Recently I’ve been doing some research about 1940s Bethlehem, especially the development of the zoning code and planning board. Any thinking about zoning in Bethlehem must include Howard P. Paddock, real estate developer and planning board chairman. He lived for many years at 420 Delaware Avenue, a lovely brick home built about 1852 for Dr. John Van Allen. According to Allison Bennett, Van Allen was “one of our town’s ‘horse and buggy’ doctors.”
In another post, I’ll get back to Paddock. For now, I want to tell you about the Van
Allens.
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| Heres' the house in 2012 |
This is one of my favorites houses on Delaware Avenue with
its brick stylings, front porch, hip roof, carriage barn and four-acre setting,
I always seem to fall into the trap of referring to it as the “Dr. Van Allen House”
without thinking too much about it. But Dr. Van Allen didn’t live there nearly
as long as his wife Charlotte or son Theodore. So down the history rabbit hole
I went.
Backing up in time from when the house was built in
1852, the land was part of a 275-acre parcel that was leased by Stephen Van
Rensselaer to James McKee in 1803. In the ensuing years, the land was divided
up and parcels sold to various Bethlehem families with familiar names like Adams,
Hallenback and Winne. Dr. John Van Allen
acquired about 14 acres in the 1850s and he is probably the one who had the
house built.
Van Allen is also a familiar Bethlehem name. But, there
are so many John Van Allens I gave up after finding the 1850 Census which
clearly has my John Van Allen. He is age 39, a physician with real
estate property valued at $4000.
Interestingly, his spouse is Lucy, age 36. The only other person in the
household is Elsa Sager, age 30, who is likely a servant.
Now skip forward to the 1860 U.S. Census. Here is John G. Van Allen, age 49, physician,
with real estate valued at $5000 and personal property valued at $5000. Quite well off were the Van Allens. Next is his wife Charlotte, age 39, born in
New Jersey. Lucy age 9/12, and two servants Elsie Sager and Eleanor Cook. I am
assuming the Lucy in the 1850 census was his first wife, although I could not
find a death record on her. Did you notice little Lucy, only 9 months old?
Maybe she was named after wife #1. And
how about Elsie Sager? Looks like she worked for the family for at least ten
years.
John and Charlotte were married in 1858. They had 3
children together, Louisa, who died at age 16 in 1876 (the Lucy listed in 1860),
baby James who only lived a year and a half and Theodore born in 1861 who went
on to be a physician like his father. Dr. John died in 1879 when he was about
68, so he and Charlotte were married about 20 years.
I could find little info about how Dr. John was
related to the many other Van Allens that lived in Bethlehem. But, Googling
around on Charlotte turned up all kinds of interesting facts about her family
in New Jersey.
Charlotte Mercer Cornell was the daughter of the Rev.
John Cornell and Maria Frelinghuysen.
The Frelinghuyens were a big deal in New Jersey politics and society.
Her grandfather was Frederick Frelinghuysen (1753-1804) a Revolutionary War
General and U. S. Senator from New Jersey. By the way, her grandmother, General
Fred’s wife, was Gertrude Schneck (1753-1794).
Charlotte’s uncle Theodore Frelinghuysen (1787-1862) was one of several
New Jersey political bigwigs named Frelinghuysen. Both her father and her
brother were Reverends.
My big question
is how did Charlotte meet John Van Allen? A mystery.
After her husband’s death Charlotte lived in the
Bethlehem house while her son Theodore was studying medicine. He graduated from Albany Medical College in 1883.
Follow the link below to a very nice write up about him published after his
death in 1902. My favorite quote “At times apparently brusque and unsympathetic, he was
ever generous to a fault and loyal beyond measure.” By 1900, mother and son were living at 48
Eagle Street in Albany. The census page caught my eye because there were four physicians
living right next to each other at 42, 44, 46 and 48 Eagle Street. That would
be George Lempe, Arthur Sautter, Arthur Root and Theodore Van Allen.
Charlotte Van Allen, born April 13, 1822, died
September 12, 1903. Shortly after that her Bethlehem property was sold and eventually
came into the hands of George and Belle Paddock who in turn sold it to Howard
P. Paddock.
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| General Frelinghuysen |
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| Theodore Frelinghuysen |
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| Theodore F. C. Van Allen, M.D. |
LINKS in no particular order...
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7474887/theodore-frelinghuysen
https://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/dutch_americans/frederick-frelinghuysen/
https://knowingnewark.npl.org/the-frelinghuysens-when-jerseys-imperial-family-reigned/
And finally, in case you are curious like me, here is a Street View photo of #42 Eagle Street. Charlotte and Theodore probably lived in a similar looking house - now the parking lot on the left.
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