Series 4: Wenman legal and real estate papers, 1936-1950, inclusive

Sub-series 1, Client legal papers and lawsuits, 1836-1939, consists of family estate papers of the Hamilton family, Wenman's aunt, Nellie Hilfers, papers from the estate of Peter Stuyvesant, and two lawsuits brought against Wenman because of his connections with the Fish business. Also included is correspondence relating to the commitment of Frederick Wenman, Sr., an application for declaration of mental incompetence, and detailed bills for the housing and treatment of Frederick, which were paid by Charles from 1904-1909. Also included is a letter of introduction signed by P.T. Barnum. The letter, addressed to Eugene Schuyler, introduces the brother of the famous 19th century Swedish soprano, Jenny Lind. How this letter came into the possession of Wenman is unknown.

Sub-series 2, Household construction and maintenance records, 1905-1950, chronicles the construction and maintenance of Wenman's brownstone located at 990 Park Place in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Of particular interest are letters between Wenman and the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Brooklyn and problems Wenman had with the New York City Building Codes department. The correspondence also illuminates the transformation of the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood with the arrival of new ethnic groups, particularly European immigrants and African Americans.

Sub-series 3, Real estate, 1914, includes correspondence and building specifications of property owned by Wenman at Academy and Webster Streets in Long Island City, New York.

Sub-series 4, Crea-Mont Country Club, 1925-1927, details Wenman's business venture with his cousin's wife, Mary Wenman, in the maintenance of a country club she built on Culver Lake in New Jersey. Of interest in this sub-series are papers relating to the running and maintenance of a large country club during the 1920s. Wenman dealt with many different aspects of running a hotel and restaurant, including selection of menu printing, room counts and departures, memberships, staff hiring, and rules of conduct. Also of interest is a photograph album showing exterior and scenic views of and around the Crea-Mont Country Club, as well as photographs of people at the country club. All photographs are black-and-white prints.