Unbelievable. Burke: Yes. Burke: Hawaii. Im going to get gifts now because Im staying in the house and Im going to fix it up.. But before we know it, there wont be a thing left in the house. Join Facebook to connect with George Burke and others you may know. And she was laying with her arms, like that. But down here, all the beautiful homes that were down here are gone. And everyone became extremely close. Absolutely gorgeous. Daller: What about the coat? 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. I was always in the operating room or someplace like that. Would you sell me the acres in the front? Daller: So can you imagine a three room apartment filled to the brim with antiques? But when I die, they say theyre going to make a museum out of it. Daller: Plus the fact, it cost a fortune to take away the manure. I dont need The Death of Cleopatra hanging above my fireplace. Q: I wanted to ask, also, theres a painting of you in the house, right? What the hell is this? All of a sudden, she went, Youre in my house, and get out! Holy Christ. And people were selling anything out of their house to support themselves and live. And I gave that, I thinkI dont know if I gave it to Bess. And the only reason why this survived is because nobody wanted the farmhouse! All that gorgeous porcelain, like the Flower Sellers Childrenits a big piece like that. Because she begged me. People didnt want it because it had such a reputation as being haunted. And that was, Mrs.these mirrors came from that house, they were in the parlor in that houseWhat the hell was her name? Burke, who knew of the home and property from the time when he was a child, was committed to the challenge. So theres no more Scalamandr, I dont think, is there? Find the obituary of George Burke (1957 - 2021) from Hull, MA. Yes, she died and she was in the front parlor in the coffin, wasnt she? They were all along the waterfront here. Daller: You met some interesting people there. I was born on Oct. 11, 1930, one of nine siblings, to an. Obituary George W. Burke, age 63, of Hull, entered into eternal rest on October 2, 2021. Because thats what I bought with the money. I know the Port Richmond store you just bought. 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. So I made sure it was filled in with dirt the rest of the way, so I wouldnt have that water getting in the basement. And on top of that, I still worked for Sherwin Williams. And I never had timesometimes Id be sleeping on the pool table there because I just couldnt leave! Q: Can you tell me about studying interior design? 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. The roof was shot because the old guy that was caretaker here, he used to walk around on the roof and watch all the boats in the harbor. Luis was great. And if you were wearing them and you went and got in your car and turned the heater on, you smelled like piss. If you haven't identified the high-style social by now, it's George Burke 's "White Party," the classic celebration staged in the Seguine-Burke Mansion, the Greek Revival-style,. Then I got shipped to Europe. Daller: You know, people dont understand them. Always curious and seeking information, George started a second career with Siemens, where he worked for ten years as a Service Specialist of Building Technologies. I mean, after it was finished, who cared? And he dealed in antique rugs, and regular rugs and everything. And then finally I had a man come in and talking to me about how hes bought a place on Staten Island that hes opening up a place like Saks only not as nice. And that went for years. A lot of the windows were broken out of it. And that was it. And, of course, being in the military and traveling with them, the government shipped all my stuff that I bought and picked upshipped it all back to America for me. On a goddamn pillared mattress sleeping? Burke: Anyway, she was well known here on Staten Island. She had a caretaker or she had a woman that took care of her, or something. I mean, look, theyve been trying to get rid of the carriage horses in the city, for how long now? And in the meantime, I made a couple of little investments and they turned out very well for me. 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. Each day inspires me that a house of this size and stature has survived and thrived.How did you come to purchase the house?I always admired it and I was well acquainted with Bess Seguine, a descendant of Joseph, the original owner of the home. Always curious and seeking information, George started a second career with Siemens, where he worked for ten years as a Service Specialist of Building Technologies. And my fatherwe were quite wealthy, growing up. So here I was with all this stuff, sending it home to my family, sending it to my sisters. Thats how I got to know Adriana Scalamandr and the Scalamandrs. Theres a bunch of little houses now built all along through their gardens. It was a mess of a mess. That house, it was a big French mansard, big Victorian. Daller: So not that much time was spent on Staten Island. Put through the years, people recognized it and everything. So all the big mansions were built with outside kitchens. In lieu of flowers, donations to honor George may be made to Tunnels to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306. Burke is joined in this interview by his niece, Linda Daller. Q: So part of why it closed was because. And it became quite the place to be. And that was nothing but a little house that caught firewas just a little, little house. And they said, Oh my god, George, what are you Oh, and who else was that? She was on TV complaining about it. But they donated it to the Sisters of Charity, figuring that the nuns could live in that gorgeous mansion. What are we gonna do here? So he said, Well, I really love doing this, George. And I said, Okay, John, thats fine. This old? Id come back up and I could still smell it in the hallway. So I run downstairs. But I dreamt it and I knew every single thing about it. People that owned U.S. Steel, their mansion was over there. So she finally died. And all my brothers. Q: Yes. And I wish the hell I could have gotten a hold of that before they tore it down. She left things there. What the woman who was caretaking her, what she had to do was constantly keep lilacs next to the bed. Burke: Its right on the Boulevard and it goes down to the beach. Burke: Yes. I want it now. I could never get it. And then, on the side of the house in the back, there was a little piece built out. Is that what you want? Wantagh, Seaford . Visiting hours Friday, October 8, 2021, from 4-7 pm in McNamara-Sparrell Funeral Home, 1 Summer St. (across from St. Anthony Church), Cohasset. Yes, but it was weird. And that was inwhere the hell, what did they call that area where all the Eskimos lived? But under that porch was the basement. And, I had a lot of time over there in London and so I decided, Well, hell, Im going to go to school and learn something. So I took interior design. Q: You mentioned that the South Shore has changed in the last few years. Brother Bill? But anyway, she said, No, Im not going in. Then upstairs, was all the bedrooms. Oh, God, I worked so damn hard. So its saved forever. Burke: Okay. She lived up on Lighthouse Hill. I dreamed, I saw it. Pre-Planning Services; . Prince Edward Island. What is a shame is some of the mansionsthe really, really ornate mansions that were torn down. And we recognized Mario at the event. Unfortunately, all the grounds areI dont even know if the house is there anymore! And with the money that I made from there, I put it right back in the building. Q: Okay, all of that. Burke: And that was called the Tidewater Inn. So I bought it. I had the best collection of the most beautiful carved ivory and things because they didnt have money but they would give you things. But I restored all that. That was a shame. The family will receive friends . If it wasnt for Mrs. Mackey across the street telling me about the funeral, I would have never known. And I would just would go around and Id just pick stuff up. Or did you have to just guess and make decisions? Because she would always want her bottle of booze. Thanks to him, a piece of Staten Island history has been saved for future generations. And the people that lived there, they got a little too old to stay there. Yes, Mrs. Mackey. Valley Stream. And I want my painting. In lieu of flowers, donations to honor George may be made to Tunnels to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306. So finally, I think, the old lady died, didnt she? I had no idea that that was it, when I bought the house or anything. I had a dream thatin my dream, I woke up and I was laying in bed upstairs, and I could smell lilacs. And I got a big certificate for saving that. Because the other way, my uncle was digging into whatever a little bit of savings he had, in order to pay. And then when I went looking for myhis name was Joinerand everybody was saying, Well, Sergeant Joiner is leaving, Sergeant Joiner is leaving. And I never thought much of it. They cant just say, The doors are open for anybody, just walk in! Somebody will walk in, and say, Oh, I like those chairs, pick them up, and take them, and theyll be gone. In a house that you dont even own? Burke: Chris will stay living here. Oh god, that was a gorgeous mansion. Its Greek Revival. Daller: Oh, I dont know. This was in the East Bronx, this was on 167th and College Avenue. All Rights Reserved, Town Departments at Work: The role of each part of your local government. Thats not good. The same thing thats going on with statues. But I mean, that wasthe holes, the plaster gone. And theyd come out and Id get involved with them. So they said, You better get back here and do something. So I came back, got out of the military, got a job working for Saks Fifth Avenue. It makes sense because she was an old lady. Im no bulldozer!. But some strange things did happen in the house. They just went and just vandalized it to hell until there was nothing but a shell left. Because there was a big double parlor like this on one side of it. I mean, these little gold chairs, are Victorianthats a Victorian chaireverything is really Victorian. Burke: Well, I wanted a beautiful Victorian look. And then Id been in Europe all that time. Burke: Oh. 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. Facebook gives people the power to. Burke: And he was one of the top portrait painters in Madrid. Burke: It was. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in the book. And they copied that from France, because thats what it was, it was the French mansard. Because it was a big roof, like this, and then the gutters run around. So I would walk around, Id look and Id see some beautiful stuff for sale, for nothing. Im gonna save this house. And I went from room to room and it took me a couple of years, didnt it? And I know everythingId love to go out to Staten Island. So he said, Good. Also, surviving are her siblings Peggy . And I got these. Like this chair that youre sitting in, these are Chippendale chairs in the Chinese style. Q: Yes. Youre coming with me. So Id say Okay, Murphy, lets go! She was something, I mean. So it was fascinating. Q: Is there somebody in particular that you work with for reupholstery or restorations? Q: And you knew the style from having studied the history of design and architecture. Unfortunately, you got to find environmentalists, theyve got to look for things and theyve got to point things out. I think so. But this is too much for you, George. George was an engaged conversationalist and even better listener. And Diane said, Oh, Marian has it.. So we lived there, and it was a big courtyard and there were four buildings and the center courtyard was all grass. It was a mess. And also about the history of Staten Island, or the style that the house is decorated in, the Victorian style, your collection. Why cant they just appreciate something for what it is? And I walked into there and I walked up, and the lid was closed on the coffin. And right outside the window right here, is a great big round, thing thats all brickgreat big round thing, big as this room, covered-overand thats where all the water from the drain pipe from the roof would go in there and fill it, and it was called a cistern, and that was connected to the kitchen downstairs. So she said, Bess said, Were going to have to quit, George. I said Oh, shit. But Id go off with Murphy and wed go to these estate sales and most of the stuff thats in here was, I bought and shipped it all back. And thats what I did. Thanks very much to you. So my mother decided she would make it into a two-family, and rent out one part of it. Daller: A lot of the paintings came from Europe, though. The house is haunted, she said, if youre interested in it, George, heres the key to the front door, you go. And as I said, there was a big flight of stairs that went up and a big porch across the whole front of the house. Daller: Because you might remember, he was away for so many years. 2023 McNamara-Sparrell Funeral Home. And he asked me would I be interested in working for him out here on Staten Island. So I had people come in and wanted to buy the Tidewater Inn. Theyre all McMansions. You can go and look and read about anything about the South Shore of Staten Island. Burke: Oh, I loved her. So everything just kept going off and someone would have all of this, someone would have all of that. Since 1981, the house has been occupied by a native Staten Islander named George Burke. And my sister, Bess, she was married to Walter, her husband, who was in the Navy. All these walls used to be white. People: Mario Buatta, Luis Caizares, Linda Daller, John Krawchuck, James and Kathleen Pistilli, Adriana Scalamandr, John Scalia, Elizabeth Bess Seguine Aug, Joseph Seguine, Organizations: Friends of the Seguine Mansion, Historic House Trust, House of Scalamandr, NYC Departments of Parks and Recreation, Sherwin-Williams, U.S. Air Force, Places: Annandale, Hammersmith College, Port Richmond, Old Bermuda Inn, Saks Fifth Avenue, Seguine Mansion, St. George, Staten Island, Tidewater Inn, Tottenville, The New York Preservation Archive Project. Copyright 1998 2023 New York Preservation Archive Project. Q: Was it a similar style? Then I went looking for the big pieces. And that still is, today, one of the great places around here, the Old Bermuda Inn, and John still owns it. I started with the basement. Lives in Hotazel, Cape Province, South Africa. Burke: So, in other words, fifty years from now, if someone wants to learn about the house, they can find out. That was something that you had restoredis that right? Kitchens were always built in a house outside by themself, and a breezeway going to the house, because the kitchens would always burn down. But that was a condo. 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. For example, could you tell what the original construction was? I mean, its physically impossible. When did it start to feel done? George was born on February 22, 1928 and passed away on Friday, May 31, 2019. Burke: Of course, I come from a big house. Destroyed. 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. Yes, that was all Scalamandr. Daller: Well, he said, he felt that house had spirits in it. Syracuse. So if this can remain a part of the history, thatll be great for people to appreciate. 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