A Visit from St. Nicholas

It is a Constable family tradition that Clement Clarke Moore wrote his famous “A Visit from St. Nicholas” inspired by his visit to Constable Hall. The tradition, which dates to at least the mid 1800s, says that Clement visited his second cousin, Mary Eliza McVickar Constable and her five children shortly after she was widowed in 1821 or 1822.

The Constables, Moores, and McVickars were all New York City neighbors.  Susan Moore, related through the Constables, made a sketch of the Hall during the 1820s that you can see on your next visit to the Hall.

The following lovely article was written for the December 1988 issue of the Adirondack Life magazine. Permission was kindly granted to reproduce this copyrighted article for your enjoyment.