About Bertoni Gallery Rachel Bertoni-Finstad has been making jewelry since 1982. She has a BA in
art education with an MFA in sculpture. Over the years, Bertoni has worked with many
different materials. She primarily works with silver and gold, semi-precious &
precious stones in her unique handmade jewelry items. Several techniques are used to create these wonderful works of art. The more
sculptured pieces of art are hand carved in wax, then cast using the lost wax casting technique. The casting can be done in a variety of metals such as silver, bronze, gold or platinum. Many of them are one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Many of the wire and sheet metal designs are hand fabricated individually, and are usually limited edition pieces. Bertoni also does custom work, and has been commissioned by many of the countries largest gold manufactures, to create their original wax carvings. The carvings are mass marketed throughout the world. Over the years, Bertoni has taught jewelry making to groups of all ages. She continues to share her knowledge with others both in the classroom atmosphere, as
well as her customers.
Owner Rachel Bertoni:
The Knapp House was probably constructed in about 1831, expanded and Victorianized in about 1890, electrified in about 1938, and modernized in the 1960's and early 1970's. It has had a white picket fence running along the front of the house at least since the 1870's and possibly earlier. The porch and front gable were probably added in the 1890's.
The land was purchased on June 8, 1831 by Jesse Holly Knapp from Josiah and Mary Howell. Jesse was a verteran of the War of 1812 and hi father, Caleb, also a Sugar Loaf resident, fought in the Revolutionary War. The parcel was enlarged by two land acquisitions, in 1833 and 1834. With the coming of the Warwick Valley Railroad in the early 1860's, more land was acquired from Alanson Knapp, a relative. Jesse then sold some land to Sarah E. VanDuzer in 1873 and she soon built a structure which is now the Sugar Loaf Inn. Miss VanDuzer however, operated a general store, and from time to time, a post office at the site. The Knapp house was always used as a residence through it is said there was a blacksmith shop in a rear building, and a cabinet factory in the structure next door, now owned by Alice Talmadge.
On December 17, 1874, the agng Jesse Knapp transferredhis own property to his niece or daughter, Caroline "Carrie" Knapp. Jesse Knapp, who was active in the Methodist Church across the sreet, died in 1885, AGED 92. Carrie married Henry C. Baker in about 1882. Deeds suggest that Carrie Knapp Baker lived in the house until her death at age 91. The property was sold to Alfred H.Berger on March 27, 1927. Thus, this house has remained in one family, the Knapps, for nearly ninety-six years! Mr. Berger lived in the house for a number of years and then, possibly, rented it to a succession of families, until it was sold to Miss Doris Sumers shortly after World War II. She lived in the house until December 1970 when it was sold to Richard and Josephine Hull. They raised their family of two boys, Gordon and Tim, in the house and in December 1999 sold it to Robert Finstad and Rachel Bertoni, its present occupants.
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