Name/Title
The War Memorial Committee Nov. 1, 1920Entry/Object ID
002396Tags
William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association, Charles W Slaughter, Charles Bull, Ernest Bull, Robert McLeod JacksonScope and Content
These documents provide a status update on the Progress of the War Memorial Committee for the William Bull and Sarah Wells Family Association, dated November 1, 1920. The report outlines the family's efforts to establish a permanent memorial for relatives who served in World War I.
Key Objectives and Recommendations
At the 1920 Family Picnic, the Committee set forth four primary goals:
Incorporation: Formally incorporating the group as "The William Bull and Sarah Wells Family Association, Inc." in New York State.
Property Acquisition: Purchasing the "Old Stone House" and its 185-acre farm as a memorial.
Historical Preservation: Collecting records and photographs of all family members who served in the war (supporting America, Great Britain, or France).
Governance: Establishing a committee of ten members to oversee these initiatives.
Real Estate Transaction
The Association secured an option to purchase the "Old Stone House" from Mr. Ebenezer Bull for $20,000. The terms include:
An initial payment of $5,000.
The seller (Ebenezer Bull) and his wife retain life estates (the right to live on the property for the rest of their lives).
The remaining $15,000 is payable only after both life estates terminate.
The sale includes historic family heirlooms, most notably a Grandfather’s clock belonging to the family ancestors, William Bull and Sarah Wells.
Fundraising and Leadership
As of the report date, the Association had raised or pledged over $4,000 from approximately sixty donors, with a deadline to secure all necessary funds by March 1, 1921.
1920 War Memorial Committee Leadership:
President: Charles W. Slaughter (Brooklyn, NY)
Vice President: Charles M. Bull (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Treasurer: Ernest M. Bull (New York City)
Secretary: Robert McLeod Jackson (New York City)
Due to the Association’s charter requiring nine Managers while the Committee had ten, E. Norman Bull was the member omitted from the temporary Board of Managers for the sake of legal alignment.
