Silversteen Daughter Adelaide Had Many Talents

 

Elizabeth Adelaide Silversteen Van Wey Hill at her writing desk

Many may be familiar with the influential Silversteen family due to the public park created from the donation of their house and property, Silvermont. The youngest Silversteen daughter Adelaide Van Wey (her stage name) was renowned for her musical talent and was an internationally touring and well-acclaimed performer as a contralto singer. Few may know that she had other talents as well, such as writing.

Adelaide prided herself on her literary talents, as seen in this staged photo of her at her typewriter with a portrait of Silversteen matriarch Elizabeth looking on. She was a regular contributor to the Transylvania Times as a columnist for the ongoing series “Cook’s Corner,” where she shared her favorite recipes. In today’s terms, she would be known as a “foodie” and loved that she could share with readers favorite cuisine collected from her world travels and from her own adventures in the kitchen. The column ran from 1953-1968, with the very last column appearing three days after her death with favorite desserts such as Strawberry Charlotte Russe and Banana Pudding with Apricot-Brandy Sauce.

The front cover of the original manuscript for “Murder in View”

In addition, she wrote a mystery novel, “Murder in View” and the original manuscript is part of the NC Room archives.  The narrator seems to be based somewhat on herself – a vivacious, childless “auntie” who is involved in the lives of her neighbors and becomes part of a murder investigation. Details such as the natural death of the narrator’s mother followed shortly by that of her father seem to mirror Adelaide’s own lived experiences and add depth to the story. A shrewd investigator helps to round out the cast of characters and reveals a surprise solution to the case that involves multiple characters engaged in covering it up. The original manuscript cover is shown above. A display recreating her writing desk with a copy of the manuscript is on display at Silvermont during the museum’s open hours.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. This article was written by Local History Librarian Laura Gardner. For more information, comments, or suggestions, contact NC Room staff at ncroom@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.