Remembering a Tragedy for the Tavern

In Memoriam: Joseph A. Zenz,  Edwin L. Raymond,  Jane  Nash-Raymond

Duncan A. Virostko, Museum Assistant

Nearly 60 years ago, a unique tragedy struck the Dunham Tavern Museum.  Today, we remember the victims of the terrible accident that cost the lives of three prominent early members of the Museum.

The day was October 16th, 1965. On the New York Thruway, near Buffalo, New York, the normally four lane highway had been reduced to two due to construction. An eastbound car was heading towards a Antiques Seminar at Old Sturbridge Village, several states away in Massachusettes. Suddenly, it swerved into the construction zone, and struck a parked tank truck, killing its three occupants instantly.  The causes of the accident have never been determined.  But in one fell swoop, three of the most influential people in the Society of Collectors, the operators of Dunham Tavern at the time, were dead.

The driver of the car was Edwin L. Raymond, age 59. At the time, Raymond was a prominent businessman: a senior sales representative at the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company. He was also serving as the Vice President of the Board of the Society of Collectors. He and his wife Mrs. Jane Raymond were avid antique collectors. His primary interest was collecting antique coins, but he had an interest in furniture as well. Both he and his wife were involved in the ongoing restoration efforts at Dunham Tavern, and had been key advisors.

His wife and passenger, Jane, was serving as the Vice President of the Acquisitions Committee, and was a member of the House Committee of the Dunham Dames, the Society’s women’s auxiliary. She’d grown up  with the Dunham Tavern Museum, attending meetings of the Society of Collectors there with her parents, Dr. Archibald C. Nash and Mrs. Clara H. Nash. She had been a highschooler then, studying at Laurel School, an all-girls private school in Shaker Heights. When she married, she and her new husband Edwin had joined as full members of the Society. Her special interest was collecting china, and she also often hosted tea parties to benefit the organization. She had other hobbies as well: she also made needlepoint bookmarks for sale in the museum.

They had a daughter, Lydia, who was then seventeen and also attending Laurel School, and a son, Richard, then twenty-two and a student at Western New England College. They had planned to pay Richard a visit at college after visiting Old Sturbridge Village. 

Joesph A. Zenz in Dunham Tavern's Keeping Room.

Sixty eight year old Joseph A. Zenz was the third victim of the terrible crash. Zenz had been a renowned pewter collector, and was one of the founders of the Society. He was a founding member of the Museum, part of the group of people who came together in the late 1930s to save Dunham Tavern from demolition. He'd earned the moniker “Mr. Dunham Tavern” for his enthusiastic promotion of the site. Zenz had devoted his life to the Tavern, helping to organize 49 bi-annual antiques shows the proceeds of which went to fund the Tavern’s restoration. He had even worked his last show with his arm in a cast! By 1965, he’d held nearly every Board position, and excelled in all of them. He was serving at the time as Treasurer, and had been busy working on the latest inventory of the museum's contents. Beside each item in the catalog, he took a red crayon and checked them off, one by one. Since high school, Zenz had worked for White Motor Company. He had the good fortune of sharing a hobby with Mrs. Delia Holden White,  his boss’ wife and fellow Dunham Tavern founding member. That, no doubt aided his career his career prospects. In 1964, however, he had finally been able to retire and embrace his hobby of antique collecting full time. Before he left, Zenz had added a few new items which he had purchased at auction the previous Saturday, to the collection at Dunham Tavern. Then, he departed in direction of Buffalo along with his friends the Raymonds, much as travelers staying at the Tavern many years before him. He never reached his final destination. Zenz was survived only by his brother Jacob, of Hollywood, Florida. In a final act of generosity, money given in memory of Zenz was allocated to the restoration fund for Dunham Tavern Museum. 

Two Young Girls, Seated with White Rabbit, American, Ca. 1820s. Gift of Joseph A. Zenz.

Although it has been almost sixty years since the tragic car crash that took the lives of these three influential early figure, their legacy continues at Dunham Tavern Museum & Gardens. 

Joseph Zenz, in particular, is still a presence felt throughout the museum today, if one knows where to look. Almost the entirety of his pewter collection remains with the museum. The grandfather clock at the top of the second floor stairs is also one of his many donations. Another is prominently displayed: a beautiful oil painting of a pair of young girls and a rabbit now hanging in the Dining Room . Perhaps invaluably, the records he kept as treasurer also still exist within the archives of the Museum, assisting with tracking the provenance of many artifacts still to this day. 

Ultimately, this tragedy reminds us of the fragility and impermanence of human lives. No matter how well lived, no matter how long or how short, our existences can come suddenly crashing down.  Yet, we can take solace in the fact that our legacies will continue, long after we are gone. Two hundred years have passed, and yet the home and tavern which Rufus Dunham built still stands, welcoming guests with the same hospitality. And the museum which Joseph Zenz, Edwin, & Jane Raymond helped create continues to share that legacy, and theirs, with the public. It’s a poignant reminder that it is what we do and what we leave behind which matters most in our lives. 

If you are interested in leaving a lasting legacy, or just getting more involved here at Dunham Tavern, why not take a look at our Donations & Membership page: https://www.dunhamtavern.org/donation-membership ?

Sources:

“Crash Kills Three; Experts on Antiques,”The Cleveland Press, October 17. 1965.

“Obituary: Zenz,”  The Cleveland Press, October 18, 1965.

“In Memoriam,”  51st Dunham Tavern Antiques Show Program, November 9, 1965

Notes Dunham Tavern Museum Inventory, ca. 1966.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75168153/archibald-cameron-nash