Historic Cherry Hill
Living Resources Captures Cherry Hill in Photographs
Saturday, October 25, at 1:00 p.m
In 1827, a murder occurred at Cherry Hill, home of the prominent Van Rensselaer family. The crime aroused tremendous public interest and marked the last public hanging in the city of Albany. The event also touched upon some important issues of the day such as women's roles and legal rights, social class, punishment and the law, and slavery in New York. Join us for this two-hour tour which will include following the footsteps of the killer on the night of the murder and a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Cherry Hill household. Recommended: wearing comfortable shoes since we will be going outside and climbing staircases inside. Please dress for the weather.
Advance registration and payment are required. Tour size is limited.
Cost: $18.00 for adults; $10.00 for children, ages 12-17
HCH members: $12.00 adults; $7.00 children
Proceeds will support Historic Cherry Hill's education mission.
Call 518-434-4791 or Click here to let us know you are interested, and we'll send you the signup and payment form.
[top]
Contents -- July 2008
- Generous Grant Support for Quadricentennial Events
- Cherry Hill Featured During May "Sweeps"
- Assembly Members Secure Support for Important Museum Initiatives
- Quadricentennial Prelude To Feature, Honor Gehring
- The Cherry Hill Bequest Society
- Board Notes
- Calendar Note
Generous Grant Support for Quadricentennial Events
Historic Cherry Hill has been awarded $11,700 from the New York Council for the Humanities (NYCH), a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, for Where the Past Beats the Present: The Cherry Hill Family's View of Their Hudson River Heritage. The series will consist of four programs co-sponsored with the Town of Bethlehem during the 2009 Hudson 400 Celebration.
Programs will explore the issue of history versus nostalgia by focusing on the family's 18th century documented colonial history and later generations' attempts to romanticize and re-create that past. Programs will explore what drives nostalgia for the past, how nostalgia may omit or distort history and why it was so compelling for the Cherry Hill family.
Philip Van Rensselaer served as
Bethlehem's first Town Supervisor. A
wealthy merchant-farmer, Philip imported
goods and shipped produce from his farm
to New York City by sloop. His farm at
Cherry Hill included a tannery and brew
house. During the Revolution, he was
commissioned a colonel and appointed
in July 1776 as commissary of military
stores for the Northern Department. 2009
Quadricentennial programs will explore
how the later generations at Cherry Hill
felt about their prominent ancestors and
Hudson River heritage.
The four programs will be free to the public. Each will include new research findings on Cherry Hill's first owner, Philip Van Rensselaer, who built his Georgian-style home, Cherry Hill, on a 900 acre farm in what was then the Town of Bethlehem. Philip, a descendent of the first Dutch Patroon, was a Hudson River trader and farmer who served as the town's first supervisor. Philip's 18th century life at Cherry Hill will be contrasted with the later family's nostalgic views of their colonial past including their participation in an earlier Hudson River commemoration, the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration.
Education Director Rebecca Watrous says of the grant award, "We are grateful for this generous support from the New York Council for the Humanities, which will allow us to complete much needed research on the 18th century occupants of Cherry Hill and continue working with noted historian Tamara Plakins Thornton to develop engaging programs for the public."
Dr. Thornton, Professor of History at the State University of New York (SUNY)- Buffalo, will kick off the series in April with a lecture at the Bethlehem Public Library. This will be followed by a summer family event on the grounds of Historic Cherry Hill, and a special house tour. The series will conclude in the fall with focus tours of the site's grounds and South End, exploring landscape changes as the house evolved from a farm to urban home.
Watrous will serve as Project Director, coordinating the work of team members including Thornton, Historic Cherry Hill's Manuscript Specialist Mary Doehla and Curator Deborah Emmons-Andarawis.
Founded in 1975, The New York Council for the Humanities is a not-for-profit, independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. NYCH works with more than 4,000 cultural institutions such as libraries, historical sites, museums, art galleries, colleges and universities, and community centers "to bring innovative, thought-provoking programs to over a quarter of a million New Yorkers annually."
Through its statewide collaborations, programs and services, NYCH works "to ensure that the humanities are present in the intellectual and cultural life of every New Yorker."
[contents]Cherry Hill Featured During May "Sweeps"
Historic Cherry Hill was featured on the May 23 edition of WXXA Fox 23's "Hidden Hauser" series. Throughout the morning, Reporter Kathryn Hauser gave clues regarding her whereabouts, with viewers emailing in guesses. Once her location was revealed, Hauser did extensive pieces on the 1827 murder and Rankin family history, interviewing Education Director Rebecca Watrous and Director Liselle LaFrance. The coverage resulted in visits from first-time visitors during the Memorial Day weekend.
[contents]Assembly Members Secure Support for Important Museum Initiatives
Assemblyman John McEneny and Majority Leader Ronald Canestrari have secured $75,000 in the New York State Budget in support of Historic Cherry Hill's efforts to professionalize its development operation and meet the matching requirement for its Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The funding was allocated in the 2008-2009 budget of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP) General Fund/Aid to Localities Local Assistance Account.
In addition, Assemblyman McEneny secured $5,000 to be used for Quadricentennial program planning. In his letter, McEneny noted, "The funding that your organization is receiving is in recognition of the fine work that you are doing and certainly reflects the respect and gratitude that I have for your efforts." The museum greatly appreciates the continued support and advocacy of Assembly members Canestrari and McEneny, especially during a difficult economic climate.
[contents]Quadricentennial Prelude To Feature, Honor Gehring
Mark your calendars for a very special afternoon. On Saturday, October 18, Historic Cherry Hill will present a luncheon and presentation by Charles T. Gehring, Ph.D, Director of the New Netherland Project. Gehring's talk, "Hudson 400 in Four Parts", will be a great way to orient attendees to the upcoming 2009 Quadricentennial Celebration. There is no one better suited to this than Gehring, and his significant contributions to the understanding of the Dutch in Colonial New York will be recognized as well. Gehring has served as Director of this important project since 1987, after serving as Translator and Editor of New York colonial documents for the New York State Library for more than 10 years. Extensively published, Gehring received his Ph.D from Indiana University and was a Fulbright scholar at Albert- Ludwigs University in Freiburg, Germany. His talk will explore the significance of Henry Hudson's explorations for New Netherland, and outline the New Netherland Institute's Quadricentennial commemoration plans. The presentation will be illustrated with maps.
The event, which will begin at Noon, will be held at The Mansion at Cedar Hill, which is located on Route 144 in the Town of Bethlehem. The cost for the buffet luncheon and presentation is $35 per person ($30 for HCH members). Seating is limited. For reservations, mail checks and names of attendees to Historic Cherry Hill, 523 ½ South Pearl St, Albany, NY 12202.
[contents]The Cherry Hill Bequest Society
Emily Rankin's 1963 bequest established Cherry Hill as a museum, and bequests today can continue to play an important role in supporting the museum for generations to come. For many donors, gifts made through their wills are the best way to make substantial, lasting contributions to Historic Cherry Hill. Donors may leave specific dollar amounts or a percentage of their estates. Through a bequest you can:
This bas-relief by noted Albany sculptor
Erastus Dow Palmer exhibits cracking,
losses, and visible accumulations of dirt.
Historic Cherry Hill's upcoming building
restoration will provide an improved
environment that is more conducive to the
long-term preservation of its important and
unique collection.
• Make a substantial gift to the museum upon your death while retaining your assets during your lifetime;
• Eliminate or reduce federal estate taxes;
• Ensure that the generous operating and programmatic support you have provided to the museum during your lifetime continues in perpetuity;
• Become a member of The Cherry Hill Bequest Society, which was formed to honor donors who have made a planned gift to the museum.
Establishing a bequest is an easy process to complete with your lawyer. For more information, contact Director Liselle LaFrance at (518) 434-4791; liselle@ historiccherryhill.org.
[contents]Board Notes
The museum is pleased to welcome Barbara Baciewicz, Carole Huxley and Keith Lee to its Board of Trustees. Baciewicz has volunteered as a Guide at Historic Cherry Hill since 1992. She has helped the museum in numerous ways, most recently by serving on the Case for Support and Capital Campaign Task Force, and was last year's recipient of the Helen Mynderse Volunteer Award. With a Masters in Public Administration, she has worked for the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities as a Budgeting Analyst since 1980.
Carole Huxley recently retired from her position as Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education in the New York State Education Department. Before her post there, she was the Director of the Division of Special Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities. With her strong background in education, she has expressed appreciation for Cherry Hill's education programs, and brought several members of the Board of Regents to observe a program in recent years.
Keith Lee found Cherry Hill through his love of gardening. A member of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program, Keith has been part of the team working to restore the Cherry Hill landscape to the period 1945-1954. Now retired, Keith worked for nearly 30 years at the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, most recently as Executive Assistant to the Commissioner.
In other Board news, Secretary Anthony Opalka was recently appointed to the post of City Historian by Major Gerald Jennings. Well versed in the architectural and social history of the City, Opalka is often called upon to present walking and driving tours, and has been a regular and popular presenter at the Albany History Fair. Opalka works at the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and in addition to his service at Cherry Hill, serves on the Board of the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region and Advisory Board of Historic Albany Foundation.
[contents]Calendar Note
The next Behind-The-Scenes Murder Investigation Tour will be held on Saturday, October 25 at 1 p.m. The fee is $18 for adults and $10 for children 12-17 ($12/$7 for HCH members). Space is limited. For reservations, mail checks to Historic Cherry Hill, 523 ½ South Pearl St, Albany, NY 12202.
[contents]
[top]