Triuna — a bit of history

The Spencer Trask family in 1906 owned the Yaddo estate. They wanted to expand but not with another estate. They bought the Three Brothers Islands. Mrs. Trask was the instigator and visionary for linking and making the three islands habitable, renaming them “Triuna.” They bought tons of stone walls and rock from the farmers who, by the way, appreciated the income, as that was greater than what they were getting from their crops. They moved the stones over the ice and placed them to link the islands. Mrs. Trask outlived her husband and married George Foster Peabody in 1921. They sponsored festivals of artists each summer during into the 40s. The artists lived in Triuna during the 30’s and commuted over the water to Yaddo for performances and exhibitions. Quincy Porter, my father, had been teaching at Vassar College and was invited to be part of the Yaddo festivals in the late 30s and 40s. He offered his compositions played the viola, and my mother, Lois, played the violin. My father also brought good recording technology to the festival and made some of the early recordings of many contemporary American composers whose work was performed at Yaddo during the festivals. My parents must have taken me with them in the late 30s when I was three, four and five. After the Peabodys Triuna was sold to the Swire family that still occupies it, but it no longer is related to Yaddo. The name of the islands has reverted to “Three Brothers Islands.”

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