Robe-erson? Rob-erson? Roberson Museum Gives Some Clarity On Pronunciation Debate
It's been a topic of conversation for as long as I can remember, is the Roberson Museum pronounced Robe-erson or Rob-erson? I was once told that it was pronounced Robe -erson because Rob-erson would be spelled with two R's.
So I've been calling it Rob-erson ever since. Well, the Roberson Museum did a smart thing and brought back the debate on Wednesday, May 25th. They took it to the people (or Facebook in this case) and let them decide.
Post a like for Team Rob or a heart for Team Robe and they even encouraged you to tell them why you say it that way. On Thursday morning, May 26th, they revealed their answer (sort of) and this is what they concluded.
Is Roberson Museum Pronounced Robe-erson or Rob-erson?
Most of the people that participated on Facebook went with Robe-erson but they couldn't say for certain if it was correct or incorrect. They did interviews with those that knew the couple and they say that is the correct way to say it.
Bob Keller first met Mrs. Roberson when he was young. He went to their door to show a drawing that he had made of it. Mr. Keller said "It was never supposed to have been 'robe," and he had heard it was supposed to be "raw-berson." Uh-oh, possibility number 3...when will the madness end.
The Third Way To Say Roberson
The "raw" pronunciation is backed up by Wilber Dodge who was Mrs. Roberson's former paperboy. WHAT! Dodge says it was pronounced "Rah-bur-son Lumber" but he thought the name was supposed to be "robe."
Franci Clark was interviewed and said that "There was never any 'robe' and I don't know where they got that." As I like to say, "When in doubt, get a consensus" and the consensus is that it was likely supposed to be "Rob" but the locals use "Robe."
Does that clear it up??? Clear as mud but that's okay. I enjoy a little fun that can take my mind off of all the serious things that are going on around me. I do agree with one thing that the Roberson Museum had to say.
Final Say on Roberson Debate
If you're invested in this ongoing Ra vs. Ro debate, they do sell t-shirts in their gift shop. As the saying goes, "It doesn't matter what they call you as long as they are saying your name."
The Roberson Museum is a Binghamton favorite. Here are some other things that we love about Binghamton.