Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Spirit House Continues to Decline, Rexie in a Huff Over the Public Use of Spirit House Pictures

For my upcoming talk to the Madison County Historical, SPIRITUALITY AND REFORM IN THE BURNED-OVER DISTRICT(3/22/17) I decided to use a picture of Spirit House to promote the event. After all, many in Madison County know me for creating  the Spirit House Society to try and save and restore Spirit House by turning it into a Historic Home--Spiritual Retreat. Spiritualism also played a major role in reform in the Burned-over District. 

When Rexie, the women who thwarted our effort by purchasing the home for herself heard about this she began to complain vociferously. Eventually the picture was removed. Evidently she claims that no one can take a picture of Spirit House, or talk about Spirit House in any manor with our her permission and paying her a royalty. Where did she get  this idea from? Several of the pictures below refer to this bizarre notion. 

Rexie also indicated that she needs to set the recored straight on Timothy Brown (the man that built Spirit House.) Evidently she has some insider, or special information about him. Personally I had thought Spirit House Society Board Member Jocelyn Godwin (retired Colgate University Professor that has written about 20 books) did an incredible job with his book on Spirit House, which he again referenced in Upstate Cauldron.

You and I are within our rights to photograph Spirit House, a nationally registered historic, from the street as long as we are not on her property. 

When I heard all this I decided it was time to visit Spirit House and post some pictures on the Spirit House Society Blog. Not only to express my and SHS member's opinion on this matter, but to catalogue the continued deterioration of this grand and majestic historic home that sits on a very sacred site.

It is has been over five and a half years since Rexie purchased Spirit House. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO PRESERVE, RESTORE OR EVEN MAINTAIN THE HOUSE; NOT EVEN A COAT OF PAINT TO COVER THE the many areas of BARE EXPOSED WORD. IT HAS CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE. 

It is  important to catalogue the deterioration of this home for history. Before we distributed the money we had raised to Madison County not-for-profits ( Gerrit Smith Estate, Madison Hall in Morrisville) there was a discussion of whether we should pay for a professional photographer to photograph the home and send the pictures to NYS Archives; but we felt that we had enough pictures and could catalogue the decline as I am now doing.


The pictures below show the deterioration. I am surprised that Code Enforcement has not fined her for the condition of the home and the circus of junk on the property.


There is a chance you might see a Spirit House Picture at my talk on the 22nd in Oneida to Madison County Historical Society. In the mean time go visit and take some pictures and tell everybody about the tragedy that has befallen Spirit House.