Number 96               NEWSLETTER                             Spring 2005

Stone Strategies: WORKSHOP

Documentation, Stewardship and Conservation of Historic Cemeteries

Friday, May 6, 2005 9:30 – 4:30 at The Hopewell Reformed Church, Hopewell Junction, Dutchess County, NY

Sponsored by the Town of East Fishkill, and in cooperation with the Hudson Valley DHP, the East Fishkill Historical Society, and LHC.

Historic cemeteries are found in every community, and many are in emergency need of documentation & preservation as residential and business development projects progress through urban, suburban and rural farming communities in the region. Here's a hands-on opportunity for citizens, local historians, educators, librarians, genealogists, community groups and historical societies to learn professional & practical steps necessary to preserve a vanishing heritage.

Those who are responsible for care and access to cemetery property and the information incised on historic gravestones, will find archivists & conservators on hand in a workshop setting, to highlight state & local legal issues, and to demonstrate identification, documentation, cleaning and preservation strategies you can use.

9:30–11  Stewardship & Documentation: DHP archivists Dianne Macpherson and Erica Blumenfeld identify laws and existing historical records signifying ownership and stewardship of historic cemeteries; explain where to get permission and access to cemetery properties and records; outline methods of documentation (transcription, mapping, photography) resulting in the creation of historical records; show how to plan/produce finding aids and place documentary records in accessible formats and repositories.

11–12:30 Introduction to Conservation & Preservation: Conservator C.R. Jones of the New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown, will address identification of gravestone materials, styles and demonstrate cleaning techniques. A slide-survey will illuminate cemetery markers & their physical problems.

1:30–4   Following lunch, C.R. Jones will lead a conservation "walk-through" of the Hopewell Cemetery, adjacent to the church, guiding us in practical methods we can take, as well as those we should avoid, in planning for historic cemetery preservation. Hands-on demonstrations of basic preservation practices will be done on site.

Workshop registration fees ($30/ LHC members; $40/ non-members; $25 each for two or more from an LHC member organization) should be made payable to Lower Hudson Conference, and mailed to: Stone Strategies/ LHC, 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford, NY 10523. Directions will be sent upon receipt of registration. Questions? Please e-mail lowerhudson@msn.com, or call LHC at 914-592-6726.

SPRING CALENDAR:

Professional Learning & Funding Opportunities, Meetings & Deadlines

April 2005

4 -DHP Workshop: Identifying Historical Records; Ellenville Library & Museum, 9:30-3:30.

7-13 -National Volunteer Week. 2005 publicity toolkits available: www.pointsoflight.org/programs/.

8-10 -New England Antiquities Research Association (NEARA) Spring Meeting, Danbury, CT ($30) To register: contact Don Winkley: 203-775-3343; dwinkley@att.net.

10 -Symposium: Byrdcliffe: An American Arts and Crafts Colony, at the New-York Historical Society ($75). To register: The Woodstock Byrcliffe Guild, 845-679-2079; wguild@ulster.net. 

13-14 -Annual Conference of Museums & The Web, Vancouver, B.C. www.archimuse.

14 -Symposium on the Colored Orphan Asylum of the City of New York , Lehman College, Bronx. Co-sponsored by the Black Studies Department of Lehman College, Harlem Dowling-West Side Center and the Hebrew Home for the Aged, Riverdale. To register:212-749-3656, x556.

16 -Symposium: The Hudson Valley Country House, 9:30-4:30 Wallace Center, FDR Library, Hyde Park. Sponsored by the Great Estates Consortium & Hudson River Heritage. ($50 Registration to Friends of Mills Mansion). Information: 845-889-8851.

16 -Workshop: Roofs, Boilers & Budgets: How to Care for Your Religious Property, a Maintenance & Fundraising workshop for stewards of Houses of Worship. Trinity Church, Fishkill, NY. ($20) Contact NY Landmarks Conservancy: 212-995-5260; annfriedman@nylandmarks.org.

17-22 -Timber Frame Barn Repair Workshop, at the Palatine Farmstead Dutch Barn, Rhinebeck. Co-sponsored by Hudson Valley Vernacular Architecture, Dutch Barn Preservation Society and the Palatine Farmstead Committee. Contact HVVA: 845-0257; hvvernar@netstep.net.

21-23 -Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) "Archives Lost & Found in Translation" Spring meeting, Albany. For information contact Ray LaFever: rlafever@mail.nysed.gov. -Risk Management & Insurance Seminar for Nonprofit Leaders, "Mission Accomplished", Prime Hotel & Conference Center,  Saratoga Springs, NY. www.nonprofitrisk.org.

24-26 -MANY-UHA annual meeting, Rochester, NY. www.manyonline.org; www.upstatehistory.org.

May 2005 May is Preservation Month! "Communities at a Crossroads" www.nationaltrust.org

1 -Deadline: Preserve New York Grant Program. Funding to support historic structure reports, historic landscape reports and cultural resource surveys for municipalities and not-for-profits. Grant program of the Preservation League and NYSCA. For applications: 518-462-5688, x12, or lweiss@preservenys.org.

1-5 - "Museums at the Crossroads, "American Association of Museums (AAM) annual meeting, Indianapolis, IA. www.aam-us.org.

5 -National Interpretive Planning Colloquium at AAM, host: Indianapolis Children's Museum

6 -Stone Strategies:Documentation & Conservation of Historic Cemeteries workshop, 9:30– 4:30 Hopewell Junction, Town of East Fishkill (D). register: LHC/DHP, lowerhudson@msn.com.

7 -Rensselaer Co. Historical Society's This Old House Museum & Preservation Fair, Troy, 10-5.

17 -Online AASLH Workshop: The Basics of Archives. www.aaslh.org/workshop.htm to register.

18 -International Museum Day. www.aam-us.org/programs.

20 -Deadline: application to Oct -Nov.2005 Seminar for Historical Administration. www.aaslh.org/histadmin; 615/ 320-3203; Nicholson@aaslh.org.

June 2005

1 -Deadline, '05 statewide Conservation Treatment Grant Program; lowerhudson@msn.com.

1-3 -"School for Scanning: Building Good Digital Collections" Boston, MA; www.nedcc.org.

8-13 -AIC annual meeting "Managing Conservation Data in the 21^st Century," Minneapolis, MN.

23-27-Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS) Annual Meeting, Halifax, Nova Scotia. www.gravestonestudies.org; C.R. Jones, Program Chair: info@gravestonestudies.org

New Funding Brings Artists & Historic Houses Together:

The New York State Council on the Arts' Museum Program announces recipients for "Sites Re-Seen"—a pilot funding initiative.

Thanks to a new pilot grant program launched this year by the Museum Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), visitors to four historic sites in the state of New York will experience something new – images & sounds created specifically for them by contemporary artists.

 Titled "Sites Re-Seen", the program is designed to foster collaboration between artists and historic sites. "We believe that interaction between contemporary artists and historic sites can lead to new perspectives on the site's history, enhancing the visitor experience," said Kristin Herron, Director of the Museum Program. "The possibility of having artists consider the history and missions of these organizations as a jumping off point for their work is an exciting new direction for many historic sites, and a step forward for the field," she added.

 Thirty-four organizations from across the state applied and many more inquired about it. "The response that the program has generated proves that there's both a need and an interest in interpretation that uses contemporary sensibilities as a response to historic sites," said Herron.  Proposals involved arts from all genres, including dance, theatre, painting, illustration, music and photography. 

 The projects were reviewed by a panel of experts that included the Museum Program staff, artists with a background in collaborative projects and a historic site professional. Projects were reviewed based on the historical topic's significance, the strength of the art, and the applicant's ability to implement the project. Additionally, the art had to be site-specific and accessible to the general public. "We looked for projects that engaged with the sites' interpretive themes, and for projects that did not illustrate history in a literal sense, but used artistic expression to offer another viewpoint that is inspired by history," said Program Officer Melissa Rachleff.

 Grants ranging from $3000 to $5000 have been awarded to four organizations. The funds are to cover the direct artist costs. According to Herron, the four projects were chosen because of the exemplary way in which the organizations will work with the artists to offer a new perspective on the sites' current interpretation. Grantees should be contacted directly regarding viewing dates for their pieces. The four grantees of the program's pilot year include:

The Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY, for composer John Morton to create an original sound composition for the music box on view in the 1877 Glenview mansion. The sound composition will incorporate the diaries of the home's former occupant, Emily Trevor, as well as operas she attended.  Panelists commended this project for "pushing the museum interpretation of the site in a new direction, bringing its historic rooms to life."

The Matilda Joslyn Gage House, Fayetteville, NY, for landscape painter Sarah McCoubrey to bring to life her fictional alter ego, nineteenth-century artist Hannah Morse. McCoubrey will insert Morse into a dialogue with suffragette Gage, by creating letters and images about Gage's socio-cultural milieu. Panel found this project an "interesting experiment" that "activates the interior."

The Pollock-Krasner House, East Hampton, NY, for artists Path Soong and Jeff Gordon to collaborate on a piece that will combine visual and aural information gleaned from the site itself. The museum's archives, phonograph records, period photographs and oral history collection will be at the artists disposal to create an interpretive piece that will be installed at Jackson Pollock's and Lee Krasner's house and studio.

The Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY, to work with photographer Patricia Decker who will take into account the interior and exterior of the historic building, photographs and objects in the Opera House's collection to create a body of work that interprets their 150-year history. Her "dreamlike" photographic installations traverse straight documentary to abstracted impressions.

April Conferences, Meetings and Symposia Highlight Heritage Resources this Spring

NYSCA Sites Re-Seen Project: In an effort to share the vision and principles of "Sites Re-Seen," Herron and Rachleff will speak at the upcoming annual conference of the Museum Association of New York and the Upstate History Alliance, in Rochester, NY on April 25^th. The NYSCA Museum Program supports over 300 museums and historical societies through grants totaling over four million dollars each year. The program values projects that make the arts and culture relevant to today's audiences and encourages museums to be responsive to visitors and communities. For information about Sites Re-Seen, please contact Museum Program Director Kristin Herron: kherron@nysca.org. 

The Great Estates Consortium Symposium: The Hudson Valley Country House, April 16, is an all-day symposium (9:30-4:30) at the Wallace Center, FDR Library & Home, Hyde Park, NY, held in cooperation with  the FDR Presidential Library, Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and Hudson River Heritage. The symposium will explore the American Country House as exemplified by the riverfront estates of the Livingstons, Roosevelts, Astors and Vanderbilts- between Poughkeepsie and the City of Hudson- in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

The keynote will be given by Mark Alan Hewitt, a practicing architect and writer. Professor William B. Rhoads of SUNY New Paltz will next examine the architecture of country houses in the Hudson Valley. Carmella Mantello, Executive Director of the Hudson Valley Greenway Council, Conservancy, and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, will lead a discussion on the past, present and future of the region's riverfront estates. After lunch the "designed landscape" and the "working landscape" will be addressed by landscape architects Stephen A. Yarabek and Robert M. Toole, respectively. The final speaker, Charles T. Lyle, director emeritus of Boscobel and President of the Board of Lower Hudson Conference, will examine everyday life on a Hudson River country estate.

The Great Estates Consortium is an alliance of these museum properties in Dutchess, Columbia and Greene counties: Olana State Historic Site, Thomas Cole's Cedar Grove, Clermont State Historic Site, Montgomery Place, Wilderstein Preservation, Staatsburgh State Historic Site, Vanderbilt National Historic Site, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill National Historic Site and Samuel F.B. Morse's Locust Grove.

Registration fee of $50 includes box lunch and wine & cheese reception at 4:30pm. Checks go to Friends of Mills Mansion, Staatsburgh State Historic Site, PO Box 416, Staatsburgh, NY 12580. For information, call 845-889-8851.

New York Landmarks Conservancy Workshop Roofs, Boilers & Budgets: How to Care for Your Religious Property is a full-day workshop, April 16, on maintenance and fundraising issues for stewards of Houses of Worship, sponsored by the NY Landmarks Conservancy and the Property Support program of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, with support from the John E. Streb Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The 9:00-4:00 workshop program will be held at the Trinity Episcopal Church of Fishkill (Dutchess county). The program includes: architect Marilyn Kaplan on "Inspecting and Maintaining the Building Envelope", Ernest A. Conrad, President, Landmark Facilities Group, Inc. on "Maintaining Building Systems: Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing & HVAC Issues," The Reverend Gerald W. Keucher, Controller, Episcopal Diocese of New York on "Establishing Reserve Funds," and Holliman Associates, Newport, PA and Ruotolo Associates, Cresskill, NJ, on "Capital Campaigns."

Registration fee of $20 covers all workshop materials, continental breakfast and lunch. Additional registrants from the same organization, as well as students and seminarians, are eligible for a discounted rate of $15 per person. Space is limited. For information contact Ann Friedman or Elizabeth McTigue at the New York Landmarks Conservancy, 212-995-5260; annfriedman@nylandmarks.org, or emctigue@nylandmarks.org. See www.nylandmarks.org.

RESOURCES AT HAND & ON-LINE         

American Greenway Grants from Eastman Kodak and The Conservation Fund. The Kodak American Greenways Awards Program, a partnership of the Eastman Kodak Company, The Conservation Fund and the National Geographic Society, provides small grants to stimulate planning and design of greenways in American communities. Grants may support mapping, ecological assessments, surveying, conferences & design activities; developing brochures, interpretive displays, a-v productions; hiring consultants, incorporating land trusts, building a foot-bridge, planning a bike path, etc. Local, regional or statewide nonprofit organizations may apply; community organizations will receive preference over public agencies. Maximum grant: $2500. Applications available until June 1, 2005. For information: www.conservationfund.org.

Assessing Preservation Needs: A Self-Survey Guide from the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC), this publication is designed to help small and mid-sized organizations develop a comprehensive program to preserve their collections. Written by Beth Patkus (2003), it is geared to groups with limited budgets and little previous preservation experience and offers directions for surveying the condition of your collections and setting preservation priorities. Individualized worksheets are tailored to working with bound volumes & pamphlets; documents & manuscripts; photographs & negatives; oversized and framed materials; scrapbooks; newsprint and audio-visual materials. The guide is also available online at www.nedcc.org/welcome/pubs.htm. To order a hard-cover copy, send a check for $15 to NEDCC, attn. Juanita Singh, 100 Brickstone Square, Andover, MA 01810.

Handling Photographic Collections: Library of Congress "Tip Sheets" are on line and available to answer questions most asked of LOC staff regarding handling and processing of photo collections. Suggested arrangement schemes and sample accession forms; cataloging strategies; subject indexing and digitizing standards are all addressed. The Library of Congress website features the Prints & Photographs Division's own cataloging tools, resource lists and a bibliography of related articles. www.loc.gov/rr/print/cataloging.html.

Film Preservation Guidelines are available from the National Film Preservation Foundation in a publication: "The Film Preservation Guide: The Basics for Archives, Libraries & Museums," meant for archivists and curators with no moving picture experience. Illustrated instructions are offered for identifying and handling moving images, along with advice on minimizing film deterioration through proper storage. A free copy of the 135 page guide is available for download on the foundation's website: www.filmpreservation.org/sm_index.html; or send $8 for postage & handling to purchase a copy, to: National Film Preservation Foundation, 870 Market St., Suite 1113, San Francisco, CA 94102.

Online Basics of Archives Workshop, a joint effort of the Michigan Historical Center, New York State Archives, Ohio Historical Society and AASLH, will provide participants with basic training in how to manage and work with archival materials. The online course begins May 17 and runs through June 24. Participants will need 15-25 hours online time to complete the workshop. This course is intended for those who work with archival materials in museums or historical societies, but have little formal training in archives management and practices. Cost: $85 for AASLH members/$95 non-members. Registration opens on April 17: www.aaslh.org/workshop.htm.

Preservation and Conservation for Libraries and Archives, a 2005 publication of the ALA by paper conservators Nelly Balloffet and Jenny Hille, shows repository decision makers optimal collection preservation techniques, what it takes to set up a conservation work area, and safe ways to mount a small exhibit. The book offers handling and access solutions for libraries, archives and historical societies with research collections. ALA order # 0879-9-2500; www.alastore.ala.org. 

Get Ready! Get Set! Go! Grants are available from Upstate History Alliance (UHA). A re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), grants of up to $2500 are targeted to small and mid-sized museums to facilitate planning. Get Ready! Grants for professional consultants to assist in planning, have no deadline. Get Set! Grants have deadlines of Feb. 1^st, April 1^st, July 1^st and Oct. 1^st. Go! Grants enable museum staff, board and volunteers to travel to other museums, conferences and workshops in order to enhance their professional development. Up to $500 may be awarded in Go! Grants for travel and associated registration fees. There is no deadline for Go! Grants. Applications are available at UHA: 1-800-895-1648; info@upstatehistory.org.

The Hudson Valley Materials Exchange Community Warehouse at Stewart Airport (Newburgh) is a non-profit resource for used and surplus materials for the arts and education. Contact: hvme@hvc.rr.com; 845/567-1445; www.hvmaterialsexchange.com.

NEA Challenge America: Reaching Every Community Fast-Track Review Grants , due June 1

for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. www.arts.gov/grants/apply.

NEH grants for "America's Historic Places." Information is available at www.neh.gov/grants.

NEH Preservation Assistance Grants are due May 16^th. www.neh.gov.

Preserve New York Grants from the Preservation League of New York State and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), are available to municipalities and not-for-profits for three types of projects only: historic structure reports, historic landscape reports and cultural resource surveys. The Preservation League encourages projects that link preservation to smart growth land use planning, neighborhood and "Main Street" revitalization; preservation initiatives along rural roads and other historic transportation corridors; and projects that involve the continued use of historic municipal buildings and historic bridges. $76,600 is available; grants will range $3,000 - $15,000. No match is required. It is expected that requests for consultant fees reflect the applicant's understanding of the value of these professional services. For questions of eligibility or to receive an application form (due May 2), contact Tania G. Werbizky, Director, Technical and Grant Programs (607-272-6510) or Lorraine Weiss, Program Manager (518-462-5688, ext. 12; lweiss@preservenys.org).

Nonprofit organizations and public agencies may apply for 2005 Restore America: A Salute to Preservation grants. The program is a partnership between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Home & Garden TV. www.nationaltrust.org/restore_america/ra_grants.html.

Save America's Treasures grants are federal support administered by the National Park Service to support nationally significant projects that demonstrate an urgent preservation need and have an educational or other public benefit. 1:1 match.  202/513-7270;  www.cr.nps.gov/treasures/index.html.

Save Our History education program, a partnership between the History Channel and Preserve America, a White House initiative, offers a free Educator's Manual for teachers and preservation organizations, with lesson plans and activities linked to state history standards and appropriate for grades 2-12. The Save Our History program also includes grants and awards for local history-themed preservation projects undertaken jointly by school groups and local historical or preservation organizations. To download the manual, or for information: www.saveourhistory.com.

Statewide Conservation Treatment Grant Program, administered by Lower Hudson Conference for the Museum Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). Applications due June 1^st. Contact lowerhudson@msn.com; 914-592-6726, or go online to: www.lowerhudsonconference.org.

Reviewing the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (W3R): A brief history.

The W3R is a 600 mile route that was used by generals George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau and their troops during the American Revolutionary War. It passes through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and what is now Washington, D.C., and is composed of roads, campsites, ports, and other resources. The Continental Army and the French military joined forces to march along this route in 1781, taking a combination of intricate land and water trails that led them to the decisive siege of Yorktown, Virginia, where they succeeded in defeating the British army serving under General Cornwallis. Subsequently, various military parties followed similar return routes northward: Washington and the Continentals returned to defend northern posts while Rochambeau and his army wintered in Williamsburg, then marched back in the summer of 1782. In the towns and cities they passed through along the way, both American and French forces were warmly greeted and celebrated. In the fall of 1782, the bulk of Rochambeau's troops marched into Boston, and by year's end, sailed back to France.

The National Park Service has conducted an evaluation study of the national significance of the ten-state route, with congressional authorization of the W3R National Heritage Act of 2000. The study team is composed of planners from the Northeast Region of the National Park Service, the National Capital Region of the NPS, the planning firm of Goody, Clancy & Associates, the environmental and engineering firm of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc, and historian Dr. Robert Selig. For more in-depth information about the W3R project, see www.nps.gov/boso/w-r, or the Hudson River Valley Institute website, www.hrvi@marist.edu. 

Rochambeau Map Collection at the Library of Congress (60+ maps and an atlas), now available online: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html. Contact Diane T. Schug-O'Neill, Digital Conversion Specialist, Geology & Map Division, Library of Congress.

SPRING NEWS: LHC ANNUAL APPEAL TOPS $5700 as of April 1st. 

More than 80 individuals and several groups have been donors to LHC's Annual Appeal this year, surpassing our goal of $5000 to reach a generous $5700 to date. Contributors come from LHC's core counties: Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester — but they also come from Albany, Bronx, New York and Monroe counties, and from neighboring Connecticut and New Jersey, too. This list of our wonderful supporters and their home towns, reflects the regional stretch that Lower Hudson Conference embraces with our services. The Board of Trustees and staff of Lower Hudson Conference thank you all. We look forward to serving you.

Donor    Town      Co./St.

J. Winthrop Aldrich  NYC         NY 

Assoc. Risk Managers. Albany         Albany   

Celia M. Baldwin Dobbs Ferry  W

Nelly Balloffet  Ossining W    

Leslie Bedford   NYC         NY

Bedford Hills Historical Museum  Bedford Hills W  

Lynn Beman   Amherst Erie

Peter Bienstock  Princeton      N J   

Rich Birch   Poughkeepsie D

Judy Brewton   Stamford        CT

Steve Brosnahan & Dee Dee Dunn Dobbs Ferry  W 

Bill Burback   Garrison  P

Robert S. Burton Bedford Crs  W

Mavis Cain   Dobbs Ferry   W    

Amy Campanaro  Pleasantville W

Gigi Carnes  Mt. Kisco        W          

Linda Cooper   Ossining W

Crestwood Historical Soc. Tuckahoe       W

Holly Daly   Hastings W 

Nada Davis   Pawling D

Ronald Ducharme  Ballston Lake Albany    

Colin A. Faulds, III West Park      U

Peter Feinman  Port Chester  W 

Cliff Foley  Wappingers   D

Annette Fortin   Thornwood     W

Karen S. Franklin  Yonkers W

Friends of the Old Croton  Aqueduct      Dobbs Ferry   W

Friends of the Old Dutch Church Burying Gund Tarrytown W

Joyce C. Ghee  Hyde Park D Gomez Foundation for Mill House NYC  NY

Trudie A. Grace  NYC NY

Jacquetta Haley  Ridgefield CT

Judy & Walter Handelman Scarsdale W

Harness Racing Museum Goshen O

Eileen M. Hayden Poughkeepsie D

Historical Society of Rockland County  New City R

Elizabeth Hitz   New City R

Peter & Penny Hoffmann Dobbs Ferry W

Hope Holine & Michael. Wolkowitz   Hastings W 

Hudson River Film & Video  Garrison P

Hudson River Maritime Mus Kingston U

Karen Jenkins & D. Webber  Dobbs Ferry   W

Dr. James M. Johnson WashingtonvlleO

Rosemary Keegan  Putnam Valley P

Ann Kiewel   Holland MI

Leslie Lefevre-Stratton New Paltz U

Ann Linden   Amenia D

Charles Lyle   Chelsea D

Marino Insurance Co. Eastchester W

Elizabeth T. Martin  Dobbs Ferry W

Barnabas McHenry NYC  NY 

Mary McTamaney Newburgh O

Debra Mecky  Cos Cob        CT

Malcolm J. Mills Hopewell JnctnD

Anne Minninberg  NYC NY

John Morehouse Riverdale Bx

Eloise L. Morgan Bronxville W

Eda L. Newhouse  Scarsdale W

Carl Oechsner  Croton W

Nancy O'Neil   Mt. Kisco W

Gita & Juris Padegs  Hastings W

Peter & Charlene Paden Dobbs Ferry W  

Molly Penn   Dobbs Ferry W  

Debra & Stone Phillips Dobbs Ferry W

Joanne Rein  Poughkeepsie D

Royal Press  Hartsdale W

Stephen J. Schmidt NYC  NY

Alix Sandra Schnee Sleepy Hollow W

Judith C. Siegel NYC  NY

Kathryn Slocum Dobbs Ferry W

Joan Spence  Baltimore MD

Gwen Spicer  Delmar Albany

Joseph Squillante  Mount Vernon W

Darwin Stapleton Ossining W

Sallie Sypher  Putnam Valley P

Jean Timpanelli  Ridgefield CT

Debra Trupin   Albany  Albany

Pat Truscelli & Bud Ellis Dobbs Ferry W

Lewis Van Aken La Grangeville D

Gloria J. Walters  Hartsdale W

Julia M. Warger  Stony Point R

West Lake Conservators. Skaneateles Albany

Ralph Wiegandt Rochester Monroe

Susie Kilpatrick Wilkening New Paltz U

Betsy Griggs Wilson Irvington  W

FOLKS IN THE FIELD

Heather-Marie Brooks is now Director of Development, Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase (W).

Lonnie G. Bunch, a former Smithsonian curator, has been selected founding Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.

Maria Ann Conelli will be the new Director of the American Folk Art Museum, NYC, June 1^st.

Susan DeVries is Director of the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum and the Little Red Lighthouse, NYC.

Lisa Kersavage has been named first Executive Director of the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation. She concurrently serves as the Kress/RFR Fellow for Historic Preservation at the Municipal Art Society of New York.

Margaret Vetare has been named Director of Interpretation for Historic Hudson Valley. Margaret has been Director of Special Projects at Philipsburg Manor, Sleepy Hollow (W).

Neil Watson is now Executive Director of the Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah (W).

The Work We Do:  letters from the field on preservation and the one-room schoolhouse

"We are in the midst of renovating our one-room school house. It started out as a simple job—replacing the roof—but as these things go, we discovered some foundation issues and in analyzing the structural problems that resulted from this one sinking corner, we have peeled back the sheetrock walls and revealed the original plaster walls. We are now considering bringing the walls back to the original plaster and this will result in an entire renovation of the interior. We have a number of questions about one-room schoolhouses and how the interiors were designed, where the hearing sources were, where the teacher's desk was- was it raised on a platform, etc. Can you give me any suggestions for sources? We would especially like (to consult) photographs, if anyone has some. I know there have been a number of other organizations who have worked on school houses recently…. Thanks.  [P.S.: I had a great time at the Docents meeting- also enjoyed the tour- and am now gung ho to get my museums open more, with enthusiastic docents! Thanks. Lynne"

This Jan. 2005 letter from Lynne Ryan, Executive Director, Bedford Historical Society, Bedford, NY, To respond from your end of the field, contact: bedhist@bestweb.net; 914-234-9751.

"A topic of great interest [at the Mamaroneck Historical Society] has been the 1816 school house, located in Harbor Island, just off the Boston Post Road…. The Historical Society and the Schoolhouse Committee have been responsible for preserving this historic jewel. Countless school children from the Mamaroneck school district have already had their first look at what life was like for students almost 200 years ago. …The school house is presently in need of "period" student desks and the committee is debating the type and number to be placed."  Leo Spinelli, President, Mamaroneck Historical Society, March, 2005. 914-777-2776.

How To Advertise in the LHC Newsletter: Lower Hudson Conference accepts display advertising to appear on interior pages of its quarterly NEWSLETTER at the following rates:

Ad Size  1 issue 2 issues 3 issues 4 issues

 3 5/8" x 2" $  50  $ 75 $ 110  $ 140

 3 5/8" x 4" $  75  $140  $ 175 $ 250

Please inquire about half page and whole page rates. Ads should be submitted camera-ready, via e-mail or on disk, and must be accompanied by payment in full to Lower Hudson Conference

Job opening announcements for "Lower Hudson Classified" are listed FREE for LHC member organizations, and will appear FREE on the LHC website: www.lowerhudsonconference.org.

LOWER HUDSON CLASSIFIED: Spring 2005

Development Director, Historic House Trust of NYC. The Historic House Trust of New York City, Inc. (The Trust) was founded in 1989 as a private partner to the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation for the preservation and promotion of 22 historic house sites owned by New York City and located in public parks. The Trusts's staff provides technical and financial support to benefit these museums with an annual budget of $1 million.

Responsibilities: Research and write proposals to foundation, government, individual and corporate sources. Identify new prospects; Manage grants received, including acknowledgements, reports and donor correspondence, using Raiser's Edge software; Supervise Development Associate; Supervise solicitation, benefits and programs for 7600 person membership; Coordinate annual appeal and bi-annual direct mail membership acquisition campaign; Work with board members and Director of Marketing & Special Events on planning and execution of fundraising and individual cultivation events; Write quarterly newsletter.

Qualifications: B.A. degree; background in historic preservation a must. Minimum 3 years' prior non-profit development experience. Excellent organizational, writing and communication skills. Familiarity with Raiser's Edge v7, Word, Excel, Power Point or similar applications. Valid driver's license required. Interested candidates should send cover letter and resume to: Development Director Search, Historic House Trust of NYC, 830 Fifth Avenue, Room 203, New York, NY 10021. Faxes acceptable: 212-360-8201 or e-mail to therese.braddick@parks.nyc.gov. 

Welcome to LHC Members New in FY 2005

Individuals and Organizations who have joined LHC

September 1, 2004- April 1, 2005:

New Individuals  Town  County

Barbara W. Bates Brewster Heights Putnam

Charles A. Bradley Briarcliff Manor Westchester

Linda Ann Burroughs  Monroe  Orange

Amy Campanaro  Brewster  Putnam

Mario Caruso   Yonkers Westchester

Vicki Doyle  Wassaic  Dutchess

Caroline R. Drabik Brooklyn Kings

Susan Henry   Waccubuc  Westchester

Rosemary Keegan  Poughkeepsie  Dutchess

Steven Mann  Rhinebeck  Dutchess

Donna M. May   Mount Vernon  Westchester

Margaret L. Poemer Sugar Loaf Orange

Kathryn Slocum Dobbs Ferry  Westchester

Carla T. Smith   Woodstock Ulster

Susie Kilpatrick Wilkening New Paltz Ulster

New Businesses/Sponsors Town   County

Scalamandre  Long Island City Queens

Tonetti Associates Architects New York City  New York

New Organizations  Town  County

Edward Hopper Landmark Preservation Foundation Nyack   Rockland

Friends of Coleman Station Millerton Dutchess

Friends of Rockland Lake Valley Cottage  Rockland

Institute for History, Archaeology & Education Purchase  Westchester

Mid-Hudson Teacher Center New Paltz  Ulster

New Milford Historical Soc. New Milford  Orange

Stepping Stones Foundation Katonah Westchester

Woodstock Guild (Byrdcliffe) Woodstock Ulster