A Sense of History - Jenkinstown Antiques

A Sense of History - Jenkinstown Antiques
by Polly Sparling
Heading south on Route 32 from the historic village of New Paltz, NY, you get the feeling that you are going back in time to an earlier era. The suburban landscape is gradually replaced by apple orchards and fields full of wildflowers. Round a sharp "S" curve and majestic Locust Lawn, the 1812 home of Josiah Hasbrouck, rises up on the left bordering the 1734 Terwilliger stone homestead.
If you continue a half-mile farther on, past a cornfield and bird sanctuary, you will arrive at Jenkinstown Antiques, and the feeling that you have entered a bygone age will increase tenfold. An important destination in the Hudson Valley for lovers of American country furniture, quality artwork and period accessories, Jenkinstown Antiques is more than a place to browse and buy antiques. The life's work of Sanford Levy and Charles Glasner, Jenkinstown is a shop that combines the owners' love of local history and knowledge of antiques into an invigorating experience for the visitor.
The huge 19th-century wrought-iron gate is unlatched, indicating that the shop is open. Pulling into the circular driveway, one is immediately struck by the beauty of the 10-plus acres of unspoiled landscape, including the meandering Plattekill Creek, a good-sized pond, stands of fruit trees, and a large vegetable garden.
Two 18th-century houses (as well as several outbuildings) adorn the property; one has been there for more than 275 years, the other less than 15. The story behind these structures, and how they came to be resurrected from virtual ruin, is as fascinating as the antiques they house.
To the right stands a 1726 Huguenot stone house, now the residence of Levy and Glasner. In 1974, fresh out of the State University of New York at New Paltz and needing a place to live, Levy happened upon the then-dilapidated Freer House, which had long been home to tenant farmers who grew tomatoes and corn. Despite the building's condition, Levy didn't hesitate to buy the house and surrounding acreage.
Featured in two books and several magazines both here and abroad, the Freer House has been painstakingly restored to its original state, with exposed beams and wide board floors throughout its four rooms. Small pane windows, fashioned with hand-joined frames and antique glass, replaced the Civil-War era two-over-two formation that had been added to the house by a previous owner. The kitchen and bath areas have been completely modernized, but clever use of paint colors and natural materials help retain the 18th-century feel even in these areas.
The house is also home to an extraordinary collection of original 18th- and 19th-century Hudson Valley furniture, paintings, china, and other accessories that could only be amassed by spending a lifetime in the antiques trade.
Behind Freer House is the new home for a 1790's summer kitchen, complete with beehive oven and multi-pane windows, which once stood on the Lent property on Main Street in New Paltz. The partners, Levy and Glasner, bought the building for $50 and transported it six miles from the village to their bucolic property, where it now overlooks the creek. Had they not rescued it, the summer kitchen would have been torn down and replaced by an office building in bustling New Paltz.
Standing directly in front of you on your arrival at the compound is the clapboard 1792 Hallock House, which endured a slightly longer piggyback ride to get here - 36 miles, from the town of Highland Mills in Orange County, to the south. Slated for demolition in 1986, Levy and Glasner first purchased the frame building for its original 12-over-8 glass windows, then decided to take it apart and rebuild it on their property.
Little did they realize what a massive undertaking they had in store. After dismantling the entire structure with a crane, the pieces of the house were transported by flatbed trucks to the Jenkinstown property and reassembled on a new foundation. That took only six weeks. A team of workmen would spend the better part of the next two years putting it back together.
The building's three original fireplaces and additional masonry (including a wonderful basement brick floor) were restored, and the lath and plaster walls were renovated using original 18th-century techniques. Today, the Hallock House retains its original doors, floors, windows and moldings, all painted in a unique shade of green. The color was mixed by the partners, and is as close as our modern chemicals can come to an 18th-century shade.
Needless to say, the exact formula is a closely guarded secret.
The stone house having become too small to accommodate their growing inventory of antiques, Hallock House became "the shop," and now houses a treasure trove of 18th- and 19th-century furniture, paintings, china, textiles and other period pieces, much of which has Hudson River Valley provenance. Fortunately for the serious collector, they're all for sale.
For Levy and Glasner, who founded Jenkinstown in 1974, buying and selling antiques is not only their business but a lifelong passion. Providing quality items that have not been overly restored; paying attention to details, like a particular client's penchant for blue and white china; and offering only the best pieces currently available, are the keys to Jenkinstown's success and a real boon to customers, many of whom have developed an ongoing relationship with the pair.
"All of our items are guaranteed to be as represented," says Sandy Levy. "In fact, we are always happy to buy back items that we've sold. In several instances we've re-purchased whole houses full of antiques when a client has moved, and sold it all again. Our client is happy, and so are we."
It's no wonder that the shop has drawn an established clientele, many of whom hang their hats in the Hudson Valley after a rough week in Manhattan. They not only decorate their country residences with Jenkinstown's finest items, but avail themselves of Glasner and Levy's superior skills in house renovation and interior design.
An engineer by trade, Charles Glasner devoted his talents to the business full-time in 1986, combining his knowledge of historical architecture and basic building design to supervise restoration projects on 18th-century buildings, as well as more modern structures.
The partners' experience with their own restorations makes them expert consultants for those contemplating buying an historic property. Perhaps their most extensive project was the work done on the Dr. Luke Kiersted House on John Street in the historic Stockade district of Kingston.
Having survived the 1777 British invasion and swarms of students who used it as a boarding house in the 1960's, the building was completely renovated and brought back to its original splendor under the watchful eyes of Glasner and Levy. It will soon be featured in Early American Homes.
Jenkinstown Antiques has also become a regular fixture at some of the Northeast's most prestigious shows, including the upcoming Rhinebeck Antiques Fair; the show held at Hildene in Manchester, VT; Mid-Week in Manchester, during August’s ‘Antiques Week in New Hampshire’; and just last month, Philadelphia's Navy Pier Show.
"Fifteen years ago, we did many more one-day shows, but with an open shop with regular hours, it was too hard to spend that much time away" .. says Levy. "We love the shows we participate in now, and feel that they are important and fun. We try to bring fresh merchandise, and enjoy the opportunity to shop as well. We often meet new customers at shows and find that these quality events help initiate new collectors to the concept of comparison shopping for antiques."
The Rhinebeck shows, founded by Bill Walters and now managed by Jimi Barton, are annual events for Levy and Glasner; they have been exhibiting in it almost since its inception 24 years ago. ‘Rhinebeck is always special,’ according to Levy. ‘Antiques buyers who live throughout the Hudson Valley region take advantage of the unique opportunity to attend a show which attracts both local and national dealers. Many of them are interested in buying local things, which obviously is good for us. And we just love to shop there. There just isn’t another show like it in the area.’
At the moment, Jenkinstown's four show rooms are stocked with country antiques and 18th and 19th century decorative objects and fine art in anticipation of the May edition of the Rhinebeck Antiques Fair, taking place on Memorial Day Weekend.
Some of the items that will be featured at the show include an early 19th-century sofa reupholstered in a Brunschwig & Fils fabric with a large down-filled cushion; a period Sheraton wing chair covered in a great chintz; an 18th-century cupboard in old paint; and a small cherry country Federal drop-front secretary. "We'll also have an interesting Palisades-view primitive, and two 20th-century landscapes by Woodstock artist Alan Cochran," according to Levy.
Well-known for their interest in quality paintings, several Hudson Valley artists are usually well represented in the Jenkinstown inventory. Works by D.F. Hasbrouck, T.B. Pope, D.C. Groce and Julia Dillon, all 19th-century artists who painted in the Valley, have been featured by the shop during the past year. The partners have done extensive research on each of them, and feel that many of these artists’ most impressive canvases have graced the shop walls at one time or another.
Levy and Glasner have a particular affinity for Julia Dillon, a Kingston native and cousin of the well-known Hudson River School artist Jervis McEntee. Having studied under her cousin, as well as in Paris in the 1880’s, her still-life paintings of roses, chrysanthemums and other flowers have a distinctive hand that appeals to many collectors. The partners hope to mount an exhibition of her work in the near future, perhaps at the new art gallery soon to open at SUNY New Paltz’s campus.
Levy’s article in Northeast last year on 20th-century Cold Spring, NY artist Michael Kelly brought an overwhelming response from friends and acquaintances of this local painter and fellow antiques dealer. ‘We feel it is important to choose the best work by an artist, and relate it to the history of Hudson Valley art. This is something we try to do with 19th-century painters as well as 20th-century artists active in Woodstock and other art colonies in the Valley,’ says Glasner.
Both men feel as if they were born to be collectors. Levy began amassing bottle caps and toy charms at the age of six. Inspired by his father, he learned to search out oddities in junk shops and bottle dumps, and began selling at flea markets during his teens. As a college student, he operated an antiques shop in Bearsville, organized the shows held on the lawn of the old Woodstock Playhouse, and worked at Tinker Street Antiques in Woodstock, NY.
These various experiences helped him learn about oriental porcelains, art glass and other fine items.
Glasner, a native of Newburgh, enjoyed hunting down clocks, furniture, and items with local historical significance. "Even in high school," he laughs, "I was going to local auctions and tying stuff on top of my mother's car.’ While in college, he discovered a love of Empire furniture, and, in the years ensuing, he continued buying many pieces from old estates throughout the valley.
Although they now collect a variety of different things, the partners most prize items with a Hudson Valley provenance. (The valley was first settled almost four centuries ago, as settlers sailed north from New York City to Albany.) Since meeting at a Poughkeepsie antiques show 22 years ago, Glasner and Levy have merged their individual interests, and together have refined and improved on the things they keep.
Today they might be looking for a rare piece of Ulster County coin silver, a landscape painting by one of the Valley's esoteric artists, a photo of a bygone era, or that example of untouched country or formal furniture that they love so much.
A visit to Jenkinstown Antiques is more than just another stop on an antiques shopping trip. Full of information on local history, building restorations, and antiques of every stripe, an hour spent with Glasner and Levy can be an educational experience for anyone interested in early Americana. The affable pair offer only one bit of advice for new and seasoned collectors alike: ‘Always try to buy the best piece you possibly can,’ says Glasner. ‘You will then be happiest with what you have.’
Jenkinstown Antiques is located four miles south of New Paltz, on Route 32. The shop is open from Friday through Monday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment.
For more information, call or fax (845) 255-8135.
E-mail: jenkinstown-antiques@worldnet.att.net
Editor’s Note: The author of this article, Polly Sparling, is in fact something of an expert herself on the goings-on at Jenkinstown Antiques. An employee of Levy and Glasner’s since 1993, she describes her job as ‘part shop assistant, part office manager, part fill-in-the-blank - a real gal Friday!.’ The greatest benefit to working at Jenkinstown is ‘the awe-inspiring surroundings, and coping with the variety of different things that go on here - I never get bored. Keeping Levy and Glasner organized, as well as ‘not blowing my whole paycheck in the shop’ (she and her husband Reed collect coin silver and artwork, among other things), have proven to be her greatest challenges.
It was at the invitation of Northeast, that Polly wrote this profile of Jenkinstown Antiques. We thank her!