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82 Annual WCHS Meeting and Presentation on Philip Skene and the Battle of Bennington
October 29, 2022 @ 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
The 82nd annual meeting of the Washington County Historical Society will take place Saturday, October 29, 2022 at the Skene Manor at 8 Potter Terrace in Whitehall, NY.
Coffee hour will begin at 10:00 a.m.
The WCHS business meeting will begin at 10:30 ending with awards.
The public program, “Philip Skene and the Battle of Bennington” by David Pitlyk will begin at 11:45 on the second floor.
A member luncheon will be following the program. We will be ordering from the menu. The Manor offers a wide variety of sandwiches ranging in price from $5.50 – $12.00 , at least two homemade soups, salads and a selection of desserts and beverages. If you have any questions, please contact Washington County Historical Society on Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 – 4:30 at (518) 747-9108.
The program is open to the public at no charge. Donations will gladly be accepted.
Speaker:
David Pitlyk is the Interpretive Programs Assistant at Bennington Battlefield and has seven years of service with NYS Parks. He previously held the position of Interpretations Coordinator at the museum ship USS SLATER. He has a B.A. in history and M.S. in secondary education from the State University of New York at Albany.
David Pitlyk is the Interpretive Programs Assistant at Bennington Battlefield and has seven years of service with NYS Parks. He previously held the position of Interpretations Coordinator at the museum ship USS SLATER. He has a B.A. in history and M.S. in secondary education from the State University of New York at Albany.
History:
Philip Skene was on a course to become one of the most prominent citizens of the province of New York. Returning from Great Britain as the newly appointed “Lieutenant Governor of the Fort of Ticonderoga and Crown Point” in 1775, he already claimed a vast acreage around present-day Whitehall, NY. The events of the American Revolution would forever alter his fortunes. When Lt. Col. Baum was ordered by General Burgoyne to march to Bennington in 1777, Skene would accompany him as a follower of the British army. Such was his reputation that many patriots assumed that Skene was in command of Crown Forces there. Today’s presentation investigates Skene with special emphasis on one of the defining moments of his life, the Battle of Bennington. Join presenter David Pitlyk to learn more about this influential man, his role in the battle and his ultimate downfall.
Philip Skene was on a course to become one of the most prominent citizens of the province of New York. Returning from Great Britain as the newly appointed “Lieutenant Governor of the Fort of Ticonderoga and Crown Point” in 1775, he already claimed a vast acreage around present-day Whitehall, NY. The events of the American Revolution would forever alter his fortunes. When Lt. Col. Baum was ordered by General Burgoyne to march to Bennington in 1777, Skene would accompany him as a follower of the British army. Such was his reputation that many patriots assumed that Skene was in command of Crown Forces there. Today’s presentation investigates Skene with special emphasis on one of the defining moments of his life, the Battle of Bennington. Join presenter David Pitlyk to learn more about this influential man, his role in the battle and his ultimate downfall.
The Skene Manor is a Victorian Gothic-style mansion in Whitehall. The property where the mansion sits was formerly owned by Philip Skene, founder of Whitehall (formerly Skenesborough). It was purchased in 1867 by New York State Supreme Court Judge Joseph H Potter (1821-1902) Potter bult the mansion on the property over 2 years at a cost of $25,000 and named it Mountain Terrace. The building is constructed of gray sandstone quarried from Skene Mountain by stone cutters from Italy.
The house has an interesting history and became a restaurant in 1946 when it was renamed Skene Manor. The house was sold a few times. After it changed hands again in the 1980s, it changed hands several more times, but the owners were unsuccessful at keeping it open as a restaurant and the mansion fell into disrepair. In the mid-1990s, Skene Manor Preservation, Inc. , a volunteer organization was formed and took on the task of restoring and maintaining Skene Manor.
It is not necessary to pre-register for this event.