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POTSDAM HERALD-RECORDER, POTSDAM NY
Wednesday, November 10, 1948
In these Ruminations regarding the "House that David Built" we shall not
feature him as a great financier merely, but as a pioneer in a great wilderness
encouraging men to build homes on his lands and with ambitions to possess
a great domain for himself. Joseph Rosseel was Parish's first agent. Rosseel
came to America in 1807 from Ghent, Switzerland, with letters of introduction
to many prominent men, among them one David Parish, the American representative
of the great banking house of Hope and Company of Amsterdam, Holland. Parish
had been sent to America on a special mission that we need not interest ourselves
at this time. Joseph Rosseel was 25 years of age when he began his explorations
in the North Country and continued as his agent for 50 years. He finally
purchased for David Parish in this section 72,000 acres at $1.50 an acre,
establishing the headquarters at Ogdensburg. Here a beautiful home was
built-builders being brought in from Montreal and other large cities for
the purpose—and the most elegant materials obtainable were used. David
and his successors, George the Second, always kept this splendid establishment
on the banks of the St. Lawrence for their headquarters, driving in their
fine coaches or riding their thoroughbred horses to and from their other
holdings in Parishville, Rossie, Antwerp and Parish. This home is now the
Remington Art Memorial.
I have mentioned three Parishes connected with our town, but only one at
a time ever lived in Ogdensburg, and none of them ever stayed in our Village
very long at a time. David came first in 1809. He left in 1816, never to
return. He was followed in 1816 by his younger brother George, who remained
until 1838 when he returned also to Europe. Following him came George, the
second nephew of David and George, first, being son of their brother Richard.
We should think of all three as gentlemen in the true European sense—rich,
well born, cultured, thorough men of the world, at home in drawing-rooms
on both sides of the water. The two whom we know best, David and George,
second, were bachelors.
As David was the one who built a house and barn in Parishville and furnished
the former, we will now concern ourselves with him alone and learn about
this house-building adventures from his correspondence with several of his
other agents and advisors, for Rosseel was not the only agent he had in
developing his schemes in this large domain.
(To be continued)
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