Newsletter No. 2015.05
LINK HERE: Museum Village at Old Smith's Clove
Museum Village at Old Smith's Clove
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A museum's mission, collections, programming, and target demographic are all factors that give it an identity. But that's not the whole story. Each organization bears a unique patina that allows us to sense the history of its founding era and the priorities of its first members. All institutions adapt through the generations and are impacted by the minds of those who shoulder the responsibility in their time. Visiting a museum not only provides a lesson about the time period being interpreted, but also the people who felt the collection was important enough to preserve through the generations.
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New York State has a density of great local collections but thanks to revamped programming and a lasting dedication to its early identity, Museum Village stands out. Founded in 1950, Museum Village thrived in the era of the American road trip. Although audience preferences have changed, the staff has preserved the best elements of the past while still suiting modern tastes. Family oriented, eclectically curated, and highly entertaining, the site still holds true to its mission of educating visitors through living history and historical trades demonstrations. The school programs are hands-on, such as working a printing press, dipping candles, or dying yarn. Weekend visitors can experience themed events such as the annual Civil War Weekend which has continued to be a family favorite for more than forty years.
Roscoe W. Smith founded the museum because he wanted to pay homage to America's transition from an agricultural society to an industrialized one. He felt that this transition happened so rapidly that it was urgent to preserve the memory of historic trades before the craftsmanship of that era was forgotten. Smith, who in 1905 founded Orange and Rockland Electric Company, said, "In my lifetime, I have seen electricity become the servant of mankind," by which he was recognizing his own role in the march of progress. For decades, Smith compiled a multitude of collections ranging from craft tools to early-mechanized technology. He was interested in demonstrating a diverse understanding of society as people experienced a plethora of lifestyle changes.
As many museums focus their collections and narrow their scope of interpretation, Museum Village remains committed to reflecting its intended identity by presenting a cross-section of Orange County life in the nineteenth century. This is a delightful approach for those who love history. It provides fertile ground for exhibits and programs that cover topics ranging from Monroe's agricultural heritage and the effects of World War I on the home front to antique cars, the birth of electricity, and a traditional Halloween for children.
On September 17th I attended the 6th Annual Museum Village Gala held at the West Hills County Club. I had the pleasure of dining with James A. Nelson the municipal historian for the Town of Monroe. He along with Betty Ann Van Leeuwen and others served as members of the Gala planning committee. Also in attendance were Museum Village director Michael Sosler, NYS Assemblyman James Skoufis, and the guest of honor Tom Carton. Congratulations to Museum Village for such a well attended and entertaining annual dinner and for securing a generous $20,000 donation from Orange and Rockland Electric Company. Ongoing support from Smith's own company will now enable the museum to renovate the Energy Building on site and offer the next generation a place to learn about the technology that allowed for the transition to electrical power. The exhibit will showcase a timeline of power sources including impressive collection items such as an Edison dynamo and a Corliss engine. If you haven't visited Museum Village in awhile it is time to pack picnic lunch and head over to enjoy an afternoon there.
Sincerely,
Johanna Yaun
Orange County Historian
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| Please share & support these local events |
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Tavern Trail at Chateau Hathorn in Warwick
Friday, Sept 25 from 5:30 to 7pm
The Historic Tavern Trail of Orange County will visit the Chateau Hathorn. Join local historians in a causal setting to get to know more about the history of this location. Facebook Invite.
33 Hathorn Rd, Warwick, New York 10990
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McGarrah's Oktoberfest in Monroe
Saturday, Sept 26 at Noon
Cornerstone Masonic Lodge #711 F&AM is holding its Annual Oktoberfest with authentic German cuisine, live music, raffles, bounce house, Spaten, Craft Beer and much more. The building has gone through extensive renovations over the past year and will be open for tours. This year's Oktoberfest is a very special celebration since the Cornerstone Masonic Historical Society is working towards it's permanent charter as a museum from the State of New York! We have a great deal to do to create a museum that embodies the history of Masons and the New York Communities that they helped to build. The story of this museum starts with McGarrah's Inn, and its use as a stagecoach Inn located on the road from New York to Albany. Facebook Invite.
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Arrival Weekend at New Windsor Cantonment in New Windsor
Saturday, Sept 26 from 1-4pm
Part of Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Live, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, at the huts, owned by The Town of New Windsor, on the west side of Route 300 and on the north side of Causeway Road, musket firings and other period activities done at the encampment at New Windsor to celebrate the arrival of the Continental Army , at the end of October 1782. Facebook Invite.
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Kites Over the Hudson at Washington's Headquarters in Newburgh
Saturday, Sept 26 from 2-4pm
It is that time of year again, when kites of all shapes and colors will fill the sky over the Hudson River. On Saturday, September 26th from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site will hold their annual Hudson River Ramble event, "Kites Over the Hudson." The first 150 children 15 and under will receive a free kite that day. Prizes will be awarded in various kite categories and refreshments will be served to all.
The site is open from 11 AM until 5 PM, providing tours of the Hasbrouck House where General and Mrs.Washington headquartered during the final months of the Revolutionary War. The Museum, housing the award-winning exhibit Unpacked & Rediscovered: Selections from Washington's Headquarters' Collection, will also be open to the public. Facebook Invite. |
Incline Rail Lecture in Middletown
Friday, Oct 2 at 7:30pm
For the fourth time, noted local railroad historian Alex Prizgintas will present his program, "Stone Arches, Rock Cuts and a Trip to the Summit", a story of the only incline railroad in Orange County. Version four has been updated with more pictures and information covering the Powerhouse and incline stations. We will also take a look at the ongoing demolition of the powerhouse today. Hope that you can all make it out! Article about the speaker.
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Farther Afield
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Migrating Birds at John Burroughs Slabsides in West Park
Saturday, Sept 26th from 8-11am
Birds were the first love of literary naturalist John Burroughs when he was writing at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Then as now, the land surrounding his cabin Slabsides was abundant with bird life and at this time of year migrating songbirds en route to wintering grounds in South America are stopping off. Discover the richness of tree top bird life through sight and song with Mark DeDea, president of the John Burroughs Natural History Society. Beginning birders through advanced will enjoy this.
Meet on Burroughs Drive at Slabsides entrance. Link to Website for info.
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Local Opinion: What do you think is the most under appreciated historical resource in Orange County?
I believe that most of Orange County is underappreciated for its "off-road history" at nearly every turn of our highways & byways. Orange County was at the cusp of Industrialization of New York State and its surrounds. Orange County was prime during our Country's founding moments in History, Culture & Industrialization. Our written history is woven through the expansion of other Counties - we lay ownership to the longest intact (even navigable) sections of the former Delaware & Hudson canal, turnpikes (such as Newburgh-Cochecton, Minisink Montgomery, Lumberland & Mt Hope), footpaths (Minisink Montgomery, Appalachian Trail, Shawangunk Trail) & highways (Newburgh-Cochecton, Old Mine Road) in addition to miles upon miles of former railways (Port Jervis & Monticello, New York Ontario & Western, Erie Railroad) and the communities that created them.
Judy Gumaer Testa
National Gumaer Family Historian
Minisink Valley Historical Society: Gumaer Cemetery Trust, Coordinator of Volunteers Neversink Valley Museum of History and Innovation.-Member Volunteer
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| Please email your answer to this question to be featured in a future issue. |
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On the Scene:
Hudson Valley Ramble History and Nature Hike of Snake Hill
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| Pictured: Douglas A. Yaun and Timothy Hull looking down on Newburgh and New Windsor, the gates of the Hudson River and Storm King Mountain on the horizon. More than 40 people participated in the hike which was organized by Jeremy Schneider of the Orange County Land Trust and co-led by Peter Smith, trustee of the Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance and Johanna Yaun, the Orange County Historian. |
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