I mean, lets face it. Q: The Friends of the Seguine Mansionthe friends group. Otherwise, Id never be able to have half the stuff thats in here because it would have cost me a private fortune to have it shipped. So I had people come in and wanted to buy the Tidewater Inn. Burke: I went and I was stationed in England, and I loved being in England. And my father died, and we were all very young. By Carol Ann Benanti | benanti@siadvance.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It's designated one of Staten Island's signature society events of the year, a. Burke: Oh. Christ, we had a good time. We are a big family. So because it was done like the French did, I never had to pay tax, or only tax on a two-story house, instead of a three-story. Hes been maintaining it for forty-plus years. And then Id been in Europe all that time. But you used tell me. She left things there. Theyre deciding they want to build, so they tear down and build. George Burke was born on Staten Island and grew up in Annandale before moving to Florida with his family. Dont look at me. The real estate lady wouldnt come in. Burke: Oh, well, the Eskimos up there would give me beautiful mukluks and all kinds of things. And, well, lets face it, they never had any hot water over there at all. And in the basement, I put the kitchen and a dining area and everything. And they would give me all kinds of beautiful little carved objects and things that would be carved out of the whales teeth or. I was According to the funeral home, the following services have. And when I seen it all over there, and when I seen the British people were poor as church mice, they were selling everything. First thing I started with was the basement because it had four-foot of water in it. I did everything. They cant develop it. Q: Can you give me an example of one of the things that you worked on together in the house? Im sorry that, during all that construction, I wasnt taking photographs, of step by step. And I studied architecture and the history of design and everything, I know all that. If you stood outside and looked at it, the staircase went that way. And if they only would have remained, they would have been a part of it, and everything could have been fully appreciated. But I mean, that wasthe holes, the plaster gone. Because look how long the war went, and England had nothing. So I went down and I just went around and everything I seenall the stuff you see hanging in this house, most of it come from me going around and wheeling and dealing in, you might as well say, the black market. Burke: What its been like for you to live here. https://www.nypap.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/BurkeGeorge_20211109_access_redacted.mp3. And youd walk out, and the porch was all brick, and at the end of the porch was a big arch that had little windows in it and a French door where you could walk out to the garden. What a shame. Thanks very much to you. Unfortunately. But, Q: Let me ask you some more about the items that you collected when you were. Anyway, I said, Oh boy, did I have a scary dream. I told her my dream. Thats what I wanted. Burke: Oh my god. And if you were wearing them and you went and got in your car and turned the heater on, you smelled like piss. And they were going to pay for everything if they owned it. And I looked in the thing, I said, Holy shit. Up until a year ago, he was still cutting the lawn! Q: Was it a similar style? And all my brothers. Im always doing something. Sell the other half to Billthat was my brother and you and George, move with me to Florida. So we all thought that was a great idea. Daller: No, that still has to be discussed. Burke: I used to, but I didnt I didnt keep it on everything. A lot of the windows were broken out of it. And there were two windows, like this. Off of Hylan Boulevard? Oh shit, Im going to have to rebuild the wall. So I started pulling the bricks out, and wrapped up where one of the bricks was, was an oil cloth rag all wrapped up. Ill tell you the good stuff! [laughs] And that was it. It was a mess. So most of the stuff is Victorianturn of the century and Victorian. Thats not good. The same thing thats going on with statues. While stationed in England, he studied interior design and architectural history and began to collect antiques through estate sales and flea markets, focusing on ceramics, paintings, light fixtures, and many other decorative items from the Victorian era. Because the water was in the basement for so many years, all the dampness had lifted all the floorboards and everything, and so I had to dry the house out, and replaster the walls. I bet I left the cellar door open under the stairwell, from the basement, and I bet thats the soap Ive got in the washing machine that smells like that. It was gorgeous and very ornatewas very, very much like Greek Revival. And my other sisternow, of course shes passed awaybut now her daughter took it, and the daughter gave it to her daughter. Q: Was that here in the house? And she was living here all by herself. She lived up on Lighthouse Hill. I was living in London, and I was studying the history of art and design, or something like that, in the University of London, and he was going and he was studying art. You know, everybody knew him, and everybody, wow. The oldwhat the hell was itgrocery store. Now theyre worth a couple hundred-dollars apiece. Its all stay in here. And I had a little house in Tottenville so I decided, well, Ill move into this big housein hereand Ill get rid of all the property that I have in Tottenville. And then when they decided thatthey owned a beautiful house on one of the Keys in Florida. So I went around and looked and looked and I said, You know, I could open a restaurant. And I walked around and I found a couple of nice places. Burke: Oh, well, look what I did. Q: You mentioned that the South Shore has changed in the last few years. A lot of these drapes, they did. But some strange things did happen in the house. And the kitchen was outside. And how people went along with them, I dont know either. I forgottheres ten acres that is landmarked now. That works! Thankfully, no ones come here and said, Oh, you might have had slaves. I mean, Im sure if somebody came and decided to look back, theyd say, Oh, no, theres a reason for a house like that. People have ideals that are very strange. Theyd come out and Id say, Look, I can get you this. So everything just kept going off and someone would have all of this, someone would have all of that. Daller: As a matter of fact, we had an event years ago. Ill do the whole window. So I got this on the front porch somewhere, nailed to the house, butdoesnt matter. So I figured, hmm! So I went down in Rossville and I bought a beautiful, big old, rundown place and restored it completely. I loved Alaska. And all those Eskimos just loved me. So its saved forever. And you cant control it from the grave. Daller: Well, they hope to. Dont remember what happened to it, right? So I bought it. Q: And so all these items went upwalked up the stairs and were, carried back down the stairs. But I dont remember seeing the main house. Q: And you feel that thats at risk because of the development thats happening now. Burke: Well, Ill tell you, there wasnt that much in storagethe stuff that was in storage wasnt big pieces, maybe one or two. Burke: He did almost all the upholstery in the house. Im sure some will. And that was nothing but a little house that caught firewas just a little, little house. He appreciated it. Then I decided, well, Im going to get myself a nice apartment. Burke: Well, I hope it gets maintained. And Im glad I did what I did, about just giving it to the National Historic Trust. And I went in and I noticed my big box was gone. Well. And I worked there for quite a while, and I lived in the Bronx. It was terrible. I mean, this whole ceiling was shot. Daller: Thats a story you should share, about the lilacs and the lady. But he did a lot of the work for you. Burke: Theyll come in, but youll have to have somebody as a guide. Im going to retire, Im going to go down to that big old house, restore it, fix it all up, move in it, and enjoy it. Facebook. Its, all the numbers are accounted for. Yes, but it was weird. Ive been to the Tenement Museum, and I love the fact that theres a woman on a loop and she discusses living in the apartment. One woman wouldnt go it, cant think of her name. When I bought the house, the real estate people, they wouldnt go in. Q: Can you tell me about moving the collections here, out of storage and out of your sisters houses into this house? Daller: You know, people dont understand them. Theyre all McMansions. You can go and look and read about anything about the South Shore of Staten Island. But unfortunately, all the stuff up there was cured by urine. George W. Burke, age 63, of Hull, entered into eternal rest on October 2, 2021. But not long ago, I was talking about it. And then the people that moved out left a bunch of old furniture, and these were the two that they left. I was seventeen years with the Air Force. And that guy, look at the size of that house he just built. Tell us about when you were born? So a lot of the things that you acquired to furnish the house were in poor condition, and then you have them reupholstered and restored. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved George Burke of Hull, Massachusetts, who passed away at the age of 63, on October 2, 2021. 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. But those things, I couldnt. So that was the reason we chose to do a White Party. So, I would saywhat was it?the spring, and in the back of the house was the entrance to the cellar with the double doors, where you walked down the stairs, and it was all brick, and it had the doors. The income from the Seguine Equestrian Center, which stables some twenty horses a stone's throw from the mansion, helps. I come down the stairs and I opened the door. But anyway, I had come back to America. Burke: Greek revival. And where to get the good buys, and all that kind of thing. Q: So what was it like when you had the house finished and furnished? Everybody had left, and Bess and Marge were there, and Bess said to me, George, sit down. She was great, I loved her. So the next day, Im up and Im outside. So dont worry about it. Ghost in the houseif shes gonna live there, she could do some cleaning up, do some dusting. You come out and take over the boys and mens department in the store. I said, Thats fine. So while I used to work then with them, and then I decided, this is not for me. Death and Obituary Indexes from the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library includes: Buffalo Deaths, 1882-1892; Death Notices and Obituaries in the Buffalo News, 4-22-2009 to 2010; Index to Births, Marriages, and Deaths found in select Buffalo and Erie County Publications, 1870s-1950; some cemetery burial records; and other items. Yes, he helped me with the colors, and this and that, and what I should getgood orientals for the floor, which I had but they werent these. It was like a mansion youve never seen. Lets keep fighting it, because there was no way to fight. Mom, you own the house, you own at least part of it, or half of it. Burke: So, my sister Marge, and my sister Bess, would come over and help me. But the basement was the summer dining rooms and summer kitchen. And I took John in as a partner, but I owned the Old Bermuda Inn and the two buildings. And then the Historic House Trust will use it as well to understand whats important to you about maintaining the house. Is there anything, you think? You know, everybody grew up together. And its more expensive to keep her horses there than it was here. You made enough money. So it shows you that you have a friend forever. And she couldntthey couldnt keep up with it anymore. I said, Where are you? She said, Well, I moved out years ago and went back to Georgia. And I took that for years. They were the Mackeys. And the house across the street from it, the Old [Sir Walter] Tyrrell House. And then, it was declared unsafe, and they come in and knocked it down. Brother Bill? If you are going to stay, you better do this this and this, whatever the hell it was. Because Mrs. Seguine was holding the. He said, What in the hell youre buying this old piece of shit for? He said, Is it insured? I said, Yes, I took big insurance on it. He said, Good. So here I was with all this stuff, sending it home to my family, sending it to my sisters. And the porch, I dont thinkone end of it, you wouldnt dare walk on because the whole thing would have collapsed. Lookit, I saved the police station and the two buildings next to the police station. But the only thing was it was too small. Burke: Oh, and then the house, when I bought it, everybodythe real estate lady, she wouldnt come in. Bar and restaurant adds family and flavor to Weymouth Landing scene, Why New England Wildlife Center is treating a bald eagle for poisoning, Healey's proposed tax aid plan benefits families, seniors, homeowners, Mass. And if you went around with Mario Buatta, that was like going with the President of the United States. And I wanted these little chairs tufted but he had passed away before he could get around to tuft. I could. I had the house put back together. Q: Can you tell me about the ghost in that house? And a lot of people kept their horses in the stables. So he came out. Oh, God. So thats my uncles hope for it as well. Burke: Chris will stay living here. Burke: Well, I dont know if people will ever realize in years and years to come that I saved so much, but they did give me a plaque for restoration. Its been so long now. Daller: No. Right. I bet. George Burke. Either you buy me out, or I buy you out. They gave me the fabric and they did it and such. Daller: Because you might remember, he was away for so many years. But unfortunately, it all fell in. So I said to her, I said Bess, the only thing Ill save your house is a bulldozer! I went around and I got it and shipped it all back home. Now what are you going to do with this? And I loved it. As a young adult, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served in the medical department, spending time in locations across Europe and Alaska. That was a shame. Save my house. And I thought, Oh, shit. I was down on the beach one day, I forgot what were doing. Why cant they just appreciate something for what it is? And thats what where all the water, for all the laundry, and all that kind of stuffnot the drinking water, the working waterwould come out of that big cistern, and would go intoand the pump and everything, its still down there, connected to that thing out there. But when I die, they say theyre going to make a museum out of it. The one in particular, United States Steel [Corporation]. She stated, George, I want you to save my house, and agreed to sell the house for a feasible sum in exchange for his promise to restore it. So what I did, I decided, well, Id go inand we had where you could buy all your liquor and such in the post exchange. So by the time he came back, all this had changed.