Tours of the Museums at Penope Farms
2022-08-14 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | Penope Farms, 56 Scotch Hill Road, Jackson, NY, 12816, United States
Washington County Historical Society is pleased to be hosting our third open house at The Museums at Penope Farms located at 56 Scotch Hill Road in the Town of Jackson. This is a pop-up program that wasn’t on our original schedule. There was so much interest after last years event at the farm that we decided to do it again. The museums will be open to the public on Sunday afternoon, August 14, 2022 from 1 – 4 p.m. Owner, Dick McGuire would like to invite the public to tour his museums on the hill. Bring a picnic lunch and a chair to sit on and enjoy the amazing view of the Route 22 valley below.
The museums have expanded over the years and there are now 12 theme museums. They include: a library and music museum, Post Office, antique tools, large and small (2 museums) , household utensils, a collection of artwork by the older sister of McGuire’s father, Jennie Mae McGuire Bennett (an early 1900s artist), a dairy museum, a chainsaw museum, and a museum of Dick’s personal mementos.
Dick enjoys having visitors at his museums and recently shared the history of how the museums came to be. In the 1970s, his father and three other retired farmers began to collect old farm equipment so that future generations would see tools from when horses were still used to plow the fields of Washington County. These men started the Washington County Farm Museum at the fairgrounds in Easton.
Dick, himself, merged four small farms to create Penope Farms. Stored in the barns were plenty of antique tools and equipment so he decided to start his own museum right on his farm.
It started with 4 rooms in two barns about 1978. Over the years, individuals have given him items, some were purchased at auctions and sales greatly expanding his collection. He added new buildings, the most recent in 2019 which houses his personal mementos.
The main farm containing 3 museums was built in 1790. Meander leisurely back into yesteryear. The museums feature hundreds of items from 1800 to the early tractors of the 1930s and 40s There is something of interest for all ages from equipment for working the land with horses to classic automobiles of the 1920s and 30s.
This event is free and open to the public. Donations are gratefully accepted. The event will be held rain or shine. If you have never been there, come and bring the kids or grandkids. It is a great way to spend an afternoon. Please join us!

WCHS Local History Book Club
2022-09-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Wing- Northup House, 167 Boadway, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
Washington County Historical Society’s local history book club will meet at noon on Friday, September 9, at the society’s Wing-Northup House, 167 Broadway, Fort Edward. The club usually meets on the second Friday of the month. Historical Society membership is not required.
The September 9 topic will be any book on Washington County’s 123rd Regiment in the Civil War. Some options are: Reminiscences of the 123rd Reg. N.Y.S.V. by Sgt. Henry C. Morhous; The 123rd Regiment N.Y.V.I. 1862-1865 Their Story by Edie Baldwin Meikl; We Were Marched Hither and Thither…” The 123rd NY in the Gettysburg Campaign by Michael Russert; Letters Home: The 123rd NY Infantry in the Atlanta Campaign; and When This Cruel War Is Over by Charles Vavrina. Some of these books are available in the WCHS book shop.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as some works by local authors. The proposed list includes works on Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River, Benedict Arnold’s building of the first Navy in Whitehall, and Robert Rogers’ writing of the rules for rangers in Fort Edward. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

ROUGH AND READY ENGINE COMPANY TOUR
2022-09-24 12:00 - 16:00 | Rough and Ready Firehouse, 29 Main Street, Greenwich, NY, United States
Visit the Museum of Greenwich Fire Department History. The building was constructed in 1904 and currently maintained by its members. The original Rough and Ready Engine Company formed in 1854. Tours will be given at 12:30 and 2:00 p.m.

Revolutionary Soldiers Commemoration at Kingsbury Cemetery
2022-10-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Kingsbury Cemetery, 12 Kingsbury Rd, Hudson Falls, NY, 12839, United States
Come Celebrate Washington County History!
Saturday, October 8th, 10AM
Kingsbury Cemetery, corner of Route 4 and Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury, NY
The program will include a brief history of the Kingsbury Cemetery, reading of the biographies of some of the soldiers buried there, cannon firings, bagpiper, guided tour of gravesites of Revolutionary soldiers.
The Washington County Historical Society is undertaking a research program to identify all Revolutionary Soldiers buried in this county and to assemble as many biographies as possible in one place. This commemoration program at Kingsbury is the first of what we hope will be many more hosted throughout the county.

WCHS Local History Book Club
2022-10-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Rogers Island Visitor Center, 11 Rogers Island Drive, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
Washington County Historical Society’s local history book club will meet at noon on Friday, October 21, at the Rogers Island Visitors Center, 11 Rogers Island Drive, Fort Edward. This change from the usual second Friday of the month schedule is to accommodate the tourist season of the site. Historical Society membership is not required for the book club.
The October meeting will be a discussion of any book about Robert Rogers, 1731 – 1795, but the focus will be on his activities while on the island where we are meeting. It was there in 1757, during the French and Indian War, that Rogers forever changed military tactics when he wrote his “Rules of Ranging.” Today’s U. S. Army Rangers consider Rogers Island to be their “spiritual birthplace”.
The group will be able to visit the exhibits following our discussion. A small donation for the site is requested.

For those who wish to read ahead, the meeting on November 11 will focus on the voyage of Henry Hudson on which he discovered the river that is named for him. Any book on the life of Henry Hudson (c. 1565 – 1611) can be read in preparation.

Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as some works by local authors. The proposed list includes Benedict Arnold’s building of the first Navy in Whitehall; the life of Mathew Brady, photographer, who was born in Warren County; and the impact of Grandma Moses on American Art. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

82 Annual WCHS Meeting and Presentation on Philip Skene and the Battle of Bennington
2022-10-29 10:00 - 14:00 | Skene Manor, 8 Potter Terrace, Whitehall, NY, United States
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.

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.
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.

Local History Book Club- Henry Hudson
2022-11-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Wing- Northup House, 167 Boadway, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
Washington County Historical Society’s local history book club will meet at noon on Friday, November 11, at the society’s Wing-Northup House, 167 Broadway, Fort Edward. The club usually meets on the second Friday of the month. Historical Society membership is not required.
The November meeting of the book club will be discussion of the life of Henry Hudson, focusing on the voyage on which he came closest to this area in the Half Moon. Participants may read any book on Henry Hudson.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as some works by local authors. The proposed list includes works on Ulysses Grant at Mount McGregor; Benedict Arnold’s building of the first Navy in Whitehall; and the life of Mathew Brady, photographer, born in Warren County. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

Local History Book Club- Grandma Moses
2022-12-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Folklife Center @ Crandal Public Library, 251 Glen St, Glens Falls, NY, 12801, United States
Washington County Historical Society’s local history book club will meet at noon on Friday, December 9th , at the Folk Life Center at Crandall Library. The club usually meets on the second Friday of the month. Historical Society membership is not required.
The December meeting of the book club will be a discussion of the impact of Grandma Moses on art in America. Participants may read any book on Grandma Moses.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as some works by local authors. The proposed list includes works on Ulysses Grant at Mount McGregor; Benedict Arnold’s building of the first Navy in Whitehall; and the life of Mathew Brady, photographer, born in Warren County. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

WCHS Local History Book Club
2023-01-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Wing- Northup House, 167 Boadway, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
Washington County Historical Society’s local history book club will meet from noon until 1 PM on Friday, January 13, at the historical society headquarters, 167 Broadway, Fort Edward. Historical Society membership is not required.
The January meeting of the book club will be discussion of the life and work of Mathew Brady. Born to Irish parents in Johnsburg, Warren Co., in 1822, Brady was a renowned photographer who was best known for his photos of the Civil War and of famous people in the 19th century. Brady studied under inventor and photographer Samuel Morse and later had galleries on Broadway and in Washington, DC. He died in poverty in New York City January 15, 1896.
February’s meet up will be about Shay’s Rebellion and the impact it had on our area.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as some works by local authors. The proposed list of topics includes Ulysses Grant’s final days at Mount McGregor, Benedict Arnold’s building of the first Navy in Whitehall, and the Underground Railroad. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

WCHS Local History Book Club
2023-03-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Wing- Northup House, 167 Boadway, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
Washington County Historical Society’s local history book club will meet from 12-1 PM on Friday, March 10, at the historical society headquarters, 167 Broadway, Fort Edward. Historical Society membership is not required.
The March meeting of the book club will be a discussion of the Impact of the scalping of Jane McCrea on the Battle of Saratoga. Attendees are encouraged to read Letters to Lura: 1850’s Life, Death & Publishing and The Jane McCrea Story by Doris Putnam Lasselle, available at the Book Shop of the society. The session will begin with a short presentation by Connie Farrington about her two-sided quilt on the Scalping of Jane McCrea. The reverse side is an old traditional pattern called Burgoyne Surrounded.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as some works by local authors. The proposed list of topics includes Ulysses Grant’s final days at Mount McGregor; Benedict Arnold’s building of the first Navy in Whitehall; the temperance movement in this area; and the slate industry in Washington County. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

WCHS Local History Book Club
2023-04-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Old Stone House Library, 36 George St, Fort Ann, 12827, United States
Washington County Historical Society’s local history book club will meet from 12-1 PM on Friday, April 14, at the Old Stone House Library in Fort Ann, NY. Historical Society membership is not required.
The book club will discuss the two books about the Fort Ann area by Fred Tracy Stiles. Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as some works by local authors. The proposed list of topics includes Ulysses Grant’s final days at Mount McGregor; Benedict Arnold’s building of the first Navy in Whitehall; the temperance movement in this area; and the slate industry in Washington County. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

Anatomy of Buildings: Architectural Vocabulary and Identifying 19th Century Styles
2023-05-11 17:30 - 18:30 | Wing- Northup House, 167 Boadway, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
Anatomy of Buildings: Architectural Vocabulary and Identifying 19th Century Styles Presented by Susan Arena
This one hour program will offer a brief overview of common language used to describe buildings and an introduction to architectural styles found in Washington County. Familiarity with stylistic elements and influences helps provide historic context to the built environment and a better understanding of your community.
Susan Arena is an Architectural Historian with experience completing historic resources surveys, National Register nominations, preservation planning, and educational programming. She has worked in non-profit, private, and public sectors, collaborating with State Historic Preservation Offices in New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut as well as many regional organizations. Susan holds a BA in Architectural Studies from Hobart & William Smith Colleges and an MS in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont.

WCHS Local History Book Club
2023-05-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Slate Valley Museum, 17 Water Street, Granville, NY, 12832, United States
May 12 Meeting of WCHS Local History Book Club
Washington County Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from 12 PM until 1 PM on Friday, May 12, at the Slate Valley Museum, 17 Water Street, Granville. Washington County Historical Society membership is not required for participation.

The discussion will focus on Dorothy Offensend’s book The Western Vermont Slate Belt, published in 2003. That slate belt runs through portions of Granville, producing red slate in that town. The book is available at the Washington County Historical Society book shop https://wchs-ny.org/product/the-western-vermont-slate-belt-fair-haven/. The author was a former president of the Historical Society. Alternative reading is “A Study in Slate” by Scott Carpenter, written at UVM for a degree in Environmental Studies in 2002. It can be read online at https://www.uvm.edu/~shali/Slate.pdf. Scott, a former Fort Ann resident, now lives in Maine.

Following the book discussion, attendees may tour the exhibits and view the museum’s movie.

The group meets on the second Friday of the month at noon, usually at the Historical Society, 167 Broadway in Fort Edward. Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. The proposed topics include Ulysses Grant’s final days at Mount McGregor; Apple growing in Washington County; and Townsend Harris’s role in American trade with Japan. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

What You Should Know About Historic Designation and Funding Sources
2023-05-18 17:30 - 18:30 | Historic Salem Courthouse, 58 East Broadway, Salem, NY, 12865, United States
What You Should Know About Historic Designation and Funding Sources
Presented by Janna Rudler
The Preservation League of NYS will present information about the League’s grant and technical services programs, an overview of the State and National Registers of Historic Places, historic districts, and financial incentives for historic preservation available to historic property owners. (Guest speaker from SHPO, TBD.) Janna Rudler is the Grants and Technical Services Manager at the Preservation League of New York State. The Preservation League is the statewide non-profit dedicated to historic preservation advocacy, education, and grants since 1974. Janna advises non-profits and municipalities in achieving their preservation goals, offers technical support and referrals to all who seek assistance in their preservation efforts, and oversees
the League’s grant programs. Her career has taken her from archaeological digs across New York state and directing an archaeology lab to managing a historic house museum. Janna holds a BA in Anthropology from Binghamton University and a Master of Arts in History Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program.
This event is free and open to the public.

AUTHOR TALK Washington County's 123rd Regiment and the Experiences of Sergeant William J. McCollum During the Civil War WITH CHARLES VAVRINA
2023-06-06 18:30 - 20:00 | Hartford Baptist Church, 56 Main Street, Hartford, NY, 12832, United States
Join us, June 6th at 6:30pm at the Hartford Baptist Church, 56 Main Street (Co. Rte. 23), Hartford, NY for a talk with Charles Vavrina as he discusses Washington County’s 123rd regiment during the Civil War.
Dr. Vavrina is the author of “When This Cruel War is Over: The Civil War Letters and Diary of William J. McCollum, Company F, 123rd New York Volunteer Infantry” which contains 94 letters spanning the years 1862 – 1865 as well as the 1865 diary of Sergeant McCollum.
Enlisted into the 123rd in Argyle, NY, Sergeant McCollum’s letters describe not only his camp life and marching orders, but also his concerns for his family back home on the farm with references to the fate of countless friends and acquaintances both at war and back in Washington County. After his service McCollum returned and resided in Salem, NY outside of Shushan.
This Author Talk will be held at the Hartford Baptist Church, 56 Main Street (Co. Rte. 23), Hartford, NY at 6:30pm and is open to the public.
Directly across from the church is the 123rd Recruitment Center, a part of the Hartford Museum, which will be open before the program at 5pm. The center, where hundreds of Washington County men signed up to fight in the Civil War, now houses a fine collection of the memorabilia of the 123rd Regiment.

WCHS Local History Book Club
2023-06-09 12:00 - 13:00 | ULYSSES S. GRANT COTTAGE STATE HISTORIC SITE & NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, 1000 Mt McGregor Rd, Gansevoort, New York, 12831, United States
June 9 Meeting of WCHS Local History Book Club

Washington County Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from noon until 1 PM on Friday, June 9, at the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage State Historic Site, 1000 Mount McGregor Road, Gansevoort. Washington County Historical Society membership is not required for participation.
The discussion will focus on the last weeks of President Grant’s life, spent at Mount McGregor writing his two-volume memoirs. Grant’s Final Victory, by Charles Flood, is the recommended book. Alternative reading would be any biography of President Grant.
The book discussion will be held under a tent, after which attendees may tour the Visitor Center exhibits, view the interpretive panels, and walk the nature path that dying President Grant walked with his wife. Grant’s Cottage is undergoing renovations and will not be available for an inside tour.
Next Month:
The group meets on the second Friday of the month at noon, usually at the Historical Society, 167 Broadway in Fort Edward. The July meeting will focus on Townsend Harris’s role in American trade with Japan. Harris was born and educated in Sandy Hill.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. Proposed topics include one-room schoolhouse education, Andrew Carnegie’s role in the creation of Mountainside Library, and apple-growing in Washington County. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

WCHS Local History Book Club
2023-07-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Wing- Northup House, 167 Boadway, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
Washington County Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from 12 PM until 1 PM on Friday, July 14, at the society’s headquarters, 167 Broadway, Fort Edward. Washington County Historical Society membership is not required for participation.

The discussion will focus on Townsend Harris’s role in American trade with Japan. Harris (1804-1878) was born and educated in Sandy Hill (now Hudson Falls) where his father was a hatter. He became the First United States Consul General to Japan and was founder of the College of the City of New York, the first tuition-free college for poor children in the United States. A historical marker is near the corner of Locust Street and Main Street, just north of the village green in Hudson Falls.

The group meets on the second Friday of the month at noon, usually at the Historical Society in Fort Edward. The August meeting will focus on one-room schoolhouse education, and will be held in the one-room schoolhouse at Hebron and a near-by church. Attendees are urged to read the schoolhouse chapter in Hebron A Century in Review.

Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. Proposed topics include the temperance movement in our area, Andrew Carnegie’s role in the creation of Mountainside Library, and apple-growing in Washington County. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

WCHS Local History Book Club
2023-08-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Hebron United Presbyterian Church East, 6559 NYS State Rte. 22, Salem, NY, 12865, United States
Meeting of WCHS Local History Book Club
Washington County Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from noon until 1 PM on Friday, Aug. 11, at the East Hebron Presbyterian Church, 6559 State Rt. 22, Hebron, and at the one-room schoolhouse across the street from the church. The school is maintained by the Hebron Preservation Society. Washington County Historical Society membership is not required for participation.
The discussion will focus on the history of one-room schoolhouse education in Washington County. Attendees are asked to read the chapter on Education in the book Hebron A Century in Review, or to read Kaufman’s The American One-Room Schoolhouse. Parking is at the church. Memorabilia will be on display in the schoolhouse, with our tour being led by Debi Craig, Hebron town historian.
The group meets on the second Friday of the month at noon, usually at the Historical Society in Fort Edward. The September meeting will focus on the history of apples in Washington County, and will be held at 167 Broadway in Fort Edward.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. Proposed topics include the temperance movement in our area, Andrew Carnegie’s role in the creation of Mountainside Library, and the significance of the Champlain Canal. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

WCHS Local History Book Club
2023-09-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Wing- Northup House, 167 Boadway, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
Meeting of WCHS Local History Book Club
Washington County Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from noon until 1 PM on Friday, Sept. 8, at the society’s headquarters, 167 Broadway, Fort Edward. Washington County Historical Society membership is not required for participation.
The discussion will focus on the history of apples in Washington County and vicinity. Attendees can read any book on the topic. Dawn Chenier of Hartford will report on the life of Johnny Appleseed and Peter Beyer of Granville will report on activities of Tom Brown, North Carolina orchardist who is currently rediscovering “lost” apple varieties. The use of the local canal for shipment of area apples will also be discussed, as well as locations of current orchards in Washington County.
The group meets regularly on the second Friday of the month at noon, usually at the Historical Society in Fort Edward. The October meeting will be held at Mountainside Free Library, in the town of Queensbury. Attendees are asked to read any biography of Andrew Carnegie, whose funds contributed to the building of the library in 1904.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. Proposed topics include the temperance movement in our area, sheep farming in Washington County, and the life of Salem resident Asa Fitch, historian and entomologist. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

Songs of the Erie Canal with Cosby Gibson and Tom Staudle
2023-09-10 14:00 - 15:00 | Canal Street Marketplace, 63 Canal Street, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
Songs of the Erie Canal
The Washington County Historical Society will present singing duo Cosby Gibson and Tom Staudle in concert performing “Songs of the Erie Canal” in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Opening of the Erie and Champlain Canals. The concert will be held at the Fort Edward Canal Street Marketplace at 63 Canal Street in the Village of Fort Edward on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 2 p.m.

The Erie and Champlain Canals were the most important advancement for transporting goods in New York State. Running from Buffalo to Albany and connected to the Hudson River, then the Champlain Canal ran north to Lake Champlain. It allowed New York City to become the largest trade port in the nation. It was born from an idea developed by a merchant who was in debtor’s prison because he couldn’t receive his goods fast enough to pay the bills.

Cosby Gibson and Tom Staudle are award winning songwriters and singers. They live near the Adirondacks in Upstate New York. They have been performing together for fourteen years touring both regionally and nationally. Together they play original pieces and old favorites with a variety of instruments such as guitar, fiddle, banjo, and harmonica.

Cosby is Grammy balloted and writes unique acoustic and folk-style songs. Her awards include Best Folk Album in the Capital District, Original Music Awards for 2017 and 2018; Dorn Space Award for Music Outreach in 2019, Best Folk Album 2021, Outstanding Folk Artist 2023,and is a nominee for the Thomas Edison Music Award 2023.

Tom Staudle writes and performs in acoustic, Americana, and Blues- Style with awards in Best Folk Lyrics for the Capital District Original Music Awards in 2018 and Dorn Space Arts Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2021, Outstanding Americana Artist in 2023 and is also a nominee for the Thomas Edison Music Awards 2023.

Both have songs in rotation on WEXT-FM radio. Their special programs include: Historic Songs of the Erie Canal, Adirondack Lumber Camp Songs, Poetry Songs, and History Songs, Songwriters in the Round, Songwriting Workshops and new Labor Union songs.
Visit their website: www.cosbygibson.com

The concert narrated program lasts about 40 minutes and is suitable for older children and adults. The program is free and open to the public. Donations to WCHS are gladly accepted. For more information call the Washington County Historical Society on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m at 518-747-9108

The Architecture of the 1853 Levey Wall Map
2023-09-21 18:30 | Wing- Northup House, 167 Boadway, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
The Washington County Historical Society presents a Kronkite Lecture: The Architecture of the 1853 Levey Wall Map presented by William Krattinger September 21st @6:30 PM. Free and Open to the Public.

Numerous New York county wall maps were published in the 1850s, among them Morris Levey’s 1853 map of Washington County. Published in Philadelphia, Levey’s map was the first widely available source that identified the county’s various property owners, and it formed a precursor to the later county atlas compilations. In addition to depicting the county’s various municipalities, roads, churches and burial grounds, and property owners, Levey’s map also provided statistical data as well as visual representations of some of the county’s notable places and architecture, which appear within the map’s margins. This talk will largely focus on the map’s architectural representations, which provide valuable visual information on some of the county’s better-known landmarks and characteristic building types at the mid-nineteenth-century point. A number of the buildings that appear graphically on the Levey map remain extant, and particular attention will be paid to these, as expressions of particular architectural styles or types, or for their value in relation to historically prominent families and individuals.

William Krattinger is an architectural historian and longtime employee of the state’s Division for Historic Preservation and an adjunct lecturer in the history department at SUNY Albany.

September 21st, Wing-Northup House, 6:30pm- 167 Broadway, Fort Edward, NY 12828

Skenesborough Historic Marker Dedication Ceremony
2023-10-07 11:00 - 12:00 | Riverside Park, Riverside Drive, Whitehall, NY, 12887, United States
The Washington County Historical Society invites the public to join us as we unveil the newest educational marker in Whitehall!
October 7th at 11AM in the Riverside Park at Whitehall, NY
Speeches, a Historical Talk and Revolutionary Re-Enactors
will be on hand for the festivities!

Fort George Historic Marker Dedication Ceremony
2023-10-08 13:00 - 14:00 | Lake George Battlefield Park, Fort George Road and, Beach Rd, Lake George, NY, 12845, United States
The Washington County Historical Society invites the public to the unveiling of the newest educational marker at the Lake George Battlefield Park. The marker will be located at the entrance.
This year marks the 243rd Anniversary of British Major Christoper Carleton’s destruction of Fort George and a raid that shaped our landscape. In commemoration of this historic event this marker will be the newest educational addition to the Lake George Battlefield Park.
Made possible by the Washington County Historical Society, the Lake George Battlefield Alliance and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.

Local History Book Club- Andrew Carnegie
2023-10-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Mountainside Free Library, 3090 NY-9L, Lake George, NY, 12845, United States
October Meeting of WCHS Local History Book Club

Washington County Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from 12 noon until 1 PM on Friday, Oct. 13, at Mountainside Free Library, 3090 NY-9L, Lake George. The building is at the corner of Joshua Rock Road. Historical Society membership is not required for participation.
The discussion will focus on Andrew Carnegie’s role in the creation of free public libraries. Attendees can read any biography of Carnegie, or his essay The Gospel of Wealth. Andrew Carnegie funds contributed to the building of this library which opened in 1904. It is maintained by volunteers, is self-service, and is open 24 hours a day. It was Carnegie’s wish that books would be available to all.
The book club meets regularly on the second Friday of the month at twelve o’clock, usually at the Historical Society in Fort Edward. The November meeting will be held on Nov. 10 at Battenkill Fibers in Greenwich, with focus on Vanishing Fleece by Clara Parkes, and Merino sheep in the early 1800’s in Washington County.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. Proposed topics include the temperance movement in our area, tugboats on the Champlain Canal, and the life of Salem resident Asa Fitch, historian and entomologist. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

The Museums at Penope Farms
2023-10-15 13:00 - 16:00 | Penope Farms, 56 Scotch Hill Road, Jackson, NY, 12816, United States
Washington County Historical Society is pleased to be hosting our third open house at The Museums at Penope Farms located at 56 Scotch Hill Road in the Town of Jackson October 15, 2023 from 1PM-4PM.
Owner, Dick McGuire would like to invite everyone to tour his museums on the hill. We have never opened the museum when the fall colors are at their peak so you are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and a chair to sit and enjoy the amazing view of the Route 22 valley below.
The museums have expanded over the years and there are now 12 theme museums. They include: a library and music museum, Post Office, antique tools, large and small (2 museums) , household utensils, a collection of artwork by the older sister of McGuire’s father, Jennie Mae McGuire Bennett (an early 1900s artist), a dairy museum, a chainsaw museum, and a museum of Dick’s personal mementos.
Dick enjoys having visitors at his museums and recently shared the history of how the museums came to be. In the 1970s, his father and three other retired farmers began to collect old farm equipment so that future generations would see tools from when horses were still used to plow the fields of Washington County. These men started the Washington County Farm Museum at the fairgrounds in Easton.
Dick, himself, merged four small farms to create Penope Farms. Stored in the barns were plenty of antique tools and equipment so he decided to start his own museum right on his farm.
It started with 4 rooms in two barns about 1978. Over the years, individuals have given him items, some were purchased at auctions and sales greatly expanding his collection.
Meander leisurely back into yesteryear. The museums feature hundreds of items from 1800 to the early tractors of the 1930s and 40s There is something of interest for all ages from equipment for working the land with horses to classic automobiles of the 1920s and 30s.
This event is free and open to the public. Donations are gratefully accepted. The event will be held rain or shine. If you have never been there, come and bring the kids or grandkids. It is a great way to spend an afternoon. Please join us!
If you have any questions about the museums or the event, please call WCHS Wednesday or Friday between 9:30 and 4:30

WCHS Annual Meeting and Historic Preservation Awards and Luncheon
2023-10-28 10:00 - 14:00 | Sandy Hill Arts Center, 214 Main Street, Hudson Falls, NY, 12839, United States
Please join us October 28th!
This event is open to the public and includes a buffet style luncheon provided by Ginny Raes’s of Hudson Falls
PURCHASE LUNCHEON TICKETS HERE.
LUNCH TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 14th!

WCHS Local History Book Club
2023-11-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Battenkill Fibers, 2532 State Route 40, Greenwich, NY, 12834, United States
November Meeting of WCHS Local History Book Club
Washington County Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from 12 noon until 1 PM on Friday, Nov. 10, at Battenkill Fibers, 2532 State Route 40, Greenwich. A tour of the facility, led by Mary Jeanne Packer, owner, will precede our discussion. We will see scouring, carding, spinning, and plying.
Focus of the session is on Merino sheep in the early 1800’s in Washington County and Vanishing Fleece, Adventures in American Wool by Clara Parkes, published in 2021.
The book club meets regularly on the second Friday of the month at twelve o’clock, usually at the county Historical Society in Fort Edward. The December topic will be on tugboats on the Champlain Canal, reading books by Fred Godfrey. Meeting will be at the Folklife Center, Crandall Library, Glens Falls.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. Proposed topics include the temperance movement in our area, agricultural fairs in Washington Co., and the life of Salem resident Asa Fitch, historian and entomologist. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

WCHS Local History Book Club- Champlain Canal
2023-12-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Folklife Center @ Crandal Public Library, 251 Glen St, Glens Falls, NY, 12801, United States
December Meeting of Washington County Historical Society Local History Book Club
Washington Co. Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from 12 noon until 1 PM on Friday, Dec. 8, at the Folk Life Center, Crandall Library, 251 Glen Street, Glens Falls. The existing exhibit on the Champlain Canal can be viewed before or after the book discussion.
Focus of the session is on any book by Capt. Fred G. Godfrey (1915-2006), resident of Fort Edward, who spent 54 years living and working on NY state canals. The Champlain Canal, Mules to Tugboats is available for purchase at the Washington Co. Historical Society Bookstore, 167 Broadway, Fort Edward or online at www.wchs-ny.org
The book club meets regularly on the second Friday of the month at twelve o’clock, usually at Wing-Northup House in Fort Edward. The January 12, 2024 topic will be the Amish in Washington Co., with attendees reading any book on the history of the Amish or any article on the Amish in the local area.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. Proposed topics include the temperance movement in our area, agricultural fairs in Washington Co., and the life of Salem resident Asa Fitch, historian and entomologist. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

WCHS Local History Bookclub
2024-01-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Wing- Northup House, 167 Boadway, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
Washington Co. Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from 12 noon until 1 PM on Friday, January 12, 2024, at the society headquarters, 167 Broadway, Fort Edward, NY. Historical society membership is not required for attendees.
The January session will focus on the history of the Amish and on a Post Star series about the Amish in Whitehall, written by David Blow, and published in 2016, available on line to Post Star subscribers.
The book club meets regularly on the second Friday of the month at twelve o’clock, usually at theHistorical Society in Fort Edward. The February 9, 2024 topic will be the life and work of Dr. Asa Fitch of Salem, Washington Co. Attendees are asked to read Their Own Voices, Oral Accounts of Early Settlers in Washington County edited by Winston Adler, Asa Fitch and the Emergence of American Entomology by Barnes, or any other work by or about Dr. Fitch.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. Proposed topics include the temperance movement in our area, agricultural fairs in Washington Co., and the county poorhouse. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.

WCHS Local History Book Club- Asa Fitch
2024-02-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Wing- Northup House, 167 Boadway, Fort Edward, NY, 12828, United States
February Meeting of WCHS Local History Book Club
Washington County Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from 12 PM until 1 PM on Friday, February 9, at the society’s headquarters, 167 Broadway, Fort Edward, NY. Historical society membership is not required.
The upcoming session will focus on Dr. Asa Fitch’s life and accomplishments and will begin with an icebreaker quiz. Attendees are asked to read Their Own Voices, Oral Accounts of Early Settlers in Washington County, collected by Asa Fitch and edited by Jeanne Winston Adler; Asa Fitch and the Emergence of American Entomology by Jeffrey K. Barnes; or any other work by or about Dr. Fitch.
Dr. Fitch was born in 1809 in Salem, NY and by 1865 he was one of the world’s premier entomologists. Additionally, Fitch was a renowned historian. His laboratory in Salem is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The book club meets regularly on the second Friday of the month at 12PM, usually at the Washington County Historical Society Wing-Northup House in Fort Edward. The March meeting will focus on An Introduction to Historic Resources in Washington County, NY published in 1976. It has chapters on each of the towns, with detailed maps.
Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. Proposed topics include the temperance movement in our area, agricultural fairs in Washington Co., and the county poorhouse. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.
