Philipse Manor Hall hosts re-enactment of family wedding

YONKERS - The groom, dressed in a pale blue waistcoat and navy silk britches, greeted guests to his wedding as they arrived yesterday at Philipse Manor Hall.
"Thank you so much for coming," he said in his most upper-crust British tones.

The bride waited nervously upstairs fussing over at least three ruffled layers of petticoats and a powder-blue satin dress with lots of bustle.
The couple, Roger Morris and Mary Philipse, were originally married Jan. 19, 1758, in what was considered a high point of the New York social scene for the famed Philipse family, which owned 57,000 acres of land, a majority of what is now Westchester County. This would have been their 250th anniversary celebration.
The Friends of Philipse Manor Hall and the historic site's staff hosted a re-enactment of the nuptials as a fundraiser and to highlight the region's history based in downtown Yonkers.
Michael McMahon, 13, of Eastchester enjoyed how the bride, played by Nicole Lee Smith, was so spunky. He also liked how the groom, played by Charlie Hallock, kept the ceremony on course in spite of interruptions from George Washington, who reportedly had his eye on Mary Philipse, and partying by some tenant farmworkers outside the manor house.
"Everything didn't go so smoothly, which maybe is how it happened," said the teen, who came with his grandmother, Peggy O'Neill of Yonkers.
He said he particularly likes to learn about the American Revolution.
"It is what formed the nation, and without it we would still be British," he added. "Yeah, I liked this."
A genuine relative of Susannah Robinson, the bride's sister, even traveled to New York for the wedding.
Nancy Iredale, 74, of Abington, Pa., said she just had to be present to see this historic celebration and watch what her great, great, great grandmother might have been like.
"I wouldn't miss it, my dear," said the Philipse family ancestor, who in a nod to period attire wore an elegant beige lace collar around her burgundy velvet dress.
Even some board members of the friends group joined in the production.
Joan Jennings, board president, donned a beige silk embroidered gown, and acted the part of mother of the bride, the widowed Joanna Philipse.
Lots of people participated in making the event come alive. Yon Zweibon of Beyond Costumes in Yonkers stitched most of the costumes, except the wedding gown, which was made by the actress Smith. String musicians from Sarah Lawrence College performed Mozart selections and Jean Zimmerman, who wrote "The Women of the House: How a Colonial She-Merchant Built a Mansion, a Fortune and a Dynasty" wrote the re-enactment play.
The Philipse family played an important role in Westchester history. The stone mansion built in 1682 stood at the center of the family's estate. Mary Philipse, 1730 to 1825, was the sixth of 10 children of the Frederick Philipse II and his wife Joanna. The family fortune was made in furs, imported goods and real estate.
Reach Barbara Livingston Nackman at bnackman@lohud.com or 845-228-2272.

From left, Steven Ruff, Joan Jennings and Patricia McDow, playing Frederick Philipse III, Joanna Philipse and Susannah Robinson re-enact the wedding of Mary Philipse and Roger Morris on the 250th anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. ( Tania Savayan / The Journal News )

Nancy Barclay Iredale of Philadelphia, center, and her sister-in-law Eleanore Karsten of Yonkers, right, enjoy the wedding re-enactment of Mary Philipse and Roger Morris on the 250th anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. Iredale is a direct descendant of Susanna Robinson. ( Tania Savayan / The Journal News )

Actors re-enact the wedding of Mary Philipse and Roger Morris on the 250th anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. ( Tania Savayan / The Journal News )

Mary Philipse played by Nicole Lee Smith, 2nd right, with from left, her brother Frederick Philipse (Steven Ruff), sister Susannah Robinson (Patricia McDow) and mother Joanna Philipse (Joan Jennings) during the wedding re-enactment of Mary Philipse and Roger Morris on the 250th anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. ( Tania Savayan / The Journal News )

Sarah Lawrence College students provided music for the re-enactment of the wedding of Mary Philipse and Roger Morris on the 250th wedding anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. ( Tania Savayan / The Journal News )

Steven Ruff playing Frederick Philipse III walks Nicole Lee Smith playing Mary Philipse down the aisle during the re-enactment of the wedding of Mary Philipse and Roger Morris on the 250th anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. ( Tania Savayan / The Journal News )

Patricia O'Connell, 50, of Yonkers applauds after the re-enactment of the wedding of Mary Philipse and Roger Morris on the 250th anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. ( Tania Savayan / The Journal News )

Charlie Hallock and Nicole Lee Smith re-enact the wedding of Colonel Roger Morris and Mary Philipse on the 250th anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. Rev. John Hamilton played Reverend Henry Barclay.

Charlie Hallock and Nicole Lee Smith re-enact the wedding of Colonel Roger Morris and Mary Philipse on the 250th anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. Characters Reverend Henry Barclay, Frederick Philipse III and Susannah Robinson played by Rev. John Hamilton, Steven Ruff and Patricia McDow join the ceremony. ( Tania Savayan / The Journal News )

George Washington and the tavern wench played by Drew Snyder and Charissa Morvillo take part in Mary Philipse and Roger Morris' wedding re-enactment on the 250th anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. ( Tania Savayan / The Journal News )



Actors re-enact the wedding of Mary Philipse and Roger Morris on the 250th anniversary Jan. 26, 2008 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. ( Tania Savayan / The Journal News )