2018 Events
Snow Globe Workshop: A Children's Holiday Break Activity
When: Thursday, December 27, 2018 (morning session: 10:30-11:30 am; afternoon session: 1:00-2:00 pm)
Where: Historical Society of Rockland County, 20 Zukor Rd. New City, NY 10956
Price: $5 per child (seating is limited, and registration is required!)
Use your imagination and create a winter wonderland in a jar! During this winter break workshop children will learn how to make their very own snow globes using glass jars, miniature figures, and, of course, glitter! This program is suitable for children age 7 to 11. All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the program, which will last approximately one hour. The $5 fee covers the cost of craft materials. Participants will create a snow globe to take home. Seating the craft table is limited, and preregistration is required. The program fee also includes admission to the Society's 43rd Annual Holiday Exhibition, "Cherished & Charming: Small Houses and Tiny Treasures."
Holiday Candlelight Tours of the Jacob Blauvelt House
When: Sundays, December 9, 16, and 23, 2018, and January 6 and 13, 2019. Tours start PROMPTLY at 5 and 6:30 pm
Where: Jacob Blauvelt House, 20 Zukor Road, New City
Price: Adults (non-HSRC members), $10; seniors and HSRC Members, $8; children, $5
Spend an enchanting evening at the historic 1832 Jacob Blauvelt farmhouse, illuminated with candlelight and lanterns, fragrant with traditional sweets, and decorated with festive greenery. Experience Dutch American holiday traditions of the 1830s with nineteenth century music and song and seasonal refreshments. Prepaid reservations are required. Space is limited. Groups of 10-15 are welcome by prior arrangement. The reservation price includes admission to the 43rd Annual Holiday Exhibition.
Saint Nicholas Day at the Historical Society of Rockland County
When: Saturday, December 1: 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm; Sunday, December 2: 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm. Program duration: 45 minutes
Where: Jacob Blauvelt House, 20 Zukor Road, New City
Price: $5 per person (adults and children)
Visit the Historical Society of Rockland County for an unforgettable experience of wonder and fun! We're opening our 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House to welcome children of all ages to celebrate Saint Nicholas as we've done since 1961. This traditional program is a highlight of the holiday season, and many adults who enjoyed this event in the past, as children, now bring their own families. Begin your own tradition and join us. Each child receives a special treat in his or her shoe from Saint Nicholas, and everyone can visit with Saint Nicholas and his horse!
Film Screening: Piermont's Papermill: Stories from the Factory
When: Thursday, November 29, 2018, 7:15 PM
Where: History Center, 20 Zukor Road, New City
Admission: $FREE (reservations required)
This award-winning documentary tells the story of life in Piermont before the Condominiums. In 1901, Martin R. Williams erected the first paper mill in Piermont. The rail yards on the pier, built in 1840 by the Erie Railroad, provided transportation for supplies in and out of the village. Fresh water, needed to produce paper, was supplied from the nearby Sparkill Creek. The Piermont Paper Company began production in 1902, and for 18 years the plant produced cardboard. Its principal customer was the Robert Gair Company. In 1920, Robert Gair purchased the mill. He had become a leader in the paper industry in Manhattan and Brooklyn after the Civil War. Gair's discovery revolutionized modern society with cardboard boxes and paper fiber containers that replaced bulky wooden crates and barrels. Manufacturers saw the sides of boxes as valuable ad space to sell their brand. Piermont's Papermill was produced for the Piermont Historical Society by Anthony Bellov Video Productions. The PHS is grateful to those whose memories are cherished: Phillip Delorenzo, Kevin Fagan, Lawrence Goswick, James Koza, Alfred Lacker, Laura Montesano.
Local History Meetup: “Bells of Peace” Commemoration of the World War I Armistice
When: Sunday, November 11, 2018, 10:45 am (bell ringing at 11 am)
Where: The grounds of the HSRC, 20 Zukor Road, New City
Price: $FREE
At 11 am on November 11, 2018, exactly one hundred years after the end of fighting on the Western Front in World War I, bells across the United States will ring together as part of the special commemoration “Bells of Peace.” The Historical Society of Rockland County is participating to honor the 116,516 American men and women who died in World War I. Coordinated by the World War I Centennial Commission, “Bells of Peace.” was conceived and designed in collaboration with the nation’s veterans of service with the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The bell tolling at the HSRC will take place at 11 am sharp.
Bus Daytrip: Lake Minnewaska and Brotherhood Winery
When: Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Where: The luxury motor coach leaves the Historical Society parking lot, 20 Zukor Road, New City, at 8:30 am sharp, and returns at 5:30 pm.
Price: HSRC Members, $89 per person; non-members, $94 per person (Includes transportation; all admissions, fees and gratuities; and delicious luncheon at the Mountain Brauhaus)
We start with a two-mile, moderately difficult walk with elevations around Lake Minnewaska in the Minnewaska State Park Preserve, on the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County. Minnewaska was originally part of the Mohonk Mountain House property owned by twin brothers Albert and Alfred Smiley. In 1879, Alfred built a new hotel overlooking Lake Minnewaska, Cliff House, and developed his property separately. New York State bought the land in 1987 and opened the preserve in 1993. Following the walk, we will enjoy a delicious luncheon at the Mountain Brauhaus in Gardiner, New York, called “one of the best restaurants in the Hudson Valley.” Then we travel to Brotherhood in Washingtonville for a tour and wine tasting at “America’s Oldest Winery.” Established in 1839 by the French Huguenot emigre Jean Jaques, Brotherhood has operated continuously to the present, including during Prohibition. The tour will highlight the underground cellars, as well as the picturesque history of the facility and its site.
The Headless Horseman: A Film Screening to Celebrate Halloween
When: Thursday, November 1, 2018, 8 pm
Where: HSRC History Center, 20 Zukor Road, New City
Admission: $FREE (donations are welcome, and refreshments will be available for purchase)
The Headless Horseman is an American silent film adaption of Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Directed by Edward Venturini and starring Will Rogers (as Ichabod Crane), Lois Meredith (as Katrina Van Tassel), and Ben Hendricks Jr. (as Brom Bones), The Headless Horseman was the first feature-length movie to use panchromatic film, which produces realistic reproduction of scenes as they appear to the human eye, though only in black and white. In addition to being a classic Hudson Valley story, with many scenes shot in and around Tarrytown, The Headless Horseman will be of interest to Rocklanders for its local connection: a principal setting for the action is Van Houtens Farm in Nau¬raushaun, about a mile east of Pearl River. Will Rogers probably changed his costumes in the barn. Look for scenes filmed on the lawn and those featuring the Van Houtens’ horses. In honor of Halloween, we’ll screen the full 72 minute version of the film, complete with music.
History Luncheon and Lecture: Women’ Suffrage, with Elaine Weiss
When: Thursday, November 1, 11:30 am
Where: Historic Ramsey Country Club, 105 Lakeside Drive, Ramsey, NJ
Price: $50 per person (cash bar)
Join us as Elaine Weiss, the noted author of The Woman’s Hour, shares a(nother) moment in history that changed all of our lives. In 1920, after seventy years of struggle, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women the right to vote was near to passing. It had 35 “yes” votes but needed one more. Tennessee was the last chance. That August brought a divergent group of Suffragists to that state to confront the “Antis” (women who feared women’s suffrage would lead to the moral decay of the family and nation) and the Tennessee politicians who did not want women to influence the upcoming election. Elaine Weiss is an award-winning journalist and writer whose The Woman’s Hour has been optioned by Amblin TV for adaptation as a TV movie or limited series.
6th Annual Fall Family Festival with Heritage of West Nyack and the Town of Clarkstown
When: Sunday, October 21, 2018, 12-4 pm, rain or shine!
Where: 131 Germonds Road, adjacent to Germonds Park, West Nyack
Admission: $FREE
Join the Revolution, the Glorious Cause! See how Militia men and women of the American Revolutionary War lived in the 1770s. Heard's Brigade of the New Jersey Militia is seeking visitors to cheer on our encampment of 18th century tents, open-fire pit cooking, militia drills, musket firing and other living history demonstrations. Maybe we will come upon the British and those Loyalists! Other festival activities include:
- Horse Drawn Hayride (12:30—3:30 pm)
- Pumpkin Picking, Decorating and Painting
- Lavram the Great—Colonial Conjurer Magic Show
- Northern River Colonial Dancers, Historic Dance Troupe.
- Sheep Shearing by Fred Depaul.
- Children’s Games, Crafts and Storytime by the Hausner Family. Hear the story of the “Witch of West Nyack”
- Lace Making Demonstration by Mayra Petretti, Metropolitan Chapter IOLI
- Pen Turning Workshop, Hudson Valley Wood Turners, for ages 12 and up (pre-registration appreciated)
- Enjoy, Music, Raffles, Food, Craft Vendors and Demonstrations, Free Mini-Golf and More!
- Food Vendors and Refreshments for Purchase
To see photos from last year's festival, visit our FLICKR album of photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/100479933@N04/albums/72157688228912024.
Lecture: Historical Reenactment and the 2018 Art Walk
When: Thursday, October 18, 7:15 SHARP
Where: HSRC community Room
Price: $FREE (seating is limited, and reservations are required)
As ART WALK participants strolled through Nyack in June, they saw costumed characters who revealed fascinating glimpses into local history. The characters were portrayed by members of the acting troupe Strange Bedfellows, directed and scripted by Diana Green. In this lecture, Green discusses her process for creating this artistic presentation, which included the historical experiences of figures who spanned the century between 1850 and 1950, the time in which Rockland County developed into the busy network of towns we know today. Each of these characters was drawn from true stories told in excellent history books that can be found in our local libraries and at the Historical Society of Rockland County, including Naut Kannif, the Clarksville witch who was put on trial in West Nyack in 1816; Maxwell Anderson, local playwright and a founder of the Rockland Center for the Arts; Jo Hudson, who told of the early days of the ice industry at Rockland Lake; and Claudius Smith, the Cowboy of the Ramapos, who hid his loot in what is now Harriman State Park. This portion of the ART WALK festivities was made possible by an individual grant from Arts Westchester. Rockland Decentralization Individual Artist Grants are made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program (DEC), a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature and administered by ArtsWestchester.
Walk through History: Sparkill
When: Saturday, October 13, 2018, 10 am
Where: Meeting location will be provided with your confirmed, prepaid reservation
Price: $7 per person (prepaid reservations required)
Sparkill was considered a hub in the 20th century. Though small and developed after nearby communities, Sparkill had many essential functions of a larger community, including transportation, government, a variety of retail stores, churches, hotels and other public establishments. Led by Larry Vail, joined by long-time residents Joe and Flo D’Auria and Judy Peaks, this tour is a short flat walk (about 0.4 mi.) on Main Street where many of these functions existed—some surviving today. The walk will conclude at Arbor Hill Landscaping and Garden Center for a hot dog and beverage.
Daytrip: History and Fall Foliage on the Hudson River
When: Thursday, October 11, 2018, 10:45 am—3 pm
Where: Meet at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, 84 Liberty Street, Newburgh. (Please note that this is not a bus trip. Transportation to and from Newburgh is on your own.)
Price: $64/person, HSRC Members; $69/person, non-members. Includes museum admission, tour fees and tips, and box lunch.
We’ll meet at the Hasbrouck House in Newburgh (Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site)—America’s first publicly owned historic site—for a guided tour at 11 am. In the critical Revolutionary War months he spent here, Washington made some of his most important contributions to shaping our republic. We’ll tour the rooms where history was made and enjoy the gorgeous grounds overlooking the river. Then we’ll head to the waterfront to board the River Rose for a narrated luncheon cruise toward West Point and Constitution Island and an afternoon of Hudson River leaf peeping.
Gallery Talk: Women of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, by Lisa Levart
When: Thursday, September 27, 2018, 7:15 SHARP
Where: HSRC History Center Galleries, 20 Zukor Road, New City
Admission: $FREE (reservations required)
This is a unique opportunity to explore the exhibition with the artist. Lisa Levart will discuss her creative collaboration with women of the Ramapough Lenape tribe to uncover and embody long-forgotten myths, as well as her technique of collaging image layers into photographic portraits and hand-painting them with an encaustic medium. Lisa Levart specializes in creating portraits of women who are part of the Earth-centered spirituality movement. She is the author of Goddess on Earth: Portraits of the Divine Feminine, which won the GOLD Nautilus Book Award in 2012. Lisa and her husband, Myles Aronowitz, also work as a photography team specializing in New York weddings, lifestyle portraits, and celebrity images.
Walk through History: The Andre/Arnold Affair
When: Friday, September 21, 2018, 10 am
Where: Meeting location provided with a confirmed reservation
Price: $5 per person (prepaid reservations are required)
On September 22, 1780, General Benedict Arnold and Major John Andre men met along the Hudson shoreline. Their act of treason was a pivotal point in the Revolutionary War. Guests will learn the details of this important historical event by visiting three of the places that were involved. Join us as we retrace the steps of Arnold and Andre in North Rockland. For this three-part tour of North Rockland, guests will travel from place to place in their own cars. We will provide the driving directions and meeting locations with your confirmed reservation. After the walk, guests may join us for an optional lunch at Babe's restaurant in West Haverstraw.
Hike through History at Iona Island with Doc Bayne
When: Saturday, September 15, 2018, 10 am
Where: Meeting location will be provided with a confirmed reservation!
Price: $5/person (pre-paid reservations are required)
Retired Sterling Forest Park Ranger Doc Bayne will lead a hike at Iona Island, in the Hudson River below Bear Mountain. A major US Navy arsenal from 1900 to 1946, complete with explosions and, of course, the famous “Mothball Fleet” following World War II, Iona Island has a story that goes back to prehistory. Doc will cover evidence of Native American use of the island; the colonial farms and settlements when Iona was known as Salisbury Island and, later, Weygant’s Island; and the 1800s, when it attracted tourists with an amusement park, hotel and picnic grounds. In 1965, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission took possession of Iona Island. Surrounded by marshes, the island has become a wildlife preserve and important habitat for many species, including Bald Eagles.
Exhibition: ”Women of the Ramapough Lenape Nation“
When: Opening Reception, Sunday, September 9, 2018, 1–4 pm
Where: HSRC Galleries, 20 Zukor Road, New City, NY
Price: $FREE
”Women of the Ramapough Lenape Nation“, a series of collaged photographs by Lisa Levart, is the culmination of an eighteen-month creative collaboration between the artist and Ramapough Lenape women from Rockland and Bergen counties. The exhibition will run alongside ”Rockland Voices,“ the HSRC’s semi-permanent exhibition on Rockland history that presents highlights from the permanent collection to explore themes and objects that are key to understanding the county’s history, including Lenape lifeways and culture. “The goal of the project is to reflect our unique community, bring more awareness and visibility to the indigenous women of the land we all call home, and serve as an agent of change,” Levart says. “I hope that viewers will gain a deeper mindfulness of our collective heritage, as well as an appreciation for the different traditions that have had an impact on the Hudson Valley.” The exhibition which will be on display at the Historical Society of Rockland County from September 9 to October 28, was made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program (DEC), a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature, and administered by ArtsWestchester. “Rockland Voices” was made possible by a grant from the Sterling Bank Charitable Foundation.
Local History Meetup: Native American Archaeology at Fort Montgomery
When: Sunday, September 2, 2018, 1–2:30 pm
Where: Fort Montgomery State Historic Site, 690 US Route 9W, Fort Montgomery, NY
Admission: $FREE
Fort Montgomery is best known for its Revolutionary War history. However, the land was also used by bands of hunter-gatherers for thousands of years. On this archaeologically themed tour by site interpretive staff, learn about Native American campsites and tool-making stations uncovered during site excavations. Participants will also get a chance to see examples of the various types of projectile points and stone tools uncovered at various locations.
Walk through History: Rockland County Courthouse and Dutch Garden
When: Thursday, August 2, 2018, 1:30 pm!
Where: Meeting location will be provided with a confirmed reservation!
Admission: $5 (nonrefundable reservation fee)
On this special two-hour guided tour led by Judge William Sherwood, we’ll pass through the “new” court building added just over a decade years ago on our way to the historic 1929 Courthouse. Highlights include: classic Art Deco architecture and decoration, including fountains and waterfall depictions; two historic courtrooms in use continuously since 1929 in their original condition; the restored historic Dutch Garden, designed by the famous art critic and landscape architect Mary Mowbray-Clarke; original art from the Art Deco era and new art installed by the Arts in Public Places initiative of Rockland, as well as oil portraits of Rockland County judges; and complimentary light refreshments at the Dutch Garden Teahouse following the walk.
Tappan Zee Bridge Experience: Past, Present and Future
When: Wednesday, July 20, 2018, rain or shine!
Where: Boarding at Haverstraw Marina (9:30–9:45 am); trip ends at the marina between 2 and 3 pm (departure and return times may vary depending on tides)
Price: $93 per person (HSRC Members); $98 per person (Non-members). Includes boat transportation, guided tour, and box lunch.
The Tappan Zee Bridge is the largest infrastructure project under way in the United States. The HSRC is pleased to offer an exclusive opportunity to observe this important undertaking from a unique vantage point. Join us on the River Rose, a Mississippi-style paddle wheeler, as we cruise along the Rockland shore of the Hudson River to the Tappan Zee Bridge. Participants will view the current bridge construction from vantage points that are as near to the bridge as LEGALLY and SAFELY possible. Narration and commentary will be provided by historians from the HSRC, as well as by leaders of the current bridge project (availability and conditions permitting). These guides will also be available to answer questions you have about the past, present and future of the Tappan Zee Bridge. On our return trip, we will enjoy a cruise along the Westchester shoreline.
Bus Daytrip: Hudson River School Art Trail
When: Thursday, June 28, 2018
Where: Leaves the Historical Society parking lot at 7:45 am and returns at 7:45 pm
Price: $119/person (HSRC members); $129/person (Non-members) Includes admissions, tour fees and tips, and box lunch at Olana
Join us on the luxury motorcoach, equipped with lavatory and microphone, as we travel to the Catskills to explore key sites in American art history. We will tour Cedar Grove, the home of Thomas Cole (1801–1848), regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School style of landscape painting. Crossing the Hudson, we will visit the architecturally captivating Olana, home of the painter Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900). After lunch at Olana, we will head back across the Hudson to Kaaterskill Clove and Kaaterskill Falls, one of the places most painted by the Hudson River School artists.
The Nyack Record Shop Project: A Presentation by Bill Batson
When: Thursday, June 21, 2018, 7:15 SHARP
Where: HSRC, 20 Zukor Road, New City
Admission: $FREE (reservations required)
In January 2018, oral histories that reflect on the African American community in Nyack were collected in a weeklong public information-gathering session in the window of a downtown record shop. Bill Batson, in cooperation with the local churches and families of the black community, undertook an ambitious effort to give a voice to a group whose history is often overlooked: the African American community. The Nyack Record Shop Project was planned in conjunction with the Edward Hopper House exhibition “Carrie Mae Weems: Beacon” and pays homage to Carrie Mae Weems's “Record Shop” (commissioned by David Ross and the Beacon Cultural Foundation).
Tappan Zee Bridge Experience: Past, Present and Future
When: Wednesday, June 13, 2018, rain or shine!
Where: Boarding at Haverstraw Marina (9:30–9:45 am); trip ends at the marina between 2 and 3 pm (departure and return times may vary depending on tides)
Price: $93 per person (HSRC Members); $98 per person (Non-members). Includes boat transportation, guided tour, and box lunch.
The Tappan Zee Bridge is the largest infrastructure project under way in the United States. The HSRC is pleased to offer an exclusive opportunity to observe this important undertaking from a unique vantage point. Join us on the River Rose, a Mississippi-style paddle wheeler, as we cruise along the Rockland shore of the Hudson River to the Tappan Zee Bridge. Participants will view the current bridge construction from vantage points that are as near to the bridge as LEGALLY and SAFELY possible. Narration and commentary will be provided by historians from the HSRC, as well as by leaders of the current bridge project (availability and conditions permitting). These guides will also be available to answer questions you have about the past, present and future of the Tappan Zee Bridge. On our return trip, we will enjoy a cruise along the Westchester shoreline.
Lecture: Women of the Ramapough Lenape Nation
When: Thursday, May 24, 2018, 7:15 SHARP
Where: HSRC, 20 Zukor Road, New City
Admission: $FREE (reservations required)
Lisa Levart, an award-winning artist and photographer based in Rockland County, has been creating alternative photographic portraits of women embodying poetic myths for well over a decade. In this special presentation, she will talk about her current project, “Women of the Ramapo Lenape Nation,” a creative collaboration that aims to uncover long-forgotten Lenape myths. Taking re-remembered sacred stories as a foundation, she uses a technique of collaging metal, wood, water and concrete into portraits of Ramapough Lenape women of today, hand-painting the images with encaustic wax resin. The applied wax alters the final images, blending contemporary and ancient portraiture across the expanse of time. The presentation includes a description of the work and the stories on which it is based, along with the screening of a documentary-film-in-progress about the project by Myles Aronowitz. The May 24 presentation provides a preview of the special exhibition, “The Women of the Ramapough Lenape Nation,” coming to the HSRC in the fall.
Rockland County Executive’s Historic Preservation Merit Awards Country Supper
When: Sunday, May 20, 2018, 4–7 pm
Where:The Historical Society of Rockland County's Jacob Blauvelt Historic Site, 20 Zukor Road, New City, NY
Price: $65: pre-paid basic reservation; $85: pre-paid benefactor reservation (includes a listing in our journal)
The 28th annual Country Supper and Historic Preservation Merit Awards is sponsored by Beckerle Lumber Remodeling Showrooms. Tour the Historic Jacob Blauvelt House and visit our History Center exhibitions. Supper and ceremony, 5–7 pm. Featuring delightful cuisine of Mimi’s Plate, Tappan. Keynote Speaker: Drusilla Marie Kinzonzi, Co-President, African-American Historical Society of Rockland County.
Claudius Smith’s Den: Hike through History
When: Saturday, May 19, 2018, 10 am
Where: Meeting place will be provided with confirmed reservation
Price: $15/person. Uncludes guided hike and a book about Rockland in the Revolutionary War
On Saturday, May 19, we will hike to Claudius Smith's Den (Harriman State Park), a large, horizontal rock shelter on the Tuxedo-Rockland border that served as a hideout for Claudius Smith and his gang. This hike will take approximately 3-3.5 hours and has steep sections.Claudius Smith, known in local lore as the Cowboy of the Ramapos, led a Loyalist gang during the Revolutionary War that stole horses and cattle and sold them to British troops; robbed local Patriots’ homes; and ambushed travelers in the “no-man’s land” from Tuxedo to Suffern. In this pair of hikes, we visit mountain lairs the gang is believed to have used after raiding and terrorizing the communities in the valleys.
Bus Daytrip: Museum of the American Revolution (Philadelphia)
When: Saturday, April 21, 2018
Where: Leaves the Historical Society parking lot at 7:15 am and returns at 5:00 pm
Price: $119/person (HSRC Members); $129/person (Non-members). Includes bus transportation, docent guided tour, luncheon at City Tavern, tips and an all-museum pass
Join us as we visit the newest history museum in America. Our visit will begin with a one-hour guided introductory tour of the core exhibition galleries. Next, we will experience a special docent-led 30-minute presentation entitled “Making the Museum.” Then we will take a three-minute walk to Philadelphia’s City Tavern (est. 1773) for a delicious luncheon. Afterward, we will walk back to the museum for an hour of self-guided exploration. We encourage you to use the afternoon visit to view Washington’s War Tent, the cornerstone piece in the museum’s collection and truly a must-see!
Iona Island: A Presentation by Doc Bayne
When: Thursday, April 19, 2018, 7:15 SHARP
Where: HSRC, 20 Zukor Road, New City
Admission: $FREE (reservations required)
In addition to being part of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, Iona Island and its associated tidal wetlands have been designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. In this program, retired New York State Forest Ranger, Doc Bayne sheds light on this fascinating island in preparation for our "Walk through History" on May 12. Doc explores the island's forgotten history, from its prehistoric Native Americans occupation through the colonial farms and settlements of Salisbury, and then Weygant's, island, as Iona was known. In the late 1800s, the island attracted tourists with an amusement park, hotel, and picnic grounds. Iona served as a major U.S. Navy arsenal from 1900 to 1965. When the Palisades Interstate Park Commission took possession in 1965, much of the island and surrounding marshes became a wildlife preserve.
2018 Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the Historical Society of Rockland County will be held on Monday, April 16, 2018, 7:00 pm, at the HSRC’s History Center, 20 Zukor Road, New City, New York. The order of business will include reports of the committees and elections of Trustees and officers. All members of the public are invited.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee offers the names of the following Historical Society members:
Trustees nominated for a three-year term (Term 2021):
- Andrew Glikin-Gusinsky, Suffern
- Dustin Hausner, New City
- Hon. Alfred Weiner, Wesley Hills
- Joseph Modafferi, Nanuet
- Jennifer Rothschild, South Nyack
Trustees continuing in office
Term 2019
- Joni Anger, Pomona
- Hon. Veronica DeMeo Boesch, Airmont
- Larry Kigler, New City
- Joseph Natale, Haverstraw
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Term 2020
- Richard W. Anderson, Congers
- Daniel Garcia, Congers
- Philip C. Roventini, New City
- Jeff Weinberger, Esq., New City
- Gordon Wren, Spring Valley
“Tragedy and Triumph: Early Civil Rights in Rockland”: A Walk through History in Hillburn with Dr. Travis Jackson
When: Saturday, April 14, 2018; 1:30 pm
Where: Provided with your confirmed reservation
Admission: $5/person (pre-paid reservations are required)
Dr. Travis Jackson was entering fourth grade when Thurgood Marshall came to Hillburn to help in the desegregation of the village's schools. Dr. Jackson will lead this informative walking tour around the Hillburn village and describe the important civil rights event that took place in 1943.
2018 Annual Dinner
When: Sunday, April 8, 2018, 5–9 pm
Where:The View on the Hudson, 101 Shad Row, Piermont
Tickets:$200 (listing at the Sponsor level in the souvenir journal); $150 (listing at the Patron level); $100 (listing at the Friend level)
Honoring: Hon. Howard T. Phillips, Jr., Supervisor, Town of Haverstraw, with the Lifetime Service Award; Gordon Wren Jr., Director, Rockland County Fire & Emergency Services, with the Community Service Award: and Dr. Frances E. Pratt, President, Nyack NAACP, with the Living Landmark Award. Guests will enjoy a cocktail hour, musical entertainment, award presentations and dancing. An array of items will be available at a silent auction. Proceeds from this annual event benefit the operating fund of the Historical Society of Rockland County.
Two Schools in Hillburn: A Screening and Q&A with Filmmaker Joe Allen
When: Thursday, March 15, 2018, 7:15 SHARP
Where: History Center, 20 Zukor Road, New City
Admission: $FREE (reservations required)
Two Schools in Hillburn, which premiered in 2017, explores one of the most important moments in the history of civil rights and education in New York State. It tells the story of the brave efforts of the families of 49 children who attended the beat-up, old “colored” Brook School and the young NAACP attorney, Thurgood Marshall, who came to Hillburn in 1943 and saw that segregation was alive and thriving. Thanks to Marshall, the practice of segregated education was ended in Rockland, and the families were be able to send their children to the better-equipped Hillburn School. But the fight wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t clean. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Joe Allen, senior vice president of the global trading firm Active International and a documentary filmmaker and philanthropist in Rockland County.
Bus Daytrip: New-York Historical Society
When: Saturday, February 10, 2018
Where: Motorcoach leaves the HSRC at 9 am and returns at 4:15 pm
Price: $119/person for HSRC Members; $129/person for non-members (includes bus transportation, scrumptious luncheon and docent guided tour)
Leave the driving (and parking) to us! Join us as we visit the New-York Historical Society. A guided tour of “Mapping America‘s Road from Revolution to Independence” will start our day at the N-YHS. This exhibition showcases hand-drawn and engraved maps from the 18th and early 19th centuries that illuminate the tremendous changes—geographic, political, and economic—that occurred before, during, and just after the Revolutionary War. The exhibition features rarely displayed manuscripts and printed maps from New-York Historical Society's own premier collection, including the original manuscript surveys of Robert Erskine, Geographer and Surveyor-General of the Continental Army, and his successor Simeon De Witt. After lunch at the N-YHS, you will be on your own to explore the rest of the museum.
Local History Meetup: “Loyal to the Crown”
When: Sunday, January 21, 2018, 1:30-2:30 pm
Where: Orangetown Historical Museum & Archives, 196 Chief Bill Harris Way, Orangeburg
Admission:$FREE (but donations are gratefully accepted)
Mary Cardenas, Orangetown Historian and director of the Orangetown Museum, will guide us through “Loyal to the Crown: British Art from the George Way Collection,” an extraordinary look back at the glorious past of England. George Way‘s collection of British art is unique on many levels. There are miniatures of Queen Mary and Charles I; chests and chairs from the Charles II period; and beautiful paintings, such as a portrait of Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, attributed to Sir Anthony van Dyck. The collection recalls a royal point of view from the centuries preceding the American Revolution.
