Downtown Troy developed rapidly throughout the 19th century. The bustling river city saw a devastating fire that ripped through River and First Streets and the surrounding area in 1820. Troy’s business community quickly rebuilt, this time with many more brick buildings. As the century progressed, River Street and the downtown blocks that connected to it saw vast growth and development. [Read more…] about Troy’s Nathan Dauchy Centerpiece Harmony Hall Still Stands Tall
Rensselaer County
Henry Burleigh, Benjamin Harrison’s Peacock Feather & Political Reporting
Sing along with me to the tune of a familiar nursery rhyme song.
Everywhere that Burleigh went, Burleigh went, Burleigh went – everywhere that Burleigh went the press was sure to follow.
The press followed H.G. Burleigh, a 19th century State Assemblyman, Congressman and political power broker from Whitehall and Ticonderoga, because reporters knew there would always be an entertaining story that more often than not came with a nugget of breaking news. [Read more…] about Henry Burleigh, Benjamin Harrison’s Peacock Feather & Political Reporting
Early Dutch Farms at Troy
Between the more formidable island of Papscanee (previously spelled Papsickene, now a peninsula nature preserve) and where the Hoosac River meets the Hudson, more than a dozen streams flow into the Hudson River. Only at the Poesten Kill, which flows through Troy, was there enough farmland, room to grow, and sufficient water-power for the earliest industries. [Read more…] about Early Dutch Farms at Troy
Schaghticoke’s Congressman: John A. Quackenbush
When in doubt, take a dinner break.
That was the strategy for reaching unanimity in 1888 at New York’s 18th Congressional District nominating convention.
And the strategy worked, although some of the politicians from Washington and Rensselaer counties may have eaten crow, so to speak. [Read more…] about Schaghticoke’s Congressman: John A. Quackenbush
Sculptor Edmonia Lewis: From Albany to Rome, Italy
When American writer Henry James labeled the group of American women sculpting in Rome the “white marmorean flock,” he also made another note. “One of the sisterhood was a negress, whose color, picturesquely contrasting with that of her plastic material [white marble], was the pleading agent of her fame.” Like many of his contemporaries, James attributed the success of Edmonia Lewis to her skin color while also disregarding her mixed-race heritage.
In the early nineteenth century, it was difficult to be an American sculptor. There were no professional art schools, no specialized carvers, few quality materials, and only a few practicing sculptors in America. The pilgrimage to Rome was a necessity for those who aspired to be sculptors. If a woman wished to pursue sculpting, she confronted additional obstacles. [Read more…] about Sculptor Edmonia Lewis: From Albany to Rome, Italy
Harvest Faire at Crailo State Historic Site
On Saturday, September 12th, Crailo State Historic Site and the Friends of Fort Crailo present a Harvest Faire.
Crailo’s historic grounds and Hudson River park set the scene for the event which features both 17th and 18th century re-enactors, music, and demonstrations, as well as crafts and games for children. Among the re-enactors are 17th-century Dutch settlers, a tinsmith, a doctor and Native Americans. [Read more…] about Harvest Faire at Crailo State Historic Site
New Leadership for Rensselaer County Historical Society
The Rensselaer County Historical Society (RCHS) has announced the appointment of Karin Krasevac-Lenz as its new executive director.
Krasevac-Lenz brings more than 30 years of experience in not-for-profit development, strategic planning, creative community engagement, constituent relations, agency communications and other areas to her role at RCHS according to an announcement sent to the press. [Read more…] about New Leadership for Rensselaer County Historical Society
Rensselaer County To Fete Steven Bouchey
The Rensselaer County Historical Society’s (RCHS) Annual Gala will be held at the Franklin Plaza Ballroom, in downtown Troy on Thursday, October 8, 2015 at 6 pm.
The event will honor Steven Bouchey who will be awarded the Hart-Cluett Award for his commitment to local history and historic preservation. [Read more…] about Rensselaer County To Fete Steven Bouchey
New Exhibit Considers Rensselaer County Landscape
The Rensselaer County Historical Society (RCHS) in Troy debuts a new exhibit, Scenic Overlook: Perspectives on Rensselaer County’s Changing Landscape, on Friday, February 27th as part of Troy Night Out, from 5 pm to 8 pm.
The exhibit runs through December 19, 2015 and is free to the public. [Read more…] about New Exhibit Considers Rensselaer County Landscape
Poestenkill Lion: Unique Folk Art On Exhibit
k In December, the Rensselaer County Historical Society (RCHS) unveiled a new addition to the museum. The Poestenkill Lion returned to the museum after some conservation work and for the first time was displayed on the museum’s walls.
The lion first came to RCHS in 2011, when long-time RCHS supporters Hughes and Eva Gemmill donated the painting, which dates to about 1840 and is by an unknown artist. The lion was thinly painted with milk paint on four wide unfinished wood boards. [Read more…] about Poestenkill Lion: Unique Folk Art On Exhibit