Columbia County Historical Society

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 35th Annual Gallery of Wreaths! From our generous wreath donors to each of our bidders, you helped make our first online auction a HUGE success. We are so very grateful for you!

*Check your bids! The 35th Annual Gallery of Wreaths Online Auction closes at 4 p.m.* You've got just a few more hours to bid on a beautiful holiday wreath designed and donated by #columbiacountyny artists, businesses and friends. Head over to our online auction to put in your bid or make sure you're still winning! https://www.charityauctionstoday.com//35th-Annual-Gallery-

https://www.charityauctionstoday.com//35th-Annual-Gallery- BID NOW! 35th Annual Gallery of Wreaths ONLINE AUCTION IS LIVE ~ ending Sunday 29th @4pm

This year marks the 200-year anniversary of the James Vanderpoel House! A classic example of Federal-style architecture, the house was built circa 1819-1820 fo...r prominent lawyer and civic leader James Vanderpoel. He lived here from 1820 until 1833, when he was appointed New York State Supreme Court Judge and moved with his family to Albany. Many subsequent owners occupied the home, and it even briefly functioned as a rooming house in the early 1900s. In 1925, the Daughters of Columbia County Historical Society (later called the Columbia County Historical Society) purchased the James Vanderpoel House after a multi-year search for a 'House of History.' It was to be a place to hold meetings, house their library, and store and exhibit their growing permanent collection of objects. We are celebrating this bicentennial year with a special First Columbians un-party in place of our usual in-person gala. Donors can get special access to the James Vanderpoel ‘House of History’ and newly installed exhibits, plus a commemorative two-tome set and an exclusive #DriveThroughHistory road trip of Federal-era structures. For all the details, please visit our website: cchsny.org/first-columbians-2020.html #jamesvanderpoelhouse #cchsny #columbiacountyny #nyhistory #upstateny #iloveny #federalarchitecture

Bidding has begun! BID NOW!! The 35th Annual Gallery of Wreaths three-day online auction opened Friday at noon and continues through Sunday at 4 pm https://www.charityauctionstoday.com//35th-Annual-Gallery- Bid on live, artificial and mixed media wreaths designed and donated by local artists, businesses and friends. All proceeds benefit CCHS public programming, so support County history while getting in the holiday spirit. Happy bidding!

Wishing you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Vintage postcard from the CCHS Permanent Collection, postmarked November 27, 1912.

'Wiki Loves Monuments' is an international photographic competition to document and promote historic sites around the world through Wikimedia projects (mainly Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons). Everybody can participate. https://commons.wikimedia.org//Commons:Wiki_Loves_Monument This year the USA is participating throughout October, 2020. By sharing your photos under a free license, you help document our history and share it with the rest of the world to enjoy through the in...ternet, and get a shot at winning a prize! Click on link to learn how to participate, what the prize(s) are and what monument sites are eligible. See more

Apples & One-Room SchoolhousesOur latest #DriveThroughHistory road trips are out now! Just in time for harvest season, learn the history of Columbia County’s orchards as you fill your bags with Jonathans, Empires and Macouns. We also invite you to visit nine former one-room schoolhouses, relics of an era when more than 100 district schools provided a tight-knit, family-like learning environment for Columbia County’s kids. Download the free, self-guided itineraries here: https://www.cchsny.org/drive-through-history.html Happy exploring! #cchs_ny #iloveny #nyhistory #paththroughhistory #oneroomschoolhouses #columbiacountyny #drivethroughhistory #upstateny

A quick note for anyone taking our Drive Through History road trips: Some of the historic structures we have featured are privately owned and/or residences. We ask that you please respect the privacy of current inhabitants and refrain from approaching or entering a property unless it is clearly marked as a museum or public space. Thanks for your participation and understanding!

There's no social distancing in a one-room schoolhouse! We're wishing a safe and happy back to school for all the students returning to class in this historic school year. Take a walk down memory lane with these photos of one-room schoolhouses around Columbia County. (And if you’re interested in learning more, stay tuned for our next #DriveThroughHistory road trip!)

SEPTEMBER 5, 1882: A workers' protest in New York becomes the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history. . . Before the labor movement of the late 19th century, American men, women and children endured dangerous working conditions and grueling 12-hour workdays. On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers in New York City took unpaid time off to march in protest for improved conditions and better pay. The event is remembered as the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history. Twelve years la...ter, thanks to continued protests and worker strikes around the nation, Labor Day was declared a federal holiday on June 28, 1894. This Labor Day weekend, we honor the contributions of workers in Columbia County and beyond. You can get a glimpse into the County’s history of labor on our "Artifacts of Industry" road trip. At the region's mills, factories and mines, workers of various races and nationalities risked their health and their lives to make ends meet and build the economy of Columbia County during the 18th and 19th centuries--like these workers at the Empire Brickyard. View the itinerary here: https://www.cchsny.org/drive-through-history.html

Thanks for coming along for the ride, RURAL INTELLIGENCE https://www.ruralintelligence.com//take-a-drive-through-hi

Just in time for the weekend, we’ve got new #DriveThroughHistory itineraries to share with you! Here’s what you'll see on these drives: Artifacts of Industry: Ever wondered about the abandoned factories and mill ruins you see around the County? This road trip explores how industry shaped the character of Columbia County, from Linlithgo to Valatie. Patriots & Patroons: As we inch closer to the election, this road trip looks back at Columbia County’s political past, from a ...drafter of the Declaration of Independence to the Anti-Rent Wars. Buckle your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride! Download the new itineraries at www.cchsny.org/drive-through-history to get out and explore your local history today! #colulmbiacountyny #drivethroughhistory #hudsonvalley #iloveny #upstateny

Huge thanks to John B. Murray Architect, Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Board Member and CCHS Patron Member, for visiting the Luykas Van Alen House and creating this stunning architectural tour for Classicist.org. Watch below:

BECOME AN "OFFICIAL LEAF PEEPER" https://www.iloveny.com//how-to-apply-to-be-a-volunteer-l/ NYS’s spectacularly colorful fall foliage season is about to get u...nderway, and You Are Invited to become an Official "I LOVE NY Leaf Peeper" to join our statewide team of volunteers that help our visitors discover the best foliage around the state. See more

Congrats to our friends at the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society on their new William G. Pomeroy Foundation roadside marker, which will be officially unveiled this Sunday, Aug. 23! You can see the c.1892 Old Copake Falls Church (now the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society Museum), and the new marker, on our #DriveThroughHistory Sacred Spaces road trip: https://www.cchsny.org/drive-through-history.html

We're launching something fun today! While our galleries and historic properties are temporarily closed, we invite you to explore the fascinating history and stories of Columbia County in a safe, socially distanced way with our new #DriveThroughHistory self-guided road trips! Head to https://www.cchsny.org/drive-through-history.html now to download the maps and full itineraries for our first two drives: Legends & Folklore and Sacred Spaces (Part 1). And stay tuned: we’ll be posting more historic drives throughout the summer and fall. Be sure to tag us and use hashtag #DriveThroughHistory as you explore. Happy trails!

LISTEN TO THE 'A NEW YORK MINUTE IN HISTORY' PODCAST https://wamcpodcasts.org/podc/the-dutch-and-new-netherland/

Dreaming of a steamboat cruise up the Hudson on this hot, sunny Sunday, set to the strains of a live orchestra and a "Clysmic water" in hand. If you took such a trip on the Hudson River Day Line, we and the Preservation League of New York State would love to hear about it!