April 2020

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 Among many other things, she kindly gave me a copy of the unpublished memoir of her great grandfather, Jonas Levy, one of Uriah’s brothers.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:

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

Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia in 1740

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.