Eleanor Fitchen
Encyclopedia
Eleanor Beach Fitchen was a conservationist, preservationist and philanthropist. From her earliest years until her death in April 2009, Eleanor led a rewarding and memorable life and left a legacy that included the founding of several not-for-profit organizations, the conservation of hundreds of acres of open space, the creation of two historic districts, the restoration and preservation of half-dozen century old structures and the respect and admiration of hundreds of individuals.
and her mother, acclaimed nature artist Eleanor Hollis Murdock Beach. The couple met in France
where Mr. Beach was studying sculpture and Miss Murdock was studying painting. They married in 1910 and settled in Rome
for two years where their first daughter, Beata, was born. The couple returned to America in 1912 moving into an apartment on West 96th Street where daughters Eleanor and Natalie were born. After Natalie's birth in 1913, the family moved into a brownstone on East 17th Street where Chester Beach established a large sculpture studio to practice his art.
for their early education. Eleanor's experiences at Friends Seminary helped to mold her character and values, profoundly influencing her; and through her, all those she touched.
and Southeast
where Eleanor developed an attachment for rural communities that she would cherish and protect for all of her days. It was at this time that Chester Beach met Erastus Tefft, a Wall Street financier with a country estate on Starr Ridge Road. Tefft wanted portrait busts of his daughters and, in 1915 he traded the artist a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) parcel of his Starr Ridge property for the sculptures. That year, Chester Beach began construction of a garage and studio on the property and the next summer the family moved to it.
quarries of Carrara, Italy that provided the raw materials for a large fountain and zodiac statues group for the new terrace at the Cleveland Museum of Art
.
During the summer of 1929, the family walked through Switzerland
and Germany
, staying in small inns along the way. Two walking canes on which they carved the names of the towns they visited are cherished Fitchen family treasures. Around the top of each one is carved "walk, climb, live."
in the fall of 1930. She was the first Beach or Murdock to attend college, graduating in 1934. Her degree in Archeology proved valuable to her avocations of preservation and restoration. While at Vassar, Eleanor met Paul Fitchen
.
and was on the board of its Hopper Home, a half way house for recently released offenders, for which she created a fund raising thrift shop. Her involvement with prisoners here helped establish her credentials for a work release program she would establish later, in Putnam County
.
on December 29, 1934, which was their primary residence until Paul retired in 1967. Their first home was an apartment overlooking Gramercy Park
where their first child, Douglas, was born in 1936 and their second, Ellen, in 1939. In 1940, accommodations in the brownstone were rearranged for the growing family. Chester and Mrs. Beach moved into an apartment on the top floor and the Fitchens took over the lower floors where their third child Anne, was born in 1943.
Following in the footsteps of the three Beach children, the three Fitchen children attended Friends Seminary for their early education. The family spent weekends and summers at Oldwalls in Southeast where three generations worked side by side from 1945 to 1947 to build a small stone cottage that would become home to the Fitchens when in Southeast.
, Paul Fitchen was invited by the Union Bank of Burma (now Myanmar) to live in Rangoon (now Yangon) for a year to help establish decimal currency and a central bank law for that newly independent country. He flew directly there in July while Eleanor led the children, aged 15, 12, and 8, through Europe
and Egypt
from where they took a freighter for a slow voyage on to Burma.
Upon her return from Rangoon, Eleanor Fitchen was active with the Asia Society
in New York City
. She worked to welcome artists and writers to America, helping them with exhibitions and tours and finding studio or living facilities. Eleanor went to great lengths to locate and catalog old Burmese manuscripts which were held by American universities.
in 1967 they relocated to the main house at Oldwalls, where they lived for the remainder of their lives.
for youthful offenders though an arrangement made with the Putnam County Sheriff's office. "Her boys" worked alongside her every weekend for twenty years maintaining old cemeteries, creating pocket parks and restoring buildings. Although Eleanor retired from the program at the age of 80, it remains an active and rewarding component of the Putnam County Sheriff's convict rehabilitation program.
At Eleanor's memorial, one of her granddaughters related that "when working in Boston as a catering manager, I was sitting with clients at a menu-tasting making small talk. One of the men mentioned that he was from Brewster, New York
, so I said 'Oh, my grandmother lives there.' He asked who she was and I said 'Eleanor Fitchen.' He stopped eating, put down his fork and said with awe 'Your grandmother changed my life.' He had been one of 'her boys' and after his time working with her, decided that his life was going to be more than picking up garbage and went on to work many years with American Airlines
."
, the Old Southeast Church and its adjacent school house. Eleanor then spearheaded the campaigns to add these and other Putnam County structures to the New York State Landmarks and National Register of Historic Places
. She actively promoted beautification throughout the Village of Brewster
, the Town of Southeast
and the county of Putnam, NY.
, Eleanor and Paul grew concerned about the abrupt loss of vast acres of woodland and natural habitat. In 1969, the couple founded Southeast Open Spaces, Inc. [SOS] to preserve and protect natural resources through ownership of sensitive lands, property easements and environmental education. As demand grew for a county-wide land trust and properties were acquired outside of the Town of Southeast, the name of the organization was changed to Save Open Spaces, Inc., and then to Putnam County Land Trust: Save Open Spaces, Inc. (PCLT). It is now one of the oldest land trusts in New York State
with an inventory of more than 500 acres (2 km²) of diverse habitat with nearly every parcel accessible to the public via well maintained trails.
in 1988. H.R. 4127 was introduced and passed in the 2nd session of the 100th Congress, to establish the American Heritage Trust, for purposes of enhancing the protection of the nation's natural, historical, cultural, and outdoor recreational heritage. This bill would help to preserve historic homes and properties, open space, nature preserves, important architecture and landmarks by providing public funding. Eleanor gained the support of the Putnam County Executive and Putnam County Legislature to advocate for its passage in Washington, D.C.
in Carmel, New York
. She worked with elected and appointed officials to identify the scope of work, to earmark the funding for the project and to identify and engage the skilled historical restoration contractor to execute the task. The courthouse was closed from 1988 through 1994 while the restoration effort progressed to completion.
died at home, age 88, following cancer surgery.
) in November 2007; and by her son Douglas Beach Fitchen of Ithaca, NY in 2008. Her sister Natalie Redway died soon after her in June 2009. She is survived by her daughters Ellen Tappan of Wolfeboro, NH and Anne Burton of London, England, by eleven grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. The memorial service held in her honor at the Old Southeast Church
on June 20, 2009, was attended by nearly all of her family members from all over the world and by numerous friends from all walks of life.
Parents
Eleanor's father was renowned sculptor Chester BeachChester Beach
Chester A. Beach was an American sculptor who was known for his busts and medallic art.-Early life:Beach was born in San Francisco, California. He studied initially at the California School of Mechanical Arts and worked as a jewelry designer immediately afterward, while continuing his art studies...
and her mother, acclaimed nature artist Eleanor Hollis Murdock Beach. The couple met in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where Mr. Beach was studying sculpture and Miss Murdock was studying painting. They married in 1910 and settled in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
for two years where their first daughter, Beata, was born. The couple returned to America in 1912 moving into an apartment on West 96th Street where daughters Eleanor and Natalie were born. After Natalie's birth in 1913, the family moved into a brownstone on East 17th Street where Chester Beach established a large sculpture studio to practice his art.
Early Education
Eleanor spent her formative years in Manhattan, where she and her sisters attended Friends SeminaryFriends Seminary
Friends Seminary is an elite private day school in Manhattan. It is owned and controlled by the New York Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. The school, the oldest continuous coeducational school in New York City, serves 694 college-bound day students in Kindergarten through...
for their early education. Eleanor's experiences at Friends Seminary helped to mold her character and values, profoundly influencing her; and through her, all those she touched.
Summers in the Country
The family spent summers in the upstate New York towns of North SalemNorth Salem, New York
North Salem is a town in the northeast part of Westchester County, New York, United States. The county ranks second for wealthiest counties in New York State and the seventh wealthiest county nationally...
and Southeast
Southeast, New York
Southeast is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 17,316 at the 2000 census. The town is in the southeast part of the county. Interstate 84, Interstate 684, US Route 202, and US Route 6 pass through the town.- History :...
where Eleanor developed an attachment for rural communities that she would cherish and protect for all of her days. It was at this time that Chester Beach met Erastus Tefft, a Wall Street financier with a country estate on Starr Ridge Road. Tefft wanted portrait busts of his daughters and, in 1915 he traded the artist a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) parcel of his Starr Ridge property for the sculptures. That year, Chester Beach began construction of a garage and studio on the property and the next summer the family moved to it.
"Oldwalls"
Using that structure for a base of operations, the Beach family began construction of the main house that would become the family home for the rest of the century and beyond. Construction materials came from the stone walls that crisscrossed the property's old farm fields with the huge foundations stones being dragged into place by a team of oxen. The property was named Oldwalls to memorialize its construction materials and it stands today as an integral part of the Starr Ridge/Starr Lea Historic district.Europe
Eleanor went through the tenth grade at Friends Seminary before the family returned to Europe in 1927. The three girls attended boarding school in Lausanne, Switzerland, while Chester and Mrs. Beach settled again in Rome for two years. Chester needed to be near the marbleMarble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
quarries of Carrara, Italy that provided the raw materials for a large fountain and zodiac statues group for the new terrace at the Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art is an art museum situated in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on Cleveland's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art, the museum houses a diverse permanent collection of more than 43,000...
.
During the summer of 1929, the family walked through Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, staying in small inns along the way. Two walking canes on which they carved the names of the towns they visited are cherished Fitchen family treasures. Around the top of each one is carved "walk, climb, live."
Vassar College
The family returned to America in time for Eleanor to start at Vassar CollegeVassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
in the fall of 1930. She was the first Beach or Murdock to attend college, graduating in 1934. Her degree in Archeology proved valuable to her avocations of preservation and restoration. While at Vassar, Eleanor met Paul Fitchen
Paul Fitchen
Paul Russell Fitchen was an American banker. He graduated Williams College and the Harvard School of Business Administration to begin a career in banking....
.
The Woman's Prison Association
In NYC she had a long-term involvement with the Women's Prison AssociationWomen's Prison Association
The Women's Prison Association , founded 1845, is the oldest advocacy group for women in the United States. The organization has historically focused on New York City and New York State issues, but since 2004 it has also umbrella'd the Institute on Women & Criminal Justice, focusing on women and...
and was on the board of its Hopper Home, a half way house for recently released offenders, for which she created a fund raising thrift shop. Her involvement with prisoners here helped establish her credentials for a work release program she would establish later, in Putnam County
Putnam County
Putnam County is the name of nine counties in the United States of America:*Putnam County, Florida*Putnam County, Georgia*Putnam County, Illinois*Putnam County, Indiana*Putnam County, Missouri*Putnam County, New York*Putnam County, Ohio...
.
Early Married Life
Eleanor and Paul were married in the Beach's 17th Street brownstoneBrownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
on December 29, 1934, which was their primary residence until Paul retired in 1967. Their first home was an apartment overlooking Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is a small, fenced-in private park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park is at the core of both the neighborhood referred to as either Gramercy or Gramercy Park and the Gramercy Park Historic District...
where their first child, Douglas, was born in 1936 and their second, Ellen, in 1939. In 1940, accommodations in the brownstone were rearranged for the growing family. Chester and Mrs. Beach moved into an apartment on the top floor and the Fitchens took over the lower floors where their third child Anne, was born in 1943.
Following in the footsteps of the three Beach children, the three Fitchen children attended Friends Seminary for their early education. The family spent weekends and summers at Oldwalls in Southeast where three generations worked side by side from 1945 to 1947 to build a small stone cottage that would become home to the Fitchens when in Southeast.
Burma
In 1951, while an officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of New YorkFederal Reserve Bank of New York
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is one of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks of the United States. It is located at 33 Liberty Street, New York, NY. It is responsible for the Second District of the Federal Reserve System, which encompasses New York state, the 12 northern counties of New Jersey,...
, Paul Fitchen was invited by the Union Bank of Burma (now Myanmar) to live in Rangoon (now Yangon) for a year to help establish decimal currency and a central bank law for that newly independent country. He flew directly there in July while Eleanor led the children, aged 15, 12, and 8, through Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from where they took a freighter for a slow voyage on to Burma.
Upon her return from Rangoon, Eleanor Fitchen was active with the Asia Society
Asia Society
The Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States and around the world Hong Kong, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, and Melbourne...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She worked to welcome artists and writers to America, helping them with exhibitions and tours and finding studio or living facilities. Eleanor went to great lengths to locate and catalog old Burmese manuscripts which were held by American universities.
The Fitchens at Oldwalls
Chester Beach died in 1956 and, following the death of his wife Eleanor in 1965, occupancy of the Oldwalls property fell to the Fitchens, who continued to use it as a weekend and summer residence. On Paul's retirement as Executive Director of the New York Clearing HouseNew York Clearing House
The New York Clearing House Association, the nation’s first and largest bank clearing house, was created in 1853, and has played a variety of important roles in supporting the development of the banking system in America’s financial capital. Initially, it was created to simplify the chaotic...
in 1967 they relocated to the main house at Oldwalls, where they lived for the remainder of their lives.
Eleanor's Boys
Eleanor and Judge Tuttle established a work release program of court designated community serviceCommunity service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
for youthful offenders though an arrangement made with the Putnam County Sheriff's office. "Her boys" worked alongside her every weekend for twenty years maintaining old cemeteries, creating pocket parks and restoring buildings. Although Eleanor retired from the program at the age of 80, it remains an active and rewarding component of the Putnam County Sheriff's convict rehabilitation program.
At Eleanor's memorial, one of her granddaughters related that "when working in Boston as a catering manager, I was sitting with clients at a menu-tasting making small talk. One of the men mentioned that he was from Brewster, New York
Brewster, New York
Brewster is a village within the town of Southeast in Putnam County, New York, United States. Its population was 2,162 at the 2000 census. The village is the most densely populated portion of the town...
, so I said 'Oh, my grandmother lives there.' He asked who she was and I said 'Eleanor Fitchen.' He stopped eating, put down his fork and said with awe 'Your grandmother changed my life.' He had been one of 'her boys' and after his time working with her, decided that his life was going to be more than picking up garbage and went on to work many years with American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
."
The Non-Profit Organizations
Soon after moving to Southeast, Eleanor joined the executive board of the Southeast Museum and its Landmarks Preservation Committee. Eleanor saw the value of incorporating the group into an independent not-for-profit that is today's Landmarks Preservation Society of Southeast [LPSS]. In its new incarnation, the LPSS was able to raise the funds needed to restore the Walter Brewster HouseWalter Brewster House
The Walter Brewster House is located on Oak Street in Brewster, New York, United States. It was built in the Greek Revival style around 1850 by Brewster, who founded the village that today bears his name....
, the Old Southeast Church and its adjacent school house. Eleanor then spearheaded the campaigns to add these and other Putnam County structures to the New York State Landmarks and National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. She actively promoted beautification throughout the Village of Brewster
Brewster, New York
Brewster is a village within the town of Southeast in Putnam County, New York, United States. Its population was 2,162 at the 2000 census. The village is the most densely populated portion of the town...
, the Town of Southeast
Southeast, New York
Southeast is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 17,316 at the 2000 census. The town is in the southeast part of the county. Interstate 84, Interstate 684, US Route 202, and US Route 6 pass through the town.- History :...
and the county of Putnam, NY.
Preserving Natural Resources
With the advent of Interstate 684 and Interstate 84Interstate 84 (east)
Interstate 84 is an Interstate Highway extending from Dunmore, Pennsylvania at an interchange with Interstate 81 to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, at an interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike . I-84 has mile-log junction numbering in Pennsylvania; otherwise, exit numbers are roughly sequential...
, Eleanor and Paul grew concerned about the abrupt loss of vast acres of woodland and natural habitat. In 1969, the couple founded Southeast Open Spaces, Inc. [SOS] to preserve and protect natural resources through ownership of sensitive lands, property easements and environmental education. As demand grew for a county-wide land trust and properties were acquired outside of the Town of Southeast, the name of the organization was changed to Save Open Spaces, Inc., and then to Putnam County Land Trust: Save Open Spaces, Inc. (PCLT). It is now one of the oldest land trusts in New York State
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with an inventory of more than 500 acres (2 km²) of diverse habitat with nearly every parcel accessible to the public via well maintained trails.
Lobbying for Open Space
Eleanor and Paul lobbied local and national politicians to promote an important bill under consideration by the United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1988. H.R. 4127 was introduced and passed in the 2nd session of the 100th Congress, to establish the American Heritage Trust, for purposes of enhancing the protection of the nation's natural, historical, cultural, and outdoor recreational heritage. This bill would help to preserve historic homes and properties, open space, nature preserves, important architecture and landmarks by providing public funding. Eleanor gained the support of the Putnam County Executive and Putnam County Legislature to advocate for its passage in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The 1814 Courthouse
Eleanor's efforts and leadership were instrumental in saving the Putnam County CourthousePutnam County Courthouse (New York)
New York's Putnam County Courthouse is located on Gleneida Avenue across from the eastern terminus of NY 301 in downtown Carmel, the county seat, overlooking Lake Gleneida. First built in 1814, two years after the county itself was established, it is the second-oldest county courthouse still in...
in Carmel, New York
Carmel, New York
Carmel is a town located in Putnam County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 36,465.There are no incorporated villages in the town, although the hamlets of Carmel and Mahopac each have populations sizable enough to be thought of as villages.The Town of Carmel...
. She worked with elected and appointed officials to identify the scope of work, to earmark the funding for the project and to identify and engage the skilled historical restoration contractor to execute the task. The courthouse was closed from 1988 through 1994 while the restoration effort progressed to completion.
Eleanor a widow at 77
In August 1990, Paul FitchenPaul Fitchen
Paul Russell Fitchen was an American banker. He graduated Williams College and the Harvard School of Business Administration to begin a career in banking....
died at home, age 88, following cancer surgery.
Concerned Residents of Southeast
Eleanor continued her community involvement and in 1996, local opposition to the construction of a massive multi-screen theater and parking lot on Route 6 in Southeast led Eleanor Fitchen to organize others to form the Concerned Residents of Southeast [CRSE]. The project was believed to have significant environmental consequences to the water supply for New York City because of its proximity to the East Branch Reservoir. Eleanor was CRSE's co-founder and first president. The organization continues to conduct non-partisan research into local development and endeavors to educate the community regarding various types of development projects. CRSE remains a significant voice for local citizens and another tribute to Eleanor's determination to preserve the community for the people.Eleanor dies at 96
Eleanor Fitchen died at home on April 20, 2009 at the age of 96. She was predeceased by her husband in 1990; by sister Beata Porter (wife of artist, Vernon PorterVernon Carroll Porter
Vernon Carroll Porter, artist, was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1896. He studied at the Art Students League, Grand Central School Academy, the Mechanics Institute and Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and was known for his surreal landscape oil paintings....
) in November 2007; and by her son Douglas Beach Fitchen of Ithaca, NY in 2008. Her sister Natalie Redway died soon after her in June 2009. She is survived by her daughters Ellen Tappan of Wolfeboro, NH and Anne Burton of London, England, by eleven grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. The memorial service held in her honor at the Old Southeast Church
Old Southeast Church (Brewster, New York)
The Old Southeast Church is located at the end of a short dirt road leading from NY 22 in the Town of Southeast, New York, United States, a few miles north of the village of Brewster. It is a wooden building formerly used by a Presbyterian congregation. Built in the late 18th century and later...
on June 20, 2009, was attended by nearly all of her family members from all over the world and by numerous friends from all walks of life.