Victorian Music & Literature at Historic Beekman House

Stephen Foster, John Philip Sousa, Gilbert & Sullivan—timeless!  Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll—classics!  Learn about the popular music and authors of the late 1800s when the Jacksonville Heritage Society hosts “Victorian Music & Literature” tours between noon and 4 pm on Saturday, August 18, at the historic 1873 Cornelius C. Beekman House located at 470 E. California Street in Jacksonville. 

      One of Jacksonville’s wealthiest pioneers, Cornelius Beekman was a self-described “capitalist” with a business empire that included banking, insurance, mining, and real estate interests.  He was also Mayor, gubernatorial candidate, 32nd degree Mason, and University of Oregon Regent, and was named one of the 100 most influential Oregonians of the 19th century.   His Carpenter Gothic style home remains completely furnished with family artifacts. 

      Upper class Victorians were expected to be skilled in a musical instrument.  Carrie Beekman, the Beekman’s middle child born in 1865, was a respected local musician, hosting musicales, teaching piano lessons, and playing both the piano and organ at Jacksonville’s historic First Presbyterian Church.  And when the “phonograph” was introduced in 1901, she amassed one of the finest record collections on the West Coast.

Carrie’s Victrola and her Mathushek piano were prominent features in the Beekman parlor.  Both will be played when costumed docents offer continuous tours of the Beekman House and share information about the Jacksonville Silver Cornet Band, local dance halls and masquerade balls, reading groups, and Jacksonville’s earliest libraries.

Admission is $3 for adults; $2 for seniors and students.  All proceeds benefit the on-going maintenance of the Beekman House.  The Jacksonville Heritage Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to maintaining Jacksonville’s historic buildings as vital community assets.

For additional information, contact 541-245-3650 or info@jvilleheritage.org