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The Friends of Cedarmere, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, will host a Spring Benefit Luncheon at 12 pm Sunday, May 4 at Sea Cliff Yacht Club. The Friends are a vital support group for the restoration of the museum and public property known as Cedarmere, home of 19th century poet, journalist and civic leader William Cullen Bryant. This occasion is the first in a series of events under the heading “Seasons at Cedarmere.” Guests will enjoy a sumptuous lunch buffet, prepared by the Yacht Club’s culinary staff, and also a complimentary bar drink. Featured presenter will be noted author Gilbert H. Muller, whose recent 2008 biography William Cullen Bryant: Author of America was hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “…captivating … richly researched and readable.”
The important role played by Bryant in American life, in addition to championing abolition and Lincoln, is captured on the jacket of Muller’s book: “The bedrock of Bryant's cultural authority was his reputation as ‘America's first poet’…[who] enthralled a nation and his peers--including Whitman, Poe, Longfellow, and Emerson--who praised the excellence of his verse. A literary celebrity for almost seventy years, Bryant served as the editor of the New-York Evening Post for five decades, and was a major force behind the establishment of Central Park, the National Academy of Design, and the Metropolitan Museum.”
Bryant’s Cedarmere estate in Roslyn Harbor is a unique 7 acre historic property, comprising a Main House, a Mill and Pond, a Parterre and a Sunken Garden. It was deeded to Nassau County in 1975 by his descendants as a memorial to Bryant, to be used by the public for historical, cultural and educational purposes. The museum was closed in 2009 for much-needed restoration, which the County is undertaking with help from The Friends, The Gerry Trust and, most recently, The Hagedorn Foundation.
Tickets may be purchased only until May 1 through www.friendsofcedarmere.org or via Facebook. Food allergy/dietary restriction alerts should be sent to events@friendsofcedarmere.org Seating is limited to 100. Tickets prices are $45 to $65. Amex, MC, Visa or PayPal accepted. Proceeds to restore Bryant’s study at Cedarmere. The Yacht Club is located at 42 The Boulevard, Sea Cliff. Free parking is available in the adjacent lot. For further information, call 800-763-7190.