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Our new mailing address is:
6282 Route 9, Rhinebeck NY 12572
Our old PO Box is inactive
President's message
Dear members, supporters, and friends,
We continue to make progress in the careful task of organizing our entire collections archives, our research library, and the addition of the newly acquired Arthur & Nancy Kelly Research Library. We expect to be able to announce our public opening date shortly.
While the traditional means of support remain (below) I want to particularly bring your attention to our third annual auction. AAR Auctions has again provided all their professional services and donated any buyers premium to DCHS so we get 100% of proceeds. The auction has become our single-biggest fundraising event of the year, and has grown significantly in terms of the number of items, and creativity and uniqueness of experiences. You will find a variety of ideas for Christmas and holiday gifts.
3. Please consider a significant donation, or engage a potential donor on our behalf, for our collections management endowment drive.
I expect to be able to have a more detailed, and very encouraging report on fundraising on all these fronts shortly. We are very grateful for – and encouraged by – the wide range of support DCHS is getting during this transitional moment.
Rob Doyle
DCHS 2023 Auction is Live! David Turner & Toni Mauro, Trustees, Co-Chairs
Discover Dutchess County: Our 2023 Autumn Auction Catalog is Live! Get ready for an extraordinary journey throughout Dutchess County and beyond as we invite you to explore the treasures in our 2023 Autumn Auction catalog. From historic home tours to farm experiences and unique day trips, there's something for everyone to enjoy. What you'll find:
Historic Home Tours: Immerse yourself in local history and architecture with private tours of historic homes in Dutchess County and beyond, followed by delightful receptions.
Farm Tours and More: Experience the pastoral beauty of Dutchess County with multiple farm tours and an array of gift certificates. Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Our catalog features gift certificates for restaurants, hardware stores, specialty shops, and even pizza packages from towns across the county.
Museums and Day Trips: Bid on tours or memberships at renowned institutions like Mills Mansion, Innisfree Gardens, Wethersfield Garden, and Vassar College. We're also taking you on day trips to historic sites and museums outside Dutchess County, including Historic Hudson Valley, Lyndhurst Museum, the Hudson River Museum, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, and the Newport Preservation Society.
With over 100 impressive items in the 2023 Autumn Auction, our online catalog is now ready for your participation! Every bid supports DCHS in serving the community and fulfilling its mission and program of work, especially this year as we settle in at our new location in Rhinebeck, NY.
Don't Miss Your Chance to Bid: Start bidding on these remarkable items and support DCHS's mission. Auction offerings start at just $1.00, and registration is free. Check out the fully illustrated catalog now and be part of this exciting event!
Thank You for Your Generous Support! Your participation makes a difference. Thank you in advance for your generous support. Together, we can make this auction a tremendous success.
As We Move Into Our New Headquarters, Our Collection Grows
At our September board meeting, the following items were recommended and approved for acceptance:
Handbook for D.H.I.A. (Dairy Herd Improvement Association) Supervisors, which includes supervisors’ monthly records for regarding milk production and feed data on local dairy herds. The records are for Northern Dutchess County and cover the period between 1949 and 1950. “The Busy Beavers” song by Tom Duncan. 4-H memorabilia. Gift of Nancy V. Kelly and Arthur C.M. Kelly, Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Collection of materials related to the Bryan-Moore family of Shekomeko in Dutchess County. Included in the collection, which has descended through several generations of descendants, are: woven sheets, a horsehair sleigh blanket, glass plate negatives, miscellaneous framed photographs of individuals and houses, two samplers, various school books, miscellaneous deeds and letters, a quilt, a coverlet, and a recipe book created by Catherine Hoffman. Gift of Mary H. Silks of Woodbury, Connecticut
The 37th Annual Dutchess County Executive Arts Award with Arts Mid-Hudson goes to DCHS in the category of Art in Public Places.
Presented October 11, the award is given in recognition of DCHS's work in raising the profile of the life and legacy of LaGrange's Caroline Morgan Clowes.
Greater Hudson Heritage Network 2023 Award for Excellence
The Greater Hudson Heritage Network is also recognizing DCHS for bringing the lost artistry of Caroline Clowes to public attention. The award will be presented at the GHHN Annual Conference Taking Care: Well-being and the Museum Worker on October 24, at Boscobel House & Gardens in Garrison.
Membership Committee Celebrates Dover Day With New Spin on Historic Tradtions!
Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Dutchess County Historical Society table at Dover Day last month. It was great to see old friends and make new ones. The kids and their parents loved learning about thaumatropes, a 19th century spinning wonder, making them and signing the DCHS banner. History is great!
The Move! Bill Jeffway & Melodye Moore
For the handful of us lucky enough to be spending time organizing and setting up our new offices, library and archives, we see how transformational the move to a more accessible and flexible space is going to be. The move would not have been possible without the support, encouragement, generosity and wise counsel of Elijah Bender and the entire Bender family of William Gottlieb Real Estate. Their meticulous attention to the renovation of this iconic Rhinebeck gateway building has created a space that is highly functional and welcoming and promises to be a joyful place to work for staff, volunteers, researchers and visitors alike.
From August 29th to September 1st the trucks shown below were a familiar site outside the new home of the Dutchess County Historical Society. In total it took eight Arnoff truckloads (plus many trips by others) to empty the Clinton House of collections that had been housed there since 1979. The Arnoff crew were extremely professional and took great care with all the priceless objects entrusted to DCHS. And, more importantly, they never lost their cheerfulness despite having to go up and down the truck's loading ramp at least a million times. Executive Director Bill Jeffway's favorite part of the building is the lift used by the Hobson family to move stoves and refrigerators up from the basement to the sales floor of the appliance store. See below. Many, many boxes of organizational files and past yearbooks were given a ride down to safe and dry storage in the lower floor of the building. The work of reshelving collections and the research library is progressing on a daily basis. Plans are underway for a ribbon cutting event in the near future. Watch for an upcoming announcement. We look forward to welcoming everyone.
Save the date: Wednesday, November 1 at 7pm Andy Villani, Program Chair
We are pleased to announce another extraordinary Civil War program with DCHS Trustee Michael Boden. More information about this Zoom-only event will be forthcoming. We are grateful to CR Properties for its ongoing sponsorship of these programs!
Please support our business and organizational supporters who put a premium on preserving and sharing our local history.
Always feel free to email me with questions or comments. Enjoy this newsletter? Share below. Thank you. Bill Jeffway at bill.jeffway@dchsny.org.
