Burial vault to get marker
Nonprofit raising funds to restore Slingerland site has sign, artwork
The Friends of the Slingerland Family Burial Vault, a local group that is working to restore the historical site, is set to unveil a historical marker as well as a newly commissioned painting that could help with fundraising.
The town of Bethlehem owns the vault, which is located behind the former Mangia restaurant at the intersection of New Scotland Road and Kenwood Avenue in the center of Slingerlands.
The vault is the final resting place of former Congressman John I. Slingerland, who died in 1850. The vault also includes other members of the Slingerland family, for which the hamlet is named.
The Friends of the Slingerland Family Burial Vault was organized in the fall of 2017 and has been in fundraising mode since then to get money to pay for the restoration of the vault. The group’s goal is $102,200.
The group is planning to unveil the historical marker at the Bethlehem Town Board meeting on March 27 at Town Hall. It is also planning to unveil a watercolor painting done by local artist Peter Keitel. The town board meeting begins at 6 p.m.
In a letter to the town board, Town Historian Susan Leath, who is a member of the group, said the painting “wonderfully envisions what the restoration
of the vault will look like.”
So far, $35,009 of the $102,200 has been raised. Several local companies and experts, from local archaeologists Daniel Mazeau and Sean Higgins to engineer Jack Healy, have donated their time to help assess and clean up the vault, which includes not only a burial vault but a memorial to the Slingerland family.
The vault is located next to the property where the home of William Slingerland, the brother of John I. Slingerland, was located. The house fell into disrepair and was demolished several decades ago, and the lot has been empty ever since, although developer Tom Burke has proposed building apartments on the site.
Local residents have said they worry about the apartment proposal, saying they fear it will hurt the historic nature of Slingerlands, which has been designated a National Historic District.
They also worry that the apartment project would have a negative impact on plans to renovate the burial vault and connect it to the Albany County Rail Trail, which is just a stone’s throw from the burial vault. The county is considering potentially turning an old train depot building on the rail trail into an interpretive center on Slingerlands that would also tie into the Slingerland family vault.
The historic marker was the lifelong dream of former Slingerlands Elementary teacher Evonne Lutkus, who set aside part of her savings to help pay for the sign. Lutkus used to take her students on hikes from the school to the burial vault, which has also been in disrepair for decades until now.
“The actual sign will be present at the meeting and will, shortly thereafter, be installed by a team from the town’s highway department,” Leath wrote in her March 14 letter to the town board.