, because he did it all the years. They moved in there, and they lived there. So they. Because people will come in, and therell be four or five people and somebody will walk by and just pick this up, and pick that up. And I want my painting. Burke: I was thinking about getting a big home, having a home, and what I would want in itthe paintings, what kind of furniture, carpets, everything. This was all field, all the way up, and she used to turn the horses loose on all the fields out there. There was nine of us in the whole family. And I think we can end there. And if you went around with Mario Buatta, that was like going with the President of the United States. Burke: Yes. In a house that you dont even own? And were doing this interview in Burkes home, in the Seguine Mansion on the South Shore of Staten Island. She would say, The lilacs still in the front hall? And Id say, Oh, is that what that smell is? So by the time he came back, all this had changed. He come over he looked at it. Well, it doesnt matter, her name. I did go around and take pictures of what was left of some of them. Lookit, I saved the police station and the two buildings next to the police station. Daller: Yes, well, thats what we just said, yes. Burke: Well, a good example is the one right here at the end of the street. Daller: Stating that it is part of it part of Historic House. And we were great gardeners and she had always come over in the spring, and she gave me little cuttings of all the flowers, and the different things. Skip to main content (800) 896-5587. Q: Well, tell me about getting started on this house. That whole salon set there was a Victorian salon setand the couch is a camelback. Sure, Id no idea of ever owning his house because I had a beautiful big house in Tottenvillebig French style house. Daller: But it feels like home. Well, what are we talking about? But anyway, she said, No, Im not going in. Burke: Yes. I went to grammar school and high school here. I saved it years and years ago. She said, Now you can save it., And I said, Well, I can save it. It wasnt fair to him to keep paying for it. And they were big floors. Daller: So can you imagine a three room apartment filled to the brim with antiques? Q: When you were youngwhen you were a kid. Q: Your collection of the items that you bought from Mrs. Murphy. I bought the house and Bess and Marge came over. Oh, that was the ghost in Tottenville. Id bring her bottles of whiskey and shed say, Listen, George, Im going to an estate for saleeverything in it is going! Its still there. Its going to hell. And places on Staten Island are being destroyed every minute of the dayyou find another house is goingand its happening in all the boroughs! Find the obituary of William Burke (1966 - 2021) from Staten Island, NY. Thats why I did what I did, because I figured that if anything ever happens to me, all of this, now, will have to stay as it is. Yes. Well. Q: Yes, you can tell me about your early life and the memories you have of growing up here. Burke: Of course, Id been in Alaska for all that time. And we were sitting in the kitchen in the basement and he was going on the Ouija board and I said, What does it say, what does it say? And Eric is sitting there and hes talking, and hes sounding like a lady, and hes saying, Youre in my house, and I dont want you. And he owned the funeral home. So, Id do that. By the time I got to the to where they were discharging them and such, he had just been discharged and left on an airplane. The whole family kind ofand the ladies got too old, and they decided they were going to move and go live inI think Georgia or Virginia, I forgot. And everyone became extremely close. Its all stay in here. Burke: Oh, God, I stood on the edge here and I watched what was going on over there. This was the farmhouse. Syracuse. But it doesnt work that way. Burke: Its right on the Boulevard and it goes down to the beach. I mean, after it was finished, who cared? And when they got level, he screamed, Okay, George, theyre level, theyre level! And then I put a big postI put a big cement thing on the floor. And if theyre gonna make a museum out of it, theyre gonna have to pay somebody to greet people and take them on tours. Q: Okay, all of that. 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? My sister, Frances, got me a nice little apartment in the Bronx, right next to her. Q: And so when you were deciding what to collect, were you thinking about. Thank you so much. But when he was in Europe, he rode. And one day, I was sitting in the dining room. Wed go down through the junk yards and whatnot. And this is Sarah Dziedzic. George Burke Obituary It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. So I took that out of the brick and I got some cement, put it all back in, put the wall back up. Its a beautiful house. Q: And so, what sort of vision do you have for, you know, the next the next forty years, for how the grounds are maintained and how. And then finally I had a man come in and talking to me about how hes bought a place on Staten Island that hes opening up a place like Saks only not as nice. Its a plus for the borough too. I dont know, Im just used to it. That was all what she had in mind! Troy. I went over there, and it was standing up sleeping! What the hell do you think it was? And you would have been taxed in this country if it was already like that. Daller: The staircase wasnt even straight. She came and did a lot for the draperies and everything here. And the whole big building used to be a big private home, and then they had made it into a restaurant. 6389 Amboy Road. Burke: One was a necklace with a heart on it. But things that, well, were thatyou needed carpenters that knew, that were good carpenters. Constantly. Like there was old Greek, like the Parthenon, the Greek templesoh, it was beautiful. But those things, I couldnt. Oh, thats right. Burke: But everything will stay here exactly as it is, because if its going to be a museum, people are not going to come in and look at empty walls. Was very little time on here. 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. Its a part of the history that should remain. But, with that money, I paid this house off. Burke: You want it from the first day I was born in the hospital across the street? Burke: Okay. They didnt even have soap. Located in Staten Island, NY. Im gonna save this house. You want to take down every statue thats been there for a thousand years because, No, that statue shouldnt be there. Burke: To put it backbecause the house was ruined, it was in terrible shape. I think so. Oh god, that was a gorgeous mansion. The ceilings had fallen down because a lot of the drain pipes had leaked. Create an obituary. Copyright 1998 2023 New York Preservation Archive Project. This was in the East Bronx, this was on 167th and College Avenue. And then I decided Id get involved again with things that are going on. His family was like aristocratic. Daller: We really cant give you any details on that. So finally, I think, the old lady died, didnt she? And she had this woman who was a caretaker. I mean, these little gold chairs, are Victorianthats a Victorian chaireverything is really Victorian. It was similar, only bigger and more ornate. And is there a way where, according to how you would like the house to be maintainedwould everything stay in its place? Interviewee: George Burke Location: Staten Island, NY Interviewer: Sarah Dziedzic Date: November 9, 2021 . I had just bought this house, and it needed a lot of work. It was a mess of a mess. He said, What in the hell youre buying this old piece of shit for? He said, Is it insured? I said, Yes, I took big insurance on it. He said, Good. Interviewing George Burke, and. Theyre getting rid of everything! And she kept, George, please, go save my house. You know, everybody knew him, and everybody, wow. And I had more bargains from Mrs. Murphy. When they shipped me back from where I was, where the Eskimos were, they sent me back to the base, because they were shipping everybody now, backafter your time was up, you had to go back because you couldnt stay any longer than two years, and after two years, you had to come back to the States. The stables, everything has to remain the same. Q: Can you tell me about the ghost in that house? Everybody came in to a coldwater flat in the Bronx and walked in amazed because theyve never seen anything like that. And I gave that, I thinkI dont know if I gave it to Bess. And they were slate, the roof, and by walking on the slates, they broke and they slid off, and wherever they slid off, the rain poured through because it was holes. What are we gonna do here? So he said, Well, I really love doing this, George. And I said, Okay, John, thats fine. I dont want you in this house. Dont forget I, for yearsin London, I went to university. She left things there. And Im glad I did what I did, about just giving it to the National Historic Trust. But under that porch was the basement. So Id go over there and, of course, Bess Seguine was always over there. What was. She said shell keep the doors locked and call Linda if anybody wants to get in and take anything out. I was seventeen years with the Air Force. And thats where we are today. And he died young. You made enough money. And I often wondered what happened to that brooch because I gave it to Bess. 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. She lived up on Lighthouse Hill. When did it start to feel done? We were doing other parties at the time, the only thing we still maintain is the White Party. Burke: Well, most of the stuff in the house, he worked with me. And that still is, today, one of the great places around here, the Old Bermuda Inn, and John still owns it. So I couldnt take any of the clothes. And he was studying art and he painted my portrait that shell show you, thats upstairs. I didnt know they were lilacs, but I could smell something pretty. Im only a salesman in a department store. I said, and its going to take a lot of money to put that house back together. She said, Well, Im going to help you all I can. And I said, But why would I fix a house I didnt own? And she said, Well, why dont we talk about that. She said, If youre interested in buying it, I will make the arrangements that you can own it. Syosset. Im gonna go look. And as I said, for a thing of whiskey or a bottle of wine, theyd give you anything, because none of them have had it for years and years. Because the other way, my uncle was digging into whatever a little bit of savings he had, in order to pay. If you lived in Alaska, where it was always cold, it was fine. Q: So its confidential becauseoh, okay. Daller: Right, we really dont discuss any of that. And she couldntthey couldnt keep up with it anymore. So I got this on the front porch somewhere, nailed to the house, butdoesnt matter. So whenever the big surgeons traveled, I always traveled with themtraveled all over Europe. But, thats what I did. The real estate lady wouldnt come in. In fact, my mother worked there. By Carol Ann Benanti | [email protected] STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It's designated one of Staten Island's signature society events of the year, a. We were only allowed so much. Q: Can you tell me about moving the collections here, out of storage and out of your sisters houses into this house? The following is a roundup of obituaries published on SILive.com. Its a big plaque on it, its landmarked and everything. And thats what I called out for was help. And he did the big sofa in there, didnt he? Yes. What were the things that you did when you were young? And it was twice the size of this house. Of course, nothings there. Beloved husband of Rosanna (Ialuna) Burke. Q: And thats what allowed you to buy this house? And I didnt realize it because I was always working. The Seguine Mansion, also known as The Seguine-Burke Mansion, is located on Lemon Creek near the southern shore of Staten Island. After Burke returned to Staten Island, he purchased and restored two houses and an old restaurant and bar before he was contacted by Bess Seguine in 1981, who had inherited the then-deteriorated Seguine Mansion. So I had people come in and wanted to buy the Tidewater Inn. Burke: Like a locket. Burke: Theyll come in, but youll have to have somebody as a guide. But alls I know, they closed in New York and they moved out there. And all the time when all the lilacs would come in the spring, and the whole place would smell of lilacs, its gorgeous, still is. Q: No, that covers it! And that was inwhere the hell, what did they call that area where all the Eskimos lived? The Seguine girls, as they were called,. Burke: After I had the house, then I got the big pieces of furniture. I had all the plasters done. Or was that brother Ed? And I took the money. And I invested in a couple of things. Were going to this estate. I said, I still have friends that myour parents met before we met. What a gorgeous home that was. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. And I want somebody to take care of it. Theyre deciding they want to build, so they tear down and build. That was the mansion. Burke: Yes, Mario come out all the time. Before he died, thats what he was. George James Manger , 100, of Staten Island died on May 4, 2022. Ill tell you the good stuff! [laughs] And that was it. I bet. Because thats what I bought with the money. Burke: Oh my god. Just as long as its saved and its here. So everything just kept going off and someone would have all of this, someone would have all of that. And he was stationed here, in St. George, and he would come home and wed live in the house. There was the main house, over here was the bar, over here was this big dining room, and this was the main house. Soon, nobody had room in their house to store anymore of my stuff. Daller: Then you got rid of thatbut those are the early days. Burke: Oh, I forgot about that. That poor horse. And the basement was beautiful, where you can walk out onto the porch and out into the garden. Burke: Oh, and then the house, when I bought it, everybodythe real estate lady, she wouldnt come in. George Burke. I took forty-four big trees down in the front field just so you could clear the front and see the house. Yes, of course, they could eat all the grass. They were all womens stuff. But he was excellent. I want to go back and ask for some more details about your childhood. Burke: Yes, and I had a beautiful apartment for years in St. George. The one owned by the steel companywas that a beautiful house! When I bought it, I didnt know what was that ones house. Ill give you a job. When I was over there looking at their house. Theyve never seen anything like that was already like that memories you have of up... Of storage and out of your sisters houses into this house last year we were trying to locate him cant. Hell, what in the hell, Florence the house came and did a lot of carriage. She would say, Oh, is located on Lemon Creek near the Shore... To how you would like the house, and rent out one part of house... 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