Saving Monticello: The Newsletter
The latest about the book, author
events, and more
Newsletter Editor - Marc Leepson
Volume XVII, Number 4 April
1, 2020
“The study of the past is a
constantly evolving, never-ending journey of discovery.” – Eric Foner
IN
MEMORIAM: I am deeply saddened to report that Harley Lewis, a
great-grandniece of Uriah Levy and a grandniece of Jefferson M. Levy—and one of
the last members of her generation of Levy descendants—died at her home in
White Plains, New York, on March 24 at 94. My deepest condolences to Harley’s
sons Richard, Jim, and Tom, and her brother Phillip, and to their families.
Harley
was born on November 13, 1925, the daughter of Harold L. Lewis and Frances Levy
Lewis, who was known as Fanny. Harley’s maternal grandfather was L. Napoleon
Levy, Jefferson M. Levy’s brother. Her great-great grandmother—Uriah Levy’s
mother, Rachel—is buried along Mulberry Row at Monticello after having died there
in 1839, five years after Uriah purchased Monticello from James Turner Barclay.
 |
| Harley Lewis, circa 2011. Photo courtesy of Richard Lewis |
According to her New York Times obituary, Harley graduated from Syracuse University in
1957, married Richard C. Lewis, and worked as a librarian in the Edgemont Public
School system in Scarsdale, New York, and at Congregation Kol Ami in White
Plains. Harley and Dick Lewis were very active in that congregation for many
years. She served on its board, and was a founding member of the Westchester
Coalition of Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens.
Harley was the keeper of much of her family’s Monticello
history. When I started researching Saving
Monticello in 1999, Dan Jordan, then the president of the Thomas Jefferson
Foundation (which owns and operates Monticello), and Susan Stein, Monticello’s
curator, spoke admiringly of Harley and strongly suggested that I contact her.
I visited Harley and Dick at their home in Westchester
County and they couldn’t have been more kind, gracious, and welcoming. After
feeding me lunch, Harley and I went through her extensive collection of family
materials and she shared every one with me. Among many other things, she kindly
gave me a copy of the unpublished memoir of her great grandfather, Jonas Levy,
one of Uriah’s brothers. And she gave us permission to use two family photos in
the book.
Here’s one of them: a picture of Harley’s mother Frances sitting
in the buggy with her sister Agnes, with their cousin Monroe Levy on the lawn
at Monticello sometime in the 1890s.
Harley told me about her mother and
father’s recollections of visiting Monticello in the 1930s—and the
less-than-welcome reception they (and other family members) felt there. On at
least one occasion, they were refused permission to visit Rachel Levy’s grave,
which was hidden from public view behind a locked gate.
That situation didn’t substantially change until 1984 when
Dan Jordan took over at the Foundation and began an effort to have the Levys’
role officially recognized at Monticello. The first step was refurbishing the
Rachel Levy grave site and placing a plaque there honoring the family.
On June 7, 1985, Harley and Dick Lewis and other family
members and guests took part in a commemorative ceremony there. Dan Jordan
welcomed everyone, saying the occasion marked the beginning of the Foundation’s
recognition of the Levys’ “good stewardship” of Monticello.
The highlight came when Harley Lewis unveiled a new plaque
at her great-great grandmother’s newly refurbished grave site that concluded
with the words: “At two crucial periods in the history of Monticello, the
preservation efforts and stewardship of Uriah P. and Jefferson M. Levy
successfully maintained the property for future generations.”
Harley faithfully read every issue of this newsletter and regularly
emailed me with kind words after each one came out. Her last email arrived on
March 3. In it, she wrote, “You always come up with fascinating bits of
family history. It makes my day to receive this news. Don’t stop sleuthing.”
I won’t, Harley.
BETH
ELOHIM: On a mid-March visit to Charleston, South Carolina, we had
the chance to visit the historic Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue two weeks
before the nation went into widespread quarantining. The majestic building in
downtown Charleston, which dates from 1840, is the country’s second oldest
synagogue and the oldest one in continuous use. The congregation, which started
in 1749, is the fifth oldest in the U.S. behind:
Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia in 1740
Shearith Israel, which began in 1654 in New York
City
Congregation Jeshuat Israel, founded in 1658 in
Rhode Island; its Touro Synagogue, dedicated in
1763, is the nation’s oldest synagogue building
Mickve Israel in Savannah, founded in 1733
The Nunez, Machado, and Levy families—including Uriah P.
Levy and Jefferson M. Levy—worshiped at Shearith Israel and Mickve and Mikveh
Israel. Work on the latest restoration of the sanctuary at Beth Elohim had
ended just days before we toured the place. Took these pics:
EVENTS:
I had several events scheduled for April. They’ve been cancelled or postponed
due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hope to have speaking events set up this fall.
To
check out my scheduled late 2020 events, go to the Events page on my website at http://bit.ly/Eventsandtalks
If
you’d like to arrange an event for Saving
Monticello, or for any of my other books, feel free to send me email at marcleepson@gmail.com
For info on my latest book, Ballad of the Green Beret, go to http://bit.ly/GreenBeretBook
GIFT IDEAS: Want a
personally autographed, brand-new paperback copy of Saving Monticello? Please e-mail me. I also have a few as-new,
unopened hardcover copies, along with a good selection of brand-new copies of
my other books.
