2022–23 Programs and Special Events

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

HistoryLuncheon

The Legacy of A. P. Smith

The annual History Luncheon, held at the Ramsey Country Club, is cosponsored by the Historical Society of Rockland County and Northwest Bergen History Coalition. At the 2022 luncheon, Arnold Brown, who has been exploring African American history of Bergen County for many years, focused on A. P. Smith, the African American publisher of The Landscape. Smith wrote and printed the four-page monthly in his home at the corner of East Allendale and Chestnut Ridge roads in Saddle River. He wrote in later years that when he started his little paper in 1881, it was “the only newspaper in Bergen County north of Hackensack.” Smith also claimed to be descended from the same family in Rockland County as the noted abolitionist Garret Smith.

Sunday, September 18, 2022

SeptemberFest at the HSRC

FeaturingGunsattheGateway!

This special day, filled with family fun and local history on the beautiful grounds of the Historical Society of Rockland County, featured living-history actors Sean Grady and Gary Petagine of Historical Drama performing their latest play, Guns at the Gateway! to mark the 242nd anniversary of the Benedict Arnold-John André Affair. Additional activities included lawn games, scavenger hunts, eighteenth-century-inspired arts and crafts, tours of the historic Jacob Blauvelt House, and local cider and donuts courtesy of Dr. Davies Farm and the Orchards of Concklin.

Saturday, October 8, 2022

MarkerDedication

Pretty Penny Literary Landmark

This event included the dedication of a special marker designating Pretty Penny as a Literary Landmark. Special guests, including Joyce Bulifant and the families of Helen Hayes and Charles Mac-

Arthur, shared fond memories of this beautiful Nyack home. The marker was dedicated, followed by a champagne reception. Literary Landmarks is a program of United for Libraries, a Division of the American Library Association.

Sunday, October 16, 2022

9th Annual Fall Festival

WithHeritageofWestNyackand theTownofClarkstown

In celebration of Rockland History

Month in October and to continue our focus on collaboration and preservation, the HSRC teamed up with Heritage of West Nyack and the Town of Clarkstown again for the annual Fall Festival. The one-day event was held at Germonds Park in West Nyack to raise awareness of ongoing efforts to preserve the historic Vanderbilt Budke and Traphagen farmhouses, now owned by the Town of Clarkstown and under preservation.

Saturday–Sunday, December 3–4, 2021 St.NicholasDayFestival

Each year since 1961, the HSRC has welcomed children of all ages to celebrate St. Nicholas Day. This traditional program is a highlight of the holiday season, and many adults who enjoyed the event as children now bring their own famlies. This year, 76 children accompanied by 91 parents, grandparents, and other adults enjoyed the eight St. Nicholas Day performances, with an additional 10 children enjoying special COVID-safe St. Nicholas Day takeaway boxes. Special thank go to Richard Anderson (St. Nicholas), Jennifer Brooks (storyteller), Christine Kowalski, Kay Levinson, Jennifer Lorenzo, Jennifer Rothschild, Robin Wren, and other volunteers who helped our guests learn about early Dutch holiday traditions; visit with St. Nicholas; enjoy spiced cider and ginger cookies by the open hearth; and discover holiday treats left in the children’s shoes.

Sunday evenings, December 18, 2022, and January 8 & 15, 2023

Candlelight Tours oftheJacobBlauveltHouse

Eight-five adults and children joined us this holiday season for special Candlelight Tours of the decorated Jacob Blauvelt House, experiencing Dutch American holiday traditions of the 1830s. Although inclement weather forced us to cancel the tours scheduled for December 11, two tours were held each evening on the Sundays of December 18, January 8 and January 15. We thank Jacquelyn Drechsler and Kaelin Anders for providing nineteenth-century flute music for the tours. Candlelight Tours require a great deal of volunteer support. Special thanks in 2022 are due to Richard Anderson, Ronnie and Bob Boesch, Janet Oravec, Thom Kleiner, and Jennifer Rothschild.

Thursday, December 15, 2022

ZoomLecture&Hands-onCraftWorkshop

Dutch Holiday Traditions: A History of the Season in the Hudson Valley

In this virtual program, the HSRC’s Jennifer Brooks traced the line between the traditions of early Dutch settlers in Rockland County and surrounding areas to the growth of our modern American Christmas. Where did our holiday traditions come from? Who is Saint Nicholas, and how did he become Santa Claus? Why is the December season known for gift-giving and charity? What’s with the tree and the chimney? And what does any of this have to do with religion?

On Thursday evening, workshop participants stepped back in time with us to conduct hands-on exploration of the history behind Dutch holiday traditions. The workshop covered this fascinating history while sharing Dutch recipes and engaging the participants with a festive craft for to take home for the holidays.

Thursday, February 23, 2023

SpecialLecture

Confessions of a Hayseed DA, with Kathleen Meehan Do obert R. Meehan served as the District Attorney of Rockland County from 1965 to 1974 and went on to become a Rockland County and New York State Supreme Court Judge until he retired in 2000. He chronicled aspects of his career in a manuscript that was edited by Kathleen Do, his daughter, and published in 2022 as Confessions of a Hayseed DA. Ms. Do recounted her experiences locating the manuscript, editing the text, researching cases her father cited, and interviewing some of the key players whose names appear in the book’s pages.