
14th Annual Albany History Fair
Faith, Spirit, Community
Sunday, May 19, 1-5 pm
Westminster Presbyterian Church
262 State Street
Albany, NY
Presentations, tours, music, exhibits and more! Free admission!
Hudson River Trading Game Family Day
Free event for families at Historic Cherry Hill on Sunday, June 9th from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Test your luck and skill at the Hudson River Trading Game where participants use a 34-foot game board to experience the challenges of 18th century trade and travel on the Hudson River. Highlights of the day will include historical games, crafts, "show and tell" by experts of rarely seen artifacts belonging to merchant Philip Van Rensselaer of Cherry Hill and China trader Stewart Dean of Albany, and special displays of student work.
For further information call Historic Cherry Hill at 434-4791.
To preview student work that will be featured that day, go HERE
Support for Education Programs - 2012-2013 School Year
Our thanks to the generosity of the following community partners who are currently making it possible for fifth graders in eleven schools in the City School District of Albany to participate in the Hudson River Trading Game & Navigating the Seas program by underwriting admission fees:

In addition, we sincerely thank these community partners for their general support and promotion of the program in serving students throughout the Capital District:

The interactive Hudson River Trading Game & Navigating the Seas program immerses students in 18th century trade and economics through role-playing on a 34-foot game board and a planetarium experience. It was developed jointly with the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center who also hosts the program. The program combines history, science, economics and math and has been hailed by classroom teachers as providing an exciting hands-on experience which is engaging, realistic and concrete.

A Trip to the Met...for an HCH textile
Historic Cherry Hill is lending its stunning 18th century palampore to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Met's upcoming exhibit, The Interwoven Globe. To learn more about the palampore, check out the museum's video below starring Historic Cherry Hill Curator Deborah Emmons-Andarawis and, of course, the palampore.
Albany History Fair a Success!
Thank you to all who attended and participated in the 2012 Albany History Fair. Visitors enjoyed music, tours of the house, a glimpse of objects from the museum's collection, demonstrations from War of 1812 reenactors, activities for kids and more! We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day !
Enjoy some pictures from the Fair!
Support for Education Programs
Our thanks to Price Chopper's Golub Foundation for their long-time support of Historic Cherry Hill's school programs. In September 2011, Price Chopper's Golub Foundation donated $650 for the admission costs of 130 fifth grade students in the City School District of Albany to participate in the Hudson River Trading Game program. The interactive program immerses students in 18th century trade and economics through role-playing on a 34-foot game board and a planetarium experience. It was developed jointly with the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center who also provides the space for the program.
In May, a grant from the Stewart's Shops enabled 100 fifth grade students to participate in the program, "The Hudson River Trading Game: Albany's Connection to the World," developed by Historic Cherry Hill and the Albany Visitors Center. Stewart's support of this project was particularly important as schools are currently limiting field trip budgets. The grant underwrote the admission costs of the program for fifth graders from School 18 in Troy and from Cambridge Elementary in Cambridge. The program combines history, science, economics and math. It has been hailed by classroom teachers as providing an exciting hands-on experience which is engaging, realistic and concrete.
From Keeping Place, Keeping Pace - March 2011 (see here for full newsletter):

A view of the scaffolding in place with needle
beams anchored on lally columns to hold the weight
of the house while sill and post work is being done.

The wood to the right is the recently replaced
sill, the wood to the left shows the older
sill to be replaced.

A view of the original lath back in place,
awaiting plaster.

View of a temporary Plexiglas window.
The original window has been removed for
restoration work at off-site workshop.
Restoration & Campaign Corner
The Restoration Project has continued with delays made inevitable by the winter weather. The good news is that sill work has been accomplished on the north end of the eastern facade of the house--where the sill was replaced in sections across the entire north end, and Dutchman repairs were carried out on posts as well as interior and exterior studs. Since accomplishing the sill work on the north end, the original brick nogging and the original lath have been put back in place on the interior of the North Parlor. Once the wall has been plastered the interior structural work in that room will be complete. All eyes are turned to the southern end of the eastern fa?ade where exterior post repairs have been carried out. An upcoming meeting with the architectural team and restoration firm will identify the extent to which the sill will need replacement on the south end. In addition to the structural work, restoration workers have also been in the process of removing windows from the house for restoration at an off-site workshop. Several restored windows have been reinstalled in the house.
On the fund raising front, we continue to make progress towards our fourth benchmark with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). We have until July to meet the Challenge Grant benchmark. We have received two grants totaling $350,000 from the Environmental Protection Fund and a generous grant of $12,500 from the Equinox Foundation all made in support of the restoration project and capital campaign. These grants will allow us to complete phases 1 and 2 of the 4- phase project, and support from the State of New York and the Equinox Foundation for this critical work is greatly appreciated.
Also, many thanks to the following individuals for recent gifts that will count towards the benchmark:
Joan Gould
Eileen Finn
Ann McGuiness
Harry & Kathy Odabashian
Anonymous
Mr. and Mrs. Freeman T. Putney, Jr.
Anonymous
Mr. and Mrs. James Sherin
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