The Senate House State Historic Site recently unveiled an new permament exhibit, Kingston’s Stockade: New Netherlands’ Third City interprets the earliest period of colonial settlement in the city, the stockade era. The stockade was built for protection from the Esopus Indians. Governor Stuyvesant ordered the building of the stockade in the spring of 1658.
The original order is owned by Ulster County, and County Clerk Nina Postupack’s office has loaned the order for the unveiling of the new exhibit. In adition, there are other 17th century documents and objects to explore including Native American artifacts, farming implements, and actual pieces of the stockade. Artist Len Tantillo painted a view of what the area may have looked like in the late 17th century.
Touchscreens will give visitors an opportunity to investigate the exhibit further. Senate House is located at 296 Fair St. in historic uptown Kingston. The exhibit will be open 10:30 am to 3 pm. Starting Wednesday April 19, the site will be open Wed-Sat from 10 to 5 and Sundays 1 to 5 pm.
Senate House State Historic Site is part of a system of parks, recreation areas and historic sites operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and is one of 28 facilities administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in New York and New Jersey. For further information about this and other upcoming events call the site at (845) 338-2786 or visit the State Parks website.
Photo: Kingston’s Stockade Exhibit, courtesy Senate House State Historic Site.
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