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DAY TRIPPIN’: AMERICAN IMPRESSIONS: BRASS ROOTS TRIO BRINGS CULTURE TO SBU . . . SEE BACK SIDE March 4-10, 2010
Volume 05 ~ Issue 09
A FREE Weekly Publication Serving Ellicottville and Surrounding Communities Visit our website at: www.thevillagerny.com
SPECIAL INSERT
LIFESTYLES & LEISURE
Architectural Digest of Ellicottville A Victorian Charmer in the Heart of the Village
The Jefferson Inn was first built as a home for Robert Shankland in 1837. At the time Ellicottville was the county seat and Shankland had moved here to purchase and operate the newspaper. Through the years, the home has passed down from owner to new owner, each adding their own piece of splendor to the historical landmark. Today the Bed and Breakfast comforts guests from all over the East Coast and Canada, taking people back to a slower, more genteel way of life. It’s a link not only to Ellicottville’s history, but gives us a glimpse back to an era of manners, style, and elegance.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN THOMAS It seems impossible to pass by the building without noticing it. Even a quick trip to the post office must include an appreciative glance at its stately columned porch and three-story façade. The Jefferson Inn is not the only Bed and Breakfast in town, but it’s certainly the largest and most charming. The Inn was first built as a home for Robert Shankland in 1837. At the time Ellicottville was the county seat and
Shankland had moved here to purchase and operate the newspaper; he later named it the Cattaraugus Republican. He and his wife had a son (also named Robert) who settled in the area. Eventually the elder Robert’s granddaughter, Eliza was deeded the house, and a second house on the corner in which she had lived. It’s a bit of a mystery as to why Robert, at 76 years old added an addition to the house, doubling its size. He died in 1889, just months after completing the addition, having lived in the house for 54
years. There is no record as to why he expanded the home. From here the exact ownership of the house gets a bit sketchy. Eliza’s name is shown on a mortgage from 1890 all the way to 1932, but there is a record of a sale to two couples dated September 2, 1890. The couples were Tillie and Daniel McMahon and Daniel’s brother, James and his wife Rose. In 1893 the house was deeded from James to Rose. By 1898 only Rose was left living in the house, and no one seems to know when her husband, Tillie
and Daniel left the house. No one knows who built the wrought iron porch that can be seen in old photos of the house. It was said to have been modeled after Woodrow Wilson’s house in Seagirt, New Jersey. But when Mary Hickey bought the house from Rose on July 25, 1898, she had it replaced with the columned porch we see today. Mary and her husband, Eugene had four sons: Thomas, Eugene, James, and Robert. Mary died intestate and ownership of the house passed onto her husband. When Eugene died in 1926 he
apparently left the house to his four sons, but three of them turned over their claim of the house to Thomas. Just over two years later, Thomas turned over the house to his stepmother Elizabeth Hickey. She owned the house until 1932. Scottish immigrant Nellie Fraser and her husband purchased the house from Elizabeth Hickey. The couple opened a hardware store where DJ’s restaurant now stands. Their daughter, Violet went to the Eastman School of Music and some folks still remember
her giving piano lessons at the house. In 1956 Mary and Edward (Ned) O’Rourke purchased the house and used the first floor as a funeral home. They added the extension from the house for their Selection Room (apparently to pick the choice of casket); today it houses the Efficiency Units. They also created an apartment out of two of the bedrooms on the second story. Mary O’Rourke lived there until her death in 1985. SEE HOME BACK SIDE
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MAPLE WEEKEND: MARCH 20-21 & 27-28 ~ THROUGHOUT WESTERN NEW YORK
Special Insert ~ The Villager ~ March 4-10, 2010
Day Trippin’
Home
American Impressions: Brass Roots Trio Brings Culture to SBU
CONT. FROM FRONT
ST. BONAVENTURE Brass Roots Trio will perform its popular “American Impressions” program at 7:30pm on Friday, March 12 in the 7th concert of the Friends of Good Music season at St. Bonaventure University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. “American Impressions” is a lively program that captures vignettes of the many aspects of American culture with music ranging from Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo” to Billy Joel’s “Root Beer Rag.” Brass Roots Trio brings to life memories of Mississippi River boats and the musical legends they carried from New Orleans, Southern gospel revivals, and the haunting beauty of Appalachian melodies. With three musicians and a multitude of instruments – piano, horn, trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet and violin – Brass Roots Trio dazzles audiences with pyrotechnic virtuosity and exquisite sounds. Its members, Rosetta Senkus Bacon, Travis Heath and Christina Ciraulo, infuse their music with passion and exuberant energy, and their spontaneity and presentation establish an immediate connection with the audience. Formed in 2005, Brass Roots Trio has played to standing ovations and rave reviews in every corner of the
With three musicians and a multitude of instruments, Brass Roots Trio dazzles audiences with pyrotechnic virtuosity and exquisite sounds. Left to right: members Christina Ciraulo, Rosetta Senkus Bacon and Travis Heath.
United States and the United Kingdom. Their tours have included performances at Oxford University, St. James Piccadilly in London and the Chicago Brass Festival, and they appeared on NPR programs several times. The trio performed at the White House in 2009. Other appearances include The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Lincoln Center in New York, Banff Centre in Canada, the Guinness Jazz Festival in Ireland, and at cultural centers in Switzerland, England, Scotland,
Lithuania, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Dubai, South Africa, Taiwan, Japan, China, Hong Kong and throughout Southeast Asia. This performance is supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts. Tickets are $20 at full price, $16 for St. Bonaventure staff and senior citizens, and $5 for students. For tickets and additional information, call The Quick Center box office at 716-3752494.
In 1994 the home underwent its transformation to its current use as a bed and breakfast. Jim Buchanan and his wife, Donna Gushue purchased the home, added ten bathrooms, five bedrooms, and upgraded all the piping and utilities. It opened for business on December 1, 1994. After 25 years in financial services, West Seneca native Jean Kirsch purchased the B&B from Jim and Donna. In May 2007 she moved to Ellicottville to run the Inn full time. Jean has been able to refurbish and restore much of the exterior and interior to their Victorian splendor. She mentioned that there was very little of the original furniture left in the Inn when she bought it. “It gave me a good excuse to shop for antiques,” she adds with a laugh. As she gives me a tour she points out the remaining lines of the original home. In the main sitting room a narrow beam in the ceiling marks the exterior wall of the original house. I can see the window trim in the older section does not quite match the trim in the new section (the “new” section was added in 1889). Some of the original decorative woodwork remains in the doorway between the main room and the TV room. Upstairs, Jean has been careful to keep the rooms as authentic as possible. “I used a Victorian
Current owner Jean Kirsch purchased the Inn in 2007 and has been able to refurbish and restore much of the exterior and interior to their Victorian splendor.
No one knows who built the wrought iron porch that can be seen in old photos of the house. It was said to have been modeled after Woodrow Wilson’s house in Seagirt, New Jersey. But when Mary Hickey bought the house in 1898, she had it replaced with the columned porch we see today.
color pallet,” she says about her color choices for the walls and comforters. The rooms are named for the previous owners: the Mary O’Rourke suite features a sitting room with a fireplace, the Elizabeth Hickey room is painted in lavender tones and has a view of the Village Gazebo. Each room or suite has its own private bath. Modern conveniences are not shunned; there are bathrobes, clock radios, hair dryers and free wireless internet. A few years
ago a hot tub was installed on the back deck. Just off the main house, the Efficiency Units feature small kitchens and are available for those traveling with small children and pets. Today the Jefferson Inn comforts guests from all over the East Coast and Canada, taking people back to a slower, more genteel way of life. It’s a link not only to Ellicottville’s history, but gives us a glimpse back to an era of manners, style, and elegance.
Submerge Yourself Into an Hypnotic Aquatic Environment BUFFALO - UB Art Gallery, Center for the Arts (north campus) presents an installation by Alberto Rey, on view inside the UB Art Gallery from March 18-May 20, 2010. Alberto Rey’s Lightwell Project is a continuation of his Biological Regionalism series in which he attempts to reestablish a connection to local landscapes by introducing fish found in bodies of water near the exhibition venue into the gallery through video and traditional piscatorial painting. Collected at Ellicott Creek at
the edge of UB’s north campus, the underwater source material for the paintings and largescale projections captures the opalescent colors and balletic movements of largemouth bass during their annual migration and the constantly moving and changing environment where they are found. Over the past 25 years, Rey’s artwork has been influenced by his Cuban lineage and his attempt to find a sense of identity in a complex contemporary environment. Alberto’s paintings can be
found in over 20 museum collections and have been in over 130 exhibitions and his films/videos have been screened nationally. Born in Havana, Cuba in 1960, Alberto Rey received his political asylum through Mexico in 1963 and moved to Miami, Florida in 1965. He received his B.F.A from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an M.F.A. in painting from the University at Buffalo, NY (1987). He is currently SUNY Distinguished Professor, Visual Arts and New Media at SUNY Fredonia.
Appetizers Soup of the Moment Cup, $3.79; Bowl, $4.49 Holiday Valley Chili Cornbread Bowl, $8.95 Mediterranean Platter, $8.95 Spicy Fried Buffalo Wings Small (8) $6.99; Large, (16) $10.99 0.9 99 Calamari, $7.99 Smoked Chicken Nachos $8.99; Add Guacamole, $.75 Quesidilla of the Day, $8.99 Pub Kettle Chips, $7.99 Crab Dip, $9.99 Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, $8.99 Salad of Assorted Greens & Tomatoes, $3.99 Caesar Salad Small, $4.29; Large, $5.99
Unconventional Sliders (All Sliders Served with French Fries & Pickle) Pulled Pork, $7.99 Buffalo Chicken, $7.99 Cuban, $8.99
Salads
Chicken Caesar, $9.99, Substitute shrimp for $2.00 Fresh Fruit and Dip, $8.99 Cobb Salad, $9.99 Grilled Meditteranean Chicken, $10.99 Mandarin Chicken Salad, $10.29 Buffalo Chicken, $10.99
Specialty Sandwiches
All sandwiches are served with French fries. Cuban Sandwich, $8.99 Pulled Pork Sandwich, $8.99 Buffalo Chicken Wrap, $8.99 California Turkey Rueben, $8.99 Beef on “Weck”, $8.99 Mediterranean Wrap, $8.49
Brew House Burgers
All burgers are served on a Costanzo bun and come with lettuce, red onion, tomato, pickle chips and French fries. Brew House Burger, $7.79; Add Cheese, $.50 Mushroom Swiss Burger, $8.99 BBQ Burger, $8.99 Garden Burger, $8.99
Upstairs, Jean has been careful to keep the rooms as authentic as possible. “I used a Victorian color pallet,” she says about her color choices for the walls and comforters. The rooms are named for the previous owners (the Elizabeth Hickey room pictured on front; the Rose McMahon room pictured this page, right.) The Efficiency Units (pictured left) feature small kitchens and are available for those traveling with small children and pets.
Gourmet Burgers
All gourmet burgers are built on a Kaiser roll with beefsteak tomato and crisp romaine. Accompanied by cedar spiced steak fries and a pickle spear. Steak House Burger, $11.99 Smokehouse Burger, $11.99 Buffalo Burger, $11.99 Texas Steak Burger, $11.99
Flatbreads
House made pizza crusts incorporate grain from the brewing process. Individual 10” Pizza, $9.99; Large 16”, $16.99 Margherita Smoke House BBQ Pepperoni Mediterranean Rosemary Chicken Mixed Grill Vegetarian Buffalo Build Your Own Grilled Eggplant Nacho Grande Additional Toppings: Artichokes, Anchovies, Eggplant, Bacon, Jalapeno Peppers, Kalamata Olives, Grilled Chicken, Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Tomatoes, Ham, Peppers, Italian Sausage, Plum Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, Pepperoni
Entrees
Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie, $12.99 Fish and Chips, $12.99 Classic Grilled Meatloaf, $13.99 Lobster Macaroni and Cheese, $16.99 Yankee Pot Roast, $13.99 Steak Frites, $23.99 Baked Crabmeat Stuffed Cod, $13.99 Penne with Chicken and Sausage, $13.99 Ale Marinated Steak Tips, $16.99 The Valley Mac and Cheese, $12.99 Chicken Scaloppini, $14.99 Martini Salmon, $18.29 Smothered BBQ Chicken, $14.99 Butternut Squash Ravioli, $14.99 Hickory Smoked Ribs, $16.99
At John Harvard’s Brew House, you will find great food made from recipes brought to America in 1637 by John Harvard an English clergyman and after whom Harvard University was named. John Harvard, the first benefactor to the college was the son of Robert Harvard, a butcher and tavern owner in London.
Desserts
Peanut Butter Pie, $4.99 Apple Crisp, $4.99 Chocolate Cobbler, $4.99 New York Cheesecake, $4.99 Butterscotch Bread Pudding, $4.99 Brownie Ice Cream Sundae, $4.99
(716) 699-5350 www.johnharvards.com
FLUTE RECITAL WITH CLAIRE CHASE: MARCH 26 ~ ST. BONAVENTURE, 7:30PM