Mary Margaret McBride: At Home in the Hudson Valley

Abstract

When Mary Margaret McBride finished Out of Air, an autobiographical account of her twenty-five years in network broadcasting, she assumed it marked beginning of well-earned retirement. However, she was soon working again. In July 1960, at age 61, she launched talk show called Your Hudson Valley Neighbor, broadcast over WGHQ in upstate New York three times weekly-Monday, Wednesday and Friday-from her rural home in Saugerties.' She continued to broadcast dozen or more years Catskills, where she drew an audience of listeners who remembered her days as talk show host at pioneering radio station WOR and flagship stations of CBS, NBC, and ABC radio networks. Many came to pay court to Queen of Radio, title pinned on her by Jack O'Brian of New York Journal American.2 Several of her more famous friends, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, even appeared on her local radio show. Guests reminisced with McBride as they sat drinking coffee and looking out over Ashokan Reservoir. Their recollections are incorporated in this examination of later years of perhaps bestknown woman in early broadcasting. is closing chapter of productive life of talk show host who was losing her on-air skills and who was increasingly forgetful. However, with support of colleagues and friends, she was nevertheless able to continue at what she had done best, even as age took its toll. McBride had not easily arrived at decision to have her own home in Catskills. One writer concluded after 1948 interview that radio personality had a curious horror of possessions which kept her from acquiring so much as square acre of land or even car.3 Nevertheless, in 1941, when she was highest-paid woman on radio, McBride had claimed that her dream was to have little farm with soft green meadows and gray farmhouse with summer kitchen and cedar churn-and the portable typewriter must figure in fulfillment of this, too!4 Ultimately she achieved her dream on property known as country home of Estella Karn, her long-time program manager. The overworked McBride often retreated there to relax grinding program schedule that came with her celebrity. Her Manhattan apartment above Central Park also served as broadcast studio for her weekday talk show on ABC. With staff sometimes as large as twelve moving about apartment, McBride had little time alone. Karn's rural acreage eventually provided site for McBride's retirement home. The property held 1740 barn which, when remodeled, served McBride both as house and broadcast studio.5 The remodeling project had been started when Karn was still alive. Because McBride did not like to climb stairs at Fairview, she asked Karn if she could construct little dream house of single story on an acre or two of land above apple orchard. Her friend took over negotiations with builder and chose to remodel barn instead. McBride said later it would never have occurred to her under any circumstances to convert an old barn into house.6 The view overlooking reservoir had been deciding factor, even though McBride sometimes complained about perennial houseguests that went with view.7 McBride said of Karn: It was her enthusiasm for these ancient rafters and picturesque lines of old roof, that started us off. We added bedroom and kitchen wing, and fireplaces, of course-even best houses never enjoyed an open fire.8 In large living room, chestnut wood beams of barn were left intact. A large bluestone and brick fireplace ran into second story and dominated one wall. An adjoining apartment was available for an overnight guest. The remaining walls and good portion of hallways leading to it were lined with bookshelves. As visiting reporter remarked: lI]n every room of her house, there are books and more books. …