The legacy of Millard Fillmore can still be felt to this day, as his name graces a school, a park and other places.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
At a park at the site of Millard Fillmore's birth, from left, Summer Hill highway superintendent John Kirk, town supervisor Charlie Ripley, town historian Florence Lansdowne and Dick Stoyell stand at a recently delivered cement picnic table. The old wooden tables had been vandalized and some were stolen, so the Cayuga Correctional Facility made cement tables for the park.
At a park at the site of Millard Fillmore's birth, from left, Summer Hill highway superintendent John Kirk, town supervisor Charlie Ripley, town historian Florence Lansdowne and Dick Stoyell stand at a recently delivered cement picnic table. The old wooden tables had been vandalized and some were stolen, so the Cayuga Correctional Facility made cement tables for the park.
The 13th president of the United States was born in 1800 in what was historically the town of Locke, but has since become the town of Summer Hill.
A New York State historical site sign adorns the spot where the original log cabin stood, and on Fillmore Road, in the early 1980s, the boyhood home site was turned into a small park and picnic area, paying tribute to the area's most famous son.
Florence Lansdowne, town historian, said that initially there were just a few picnic tables and a flag adorned with 13 stars, commemorating Fillmore's place in the presidential order.
But over the years the area has fallen prey to vandalism, the flag has long since been stolen and despite efforts to put picnic tables on the site, even going so far as to attach them with chains sunk in concrete, the tables have been repeatedly stolen.
Over the past five years that Lansdowne has been serving as town historian, it has been her mission to protect and improve the site.
“We've been making a lot of improvements,” Lansdowne said. “We got the electric company to put up a pole and run electricity to the site. Making improvements has been my goal for a long time. For a long time there was really nothing there and it is my goal to keep on improving it.”
In recent years, Lansdowne has received support in her efforts at improvement from various organizations.
She said that in 2004, BOCES built benches for the site, which were in turn stolen.
But through other efforts, such as running electricity to the site and the work of Boy Scout troops from Moravia, a new flagpole has been placed on the site with a new flag, that is illuminated at night.
Lansdowne recently scored another coup in her effort to preserve the legacy of Fillmore in the area when reached out to the Cayuga Correctional Facility for new picnic tables at the site.
Lansdowne said that the facility is known for making large concrete picnic tables and benches, providing the ideal solution.
Lansdowne said that the correctional facility made and donated two tables to the site, which were delivered and installed by the town highway department in June.
“They weigh about 2,000 pounds each, so I think it will be pretty difficult for anyone to steal these benches,” Lansdowne said. “It is a nice addition. It gives people a place to sit and it is a nice location to walk or have a family day or take the pets for a walk and this adds something really nice to the whole area.”
With one mission accomplished, Lansdowne is already busy planning her next move to further the efforts to recognize this valuable historic site.
“It is important,” Lansdowne said. “He is the only president that was born in New York; I think it is very important to recognize that. I'm going to keep working on it. The next thing I'd like to see is a building, a little pavilion or something like that. I'd like to have something there so people can go inside and sit or have weddings or things like that. I think it would be nice to see the site used more and this is a good step in that direction.”
A New York State historical site sign adorns the spot where the original log cabin stood, and on Fillmore Road, in the early 1980s, the boyhood home site was turned into a small park and picnic area, paying tribute to the area's most famous son.
Florence Lansdowne, town historian, said that initially there were just a few picnic tables and a flag adorned with 13 stars, commemorating Fillmore's place in the presidential order.
But over the years the area has fallen prey to vandalism, the flag has long since been stolen and despite efforts to put picnic tables on the site, even going so far as to attach them with chains sunk in concrete, the tables have been repeatedly stolen.
Over the past five years that Lansdowne has been serving as town historian, it has been her mission to protect and improve the site.
“We've been making a lot of improvements,” Lansdowne said. “We got the electric company to put up a pole and run electricity to the site. Making improvements has been my goal for a long time. For a long time there was really nothing there and it is my goal to keep on improving it.”
In recent years, Lansdowne has received support in her efforts at improvement from various organizations.
She said that in 2004, BOCES built benches for the site, which were in turn stolen.
But through other efforts, such as running electricity to the site and the work of Boy Scout troops from Moravia, a new flagpole has been placed on the site with a new flag, that is illuminated at night.
Lansdowne recently scored another coup in her effort to preserve the legacy of Fillmore in the area when reached out to the Cayuga Correctional Facility for new picnic tables at the site.
Lansdowne said that the facility is known for making large concrete picnic tables and benches, providing the ideal solution.
Lansdowne said that the correctional facility made and donated two tables to the site, which were delivered and installed by the town highway department in June.
“They weigh about 2,000 pounds each, so I think it will be pretty difficult for anyone to steal these benches,” Lansdowne said. “It is a nice addition. It gives people a place to sit and it is a nice location to walk or have a family day or take the pets for a walk and this adds something really nice to the whole area.”
With one mission accomplished, Lansdowne is already busy planning her next move to further the efforts to recognize this valuable historic site.
“It is important,” Lansdowne said. “He is the only president that was born in New York; I think it is very important to recognize that. I'm going to keep working on it. The next thing I'd like to see is a building, a little pavilion or something like that. I'd like to have something there so people can go inside and sit or have weddings or things like that. I think it would be nice to see the site used more and this is a good step in that direction.”
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