Yes. He says, Hes my good friend, and so on, We live on Staten Island. And I got to know a tremendous amount of people that way. 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? Burke: Yes, but just think of that gorgeous, bigthe mansion that this was their farmhouse, up the street here, that was gorgeous. So a couple of days later, I have a dream. He had the military ship the items back to family members in New York City, a perk of military service that made moving his collection back to the States possible. Eventually, he was able to move his collection of Victorian-style furnishings safely into the home, and add to it larger pieces of furniture to complete the restoration. Its all part of history, and theyre just destroying it every way they can. And, then I gotwhod I get from the city? And my other sisternow, of course shes passed awaybut now her daughter took it, and the daughter gave it to her daughter. Because we went to about every Air Force base in Europe there was, and I got around to see everything. Youd have to see the house to see what Im talking about. 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. So I said, whew! She would say, The lilacs still in the front hall? And Id say, Oh, is that what that smell is? 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. All Rights Reserved, Town Departments at Work: The role of each part of your local government. He was 63. I put the post on it up under the floor where the newer posts in the staircase was upstairs, and then, when I took the jack away, it sat on the post. And he did the big sofa in there, didnt he? My brother, he come in and he said, What are you, nuts? Burke: Yes, and I had a beautiful apartment for years in St. George. 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. It was similar, only bigger and more ornate. See Photos. 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. Just as long as its saved and its here. Well, Bess, and my brothers wife, Evelyn, never got along. And I had to have somebody upstairs, standing on the stairs, and told me when to stop jacking, when the stairs got level, because the stairs were like this. Find the obituary of William Burke (1966 - 2021) from Staten Island, NY. And my nephewwhat the hell was he? But, with that money, I paid this house off. Q: Yes. But those things, I couldnt. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of the Historic House Trust. 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. So while I used to work then with them, and then I decided, this is not for me. And if they only would have remained, they would have been a part of it, and everything could have been fully appreciated. So I had all my goodies packed in a box, getting ready to go. I cant remember her name. Do you drink? No, we dont drink. So I would collect all the stamps. 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. Q: Can you tell me about moving the collections here, out of storage and out of your sisters houses into this house? Were going to this estate. And right there in front of the windows was a coffin with all the flowers around it and everything. But again, I dont know that Staten Island appreciates anything, because we had a Borough President at one time that we asked him a question about something and his answer to my uncle was, Well, why would you want to put a new suit on an old man?. Q: And so when you were deciding what to collect, were you thinking about. Ill do the whole window. So coming back to it was a change. Q: [laughs] How did you figure out what needed to be done with the house? The Old Bermuda Inn. Daller: It was like, we cant even find him anymore. Or you can do a small whatever. Burke is joined in this interview by his niece, Linda Daller. And then the people that moved out left a bunch of old furniture, and these were the two that they left. So we brought that point up a few times. I said, Well, the only one I know that talked like that is Bess Seguine. She said, Well, this is me. I said, What is it, Bess? She said, I want you to come and save my house. I said, Are you kidding, Bess? I said, as a kid growing up, we were always down on the beach, looking back up at this big white house that looked like a big Southern mansion. You just named them. If you stood outside and looked at it, the staircase went that way. And I renovated the bar, I renovated the other side, my two sisters came to work for me, running the kitchen and the dining room. 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 then finally she sold the house and she bought a beautiful place in Greenwich Village and moved to Greenwich Village. I know the Port Richmond store you just bought. The developers came in with bulldozersbulldozed that mansion, bulldozed the stables. George W. Burke, age 63, of Hull, entered into eternal rest on October 2, 2021. Its some very wealthy unknown-known person who was there. They gave me the fabric and they did it and such. And all these houses would never here! And I went from room to room and it took me a couple of years, didnt it? Burke: Oh, yes. And I dream that I heard some noise. Daller: Oh, theOh God now, whats it called? And my father died, and we were all very young. Burke: Oh, what I want to do isover that fireplace, I want to take that painting downand bring my painting and put it over that fireplace. Was very little time on here. The one owned by the steel companywas that a beautiful house! What was. And then, on the third floor, which was in the mansard roof, that was all the servants quarters. Theyre very few. The Seguine nestled in the back of his mind, Burke joined the Air Force and moved to London when he was 19. The son and his wife took over Scalamandr. Burke: Well, I wanted a beautiful Victorian look. Brother Bill? 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Daller: No, that still has to be discussed. He introduced me all the time tobecause look at look at what he was. They just couldnt handle it. It doesnt happen on the North Shore because were very condensed and its a dense population. Too bad that there wasnt somebody with a brain. And I got a big certificate for saving that. Most of them were little things. That was Mrs., what was her name? Phone: (718) 966 . Daller: It just went right out of my head! I mean, Captains Quarters, instead of building all those condos down there, it would have been beautiful to have another stately home there. I had all the plasters done. I wanted to know some more details about the life tenancy. Its still there, you can see it. Its no different from home. Burke: Oh, God, Mario come out here all the time. That was her name. Because Mrs. Seguine was holding the. They were all along the waterfront here. I wanted to ask about the Equestrian Center. Burke: But anyway, when my time was up in the service, they shipped me back here to, Burke: Alaska, and I stayed in Alaska. Formal gardens, stablesstables that you could live in. Daller: We really cant give you any details on that. And I said, Oh, shit. Click here to view all obituaries Search Obituaries Contact Us / Location. I grew up loving it and always having it, and my mother was great with it. Im sure some will. Burke: Oh, well, when I was inI guess I was in England. I dont need The Death of Cleopatra hanging above my fireplace. I restored all those buildings down in Tottenville, all those great old buildings. Oh, they loved me. They moved in there, and they lived there. But, Q: Let me ask you some more about the items that you collected when you were. And if you were wearing them and you went and got in your car and turned the heater on, you smelled like piss. Syosset. The stables, everything has to remain the same. Daller: Oh, I dont know. I bought the house and Bess and Marge came over. These are those Persian carpets. Q: So its confidential becauseoh, okay. She had to move them to New Jersey. Daller: Yes. . And I never had timesometimes Id be sleeping on the pool table there because I just couldnt leave! So I figured, oh, shit. She was great, I loved her. Its been so long now. I think hes given you a great history of what started and, basically, youve talked about his life from the beginning, so, I dont know. A couple of years ago, I painted them this color, didnt I? Its still there in Port Richmond. And when I seen it all over there, and when I seen the British people were poor as church mice, they were selling everything. But she used to wear three, four dresses and she smelled like an old goat! Q: When you were youngwhen you were a kid. I cant think ofdoesnt matter, the name of the people. In fact, I think it was just landmarked wasnt it? And I was in the medical department, worked in the operating room. In fact, her husband was a big-wig. With a little more improvement, and he would do a little improving on what I wanted, you know, then it was perfect when Mario did it. Got a good price for a couple of other real estate pieces that I bought and fixed up and sold. Burke: I used to, but I didnt I didnt keep it on everything. She was on TV complaining about it. Its, all the numbers are accounted for. Were wearing them and you went and got in your car and the! Ready to go God now, whats it called very wealthy unknown-known who! Base in Europe there was, and these were the two that they left my! Guess I was working for Sherwin Williams, andwhat the hell,?... In your car and turned the heater on, you smelled like piss old buildings what! A bunch of old furniture, and my father died, and they it... And Bess and Marge came over big sofa in there, and the daughter gave it to daughter... Point up a few times level, theyre level was 19 working for Sherwin,! 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