The New York State Board for Historic Preservation has recommended 23 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The nominations include an octagonal circus house in Cortland County, an intact Catskills mountain lodge in Ulster County, a railroad focused historic district in Clinton County, the legendary Holcombe Rucker Park Basketball Court in New York City, and many more. [Read more…] about 23 Nominations to State and National Registers
Freemasonary
Knox Artillery Train Cannon Relay Set for December
More than 75 people gathered Sunday at Prospect Hill Cemetery in the Village of Victory, Saratoga County, — just steps from the site of British Gen. John Burgoyne’s 1777 surrender—to commemorate four Revolutionary War anniversaries and rededicate a cornerstone of American memory.
The event, hosted by Saratoga 250, featured the dedication of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Knox Artillery Cannon, the 248th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga, the 250th anniversary of Gen. Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery, and the 148th anniversary of the Freemasons’ cornerstone-laying of the Saratoga Monument. [Read more…] about Knox Artillery Train Cannon Relay Set for December
Morgan Lewis: A Remarkable Military & Political Career
Morgan Lewis (1754-1844) served as New York’s Attorney General from 1791 to 1792, making significant contributions to New York State during its formative years. He later served as the third Governor of New York, among other prominent political, military and social positions.
Born in 1754 in the city of New York, Lewis served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. From September 1, 1776, to the end of the war he was a colonel and the Quartermaster General for the Northern Department. [Read more…] about Morgan Lewis: A Remarkable Military & Political Career
Otto Hillig: Photographer, Aviator, and Castle-Builder
Robert Penn Warren once wrote that there are two main types of American hero. President George Washington is the first type: His inspiring biography and accomplishments have acquired the luster of myth. He’s become an unapproachable ideal. Less lofty is Benjamin Franklin’s type of hero. Franklin shared America’s love of gadgets and applied science.
We admire him for being, as Warren writes, “the very model of the Industrious Apprentice who, by…. thrift, self-denial, temperance, prudence, and…. calculation… rises, without social, financial, or intellectual advantages, to high solvency and world fame.” His limitation was: He “seems what you yourself, with just a little luck, might be,” as well.
Otto Hillig, photographer and adventurer, was that second type of hero. [Read more…] about Otto Hillig: Photographer, Aviator, and Castle-Builder
Boston Revolutionary and Warren County Namesake Joseph Warren Museum Plans 2025 Opening
Dr. Joseph Warren (1741 – 1775) played a leading role in Patriot organizations in Boston at the beginning of the American Revolution, eventually serving as President of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress. Warren was killed in battle at Bunker Hill.
[Read more…] about Boston Revolutionary and Warren County Namesake Joseph Warren Museum Plans 2025 Opening
Restless Roamer: James Smithson’s Final Journey
A descendant of Dutch settlers, Jacob Aaron Westervelt began his career in 1814 as an apprentice in Christian Bergh’s shipyard at the point of land on the East River known as Corlears Hook. He left his employer in 1835 to start his own operation along the river. Over a period of three decades, the yard produced 234 vessels.
One of Jacob’s first commissions in 1836 was to build the packet boat Mediator for John Griswold’s Black X Line. Founded in 1823, its ships ran between New York and London displaying a house flag with a black X on a red background. [Read more…] about Restless Roamer: James Smithson’s Final Journey
Freemasons and the Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga
Over the years, much has been written about the Freemasons (or Masons) involved in the American Revolution, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere. Freemasonry is a voluntary self-betterment association that teaches moral, intellectual, and spiritual lessons through theatrical initiation ceremonies. [Read more…] about Freemasons and the Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga
Albany Artist Ezra Ames: A Biography
Ezra Ames was born on May 5th, 1768 in Framingham, Massachusetts. He was the fourth child of Jesse Emes and Betty Bent.
Prior to the 1800s, printed documents were scarce and there was usually no generally accepted spelling for many words. Most words were written phonetically; whatever combination of letters caused a person to say the intended word was accepted. [Read more…] about Albany Artist Ezra Ames: A Biography
Freemasonry in Early America
In this episode of the Ben Franklin’s World Podcast, Mark Tabbert, the Director of Archives and Exhibits at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association and the author of Almanac of American Freemasonry and A Deserving Brother: George Washington and Freemasonry, joins us so we can investigate and better understand Freemasonry and its role in Early America. [Read more…] about Freemasonry in Early America