November 2010

John Jay co-authored the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War, and the Federalist Papers, which supported ratification of the U.S. Constitution. He served as President of the Second Continental Congress, U.S. Secretary for Foreign Affairs, first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the second governor of New York State.

Visitors are invited to spend a day in this 19th-century country village and discover how a log cabin settlement grew into a bustling community of stores, shops, schools, churches and fine houses. The art gallery houses extraordinary works of wildlife and sporting art that span four centuries — from the 1600s to the 1900s. This historic collection features works by such notable artists as Bateman, Kuhn and Remington. The nature center, open year round, is a favorite spot to many visitors because of its vast landscapes and serenity. The carriage museum depicts a range of horse-drawn carriages from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

In addition to its regular calendar of events and daily activities, Genesee Country Village & Museum offers a variety of crafts, trade classes, and workshops for children and adults.

The building itself was built in 1905, and is one of the largest and last surviving wooden freight depots in the United States. It features the largest collection of artifacts and memorabilia known to exist under one roof. Visitors can also see the longest HO scale layout and diorama all on one floor that lays 14 ft. x 204 ft.

The fright depot has been restored and now the office area serves as the lobby to the museum. The desk and two typewriters are those used in this office during New York Central times. The replica ticket booth was designed to blend with the original character of the depot office. The ever-growing number of exhibits and interactive displays show how the railroad influenced our culture, industry, and history.

The Lewis H. Latimer House is a modest Queen Anne-style, wood-frame suburban residence constructed between 1887 and 1889 by the Sexton family. Lewis Howard Latimer, an African-American inventor and electrical pioneer and the son of fugitive slaves, lived in the house from 1903 until his death in 1928. The house remained in the Latimer family until 1963. Threatened with demolition, the house was moved from Holly Avenue to its present location in 1988.

Before the territory could be opened up for settlement, it was necessary to obtain land rights from the Senecas. The Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, followed by the Big Tree Treaty of 1797, served this purpose. The Senecas retained 200,000 acres of land for a reservation. They also were to receive interest from federal stocks and bonds. The Holland Land Company hired a general agent, Theophile Cazenove, who was located in Philadelphia, to oversee land sale. In 1798, Joseph Ellicott was hired and he, along with his brother Benjamin and 130 men surveyed the purchase for the next three years at a total cost of $70,921.69 1/2.

In November of 1800, Paul Busti succeeded Cazenove as General Agent. Busti would serve in this role until his death in 1824. Busti appointed Joseph Ellicott resident agent and in January 1801, sale of land began at Asa Ransom's house in Clarence. The area was still part of Ontario County, which had levied high taxes on land. This combined with the distance settlers traveled to record deeds, led to the creation of a new county in 1802. The county, Genesee, was named from an Indian word meaning "beautiful valley."

Built high on a hill near Hudson, New York between 1870 and 1891, then as now, Olana offers magnificent sweeping vistas of the Catskill Mountains, the Hudson River and the Taconic Hills. Called by Church "the Center of the World," Olana's Persian style house and 250 acres of picturesque grounds are a masterpiece as grand as any of his paintings.

The contents of the house today, accumulated by Church over a 30-year period, include furniture, tapestries, rugs, bronzes, paintings, sculptures, and the myriad objects collected by Church to represent the major civilizations and religions of the world. The color scheme and stenciling that Church designed in 1870 remain, and from Church's studio the visitor can still see the vistas recorded in Church's paintings.

The center offers a full schedule of arts and cultural programming, community events, classes, exhibitions, and other programs. The art museum is housed in a former storefront decorated with graceful cast iron pillars and is just a few steps from the Hudson River. The Athens Cultural Center serves as an exhibition and performance space in which talented artists can exhibit and perform, enlightening the surrounding Greene County community. Special programs are offered throughout the center, including free summer classes for children and art classes for seniors.

The village area occupies 25 acres of a 100-acre site with about 15 restored buildings, including homes and commercial and civic buildings, as well as a museum. A visit to Historic Richmond Town is an opportunity for all visitors to experience the domestic, commercial and civic activities that supported families and community for more than 300 years.

Visitors can walk through the former county seat of Richmond, see historically furnished interiors and explore museum exhibits. Staff and volunteers provide guided tours and demonstrate the daily activities of early Staten Islanders on a seasonal, scheduled basis. Established in 1958, Historic Richmond Town is a joint project of the Staten Island Historical Society, an independent nonprofit cultural organization, and the City of New York, which owns the land and the buildings and supports part of its operations with public funds from the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Nurtured by the Catskill Mountain region, artist Thomas Cole found a home at Cedar Grove.

The Lott House, as it is presently configured, was constructed in 1800 by Hendrick I. Lott in the then town of Flatlands in Kings County New York. The house incorporates the circa 1720 house of Hendrick's grandfather Colonel Johannes H. Lott. The Lott House was the center of a large and active farm in Flatlands. In fact the Lott farm continued to produced good for market until circa 1925. At one time Flatlands was the second largest agricultural producer in the region, second only to Queens County.

In 1989 the last Lott to live in the house, Miss Ella Suydam, passed away. Soon after the City awarded the Lott House landmark status and protection. In 2002 Miss Suydam's estate sold the Lott House and property to the City of New York.