Category: A Local Journey out of Manhattan

Blairstown Museum 26 Main Street/ Friday the 13th Museum 27 Main Street Blairstown, NJ 07825 (Closed January 2023)

Blairstown Museum

26 Main Street

Friday the 13th Museum

27 Main Street

Blairstown, NJ 07825 (Closed January 2023)

(908) 362-1371

http://www.Blairstownmuseum.com

https://blairstownmuseum.com/

Open: Sunday-Thursday Closed/ Friday & Saturday 11:00am-5:00pm

Fee: Free but a donation is suggested

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46308-d11627031-Reviews-Blairstown_Museum-Blairstown_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Blairstown Museum closed in January 2023.

*To all you Friday the 13th fans, some sad news that I was out in Blairstown, NJ on Friday the 13th, October 2023 and found out from one of the downtown merchants that both the Blairstown Museum and the Friday the 13th Museum are both permanently closed. They were really nice museums when they were open. You can visit the Hope Historical Society in downtown Hope, NJ which is where the scene where Annie gets the ride from the trucker driver. It is open from 1:00pm-4:00pm on Sundays but has no Friday the 13th memorabilia in it. Just the history of Hope, NJ. Big sorry!

https://www.hopenjhistory.com/

Hope Historical Society 323 High Street Hope, NJ 07844

The Hope Historical Society in Hope, NJ.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46518-d23805634-Reviews-Hope_Historical_Society-Hope_New_Jersey.html

The Blairstown Museum is a facility housing the history of the town of Blairstown and the surrounding area. The interesting part of this museum is that it is not run by the town but by a local couple, Janette and Frank Iurato, who moved to the area in 2013 and took an interest in the history of the town. The museum was founded in 2015 and opened in 2016. The museum is actually two different museums.

The first one is the Blairstown Historical Museum that covers the history of the town. This museum concentrates on the history of the founding of the town and the residents in it. While I was visiting, there was an interesting exhibition on the Blair Family who had married into the Charles Scribner Publishing family and a little history behind the two families. There was another exhibition on John Insley Blair, one of the residents and a self-made businessman and entrepreneur, for whom the town and the private school are named after.

The Howell and Dutot exhibition

Another exhibition was on local resident, Robert Parsons Howell, who had moved to Havana, Cuba at the turn of the last century. The exhibition was on the development of the early railroads. There was an exhibition on the early resort history of the area by the Delaware Water Gap by Hotelier Antoine Dutot, who ran the Kittatinny Hotel resort in the late 1880’s. The last exhibition was on the history and creation of Victorian furniture. The exhibition discussed how it was created and how it developed.

The museum has changing exhibitions

The second museum is across the street is the Friday the 13th Museum at 27 Main Street and that museum is dedicated to the movie “Friday the 13th” that was shot in the town in 1979.

The Friday the 13th Museum at 27 Main Street

This part of the museum is dedicated to the first film and subsequent films. The couple is collecting artifacts from the films (which there were not much since it was shot on location). On display are items signed by stars of the first film, Adrienne King and Ari Lehman, picture stills from the film and what I thought was interesting were the bar stools from the luncheonette from the second scene of the film and the original ‘Diner’ sign from the Blairstown Diner before the restaurant’s renovation.

“Friday the 13th” from 1980

What is also nice is that the Iurato’s have a small gift shop with items made by local artists that the have the iconic logo with the ‘Jason Mask’. This part of the museum opened on September 13th of 2019 and the ribbon cutting was done by various members of the cast and crew of the film.

The ‘Friday the 13th’ exhibition

Both of the museum’s are still collecting artifacts so support their collections but the Iurato family has done a nice job preserving the history of the town and dedicating a whole new branch of the museum to the “Friday the 13th” franchise.

The cast of the original 1980 film “Friday the 13th”

It is interesting as well to just walk around the town and recognize where the opening scenes of the film were shot. The museum is in the second scene of the film when ‘Annie’ does her walk around the town.

If you are a fan of the film, it is a fun place to stop by when visiting Blairstown, NJ.

The entrance of the Friday the 13th Museum

Please visit my blog on the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library on the 35th Anniversary of the film “Friday the 13th” that we ran at the library in 2015:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/228

My opening discussion for the event before showing the film:

My interview with Lodi, NJ Donald Stein, who was a scout master who worked both at Camp NoBeBoCa and who assisted the Blairstown Fire Department on the film:

Don’t miss reading the blog on the event that we ran on November 13th, 2015.

The History of the Blairstown Museum:

(This information was taken from the museum’s website and I give them full credit for it)

When the Iurato family moved to Blairstown in 2013, they were surprised to find that the township did not have a museum honoring its founders. New residents did not have a central place where they could learn about the people and businesses that shaped the town’s past, how to be good stewards of Blairstown’s Historic District and the rural beauty left in their care.

Originally, the family’s intention for the property at 26 Main Street was to rent the first floor space to a business that would complement the Historic District’s businesses, add to the tourism appeal and increase the overall foot traffic of the area. They were overwhelmed by the amount of people that enthusiastically suggested they establish a museum.

Following eighteen-months of renovations, artifact collecting, historic research, networking with local historians and establishing a non-profit organization, the Blairstown Museum, located at 26 Main Street, opened to rave reviews. On October 1, 2016, nearly 600 people attended the Grand Opening Celebration. Since then, the Museum has offered hundreds of exhibitions, events, programs and tours and has received local, state and federal recognition.

Supported by “Friday the 13th” Franchise Fans, on September 13, 2019, the Museum opened a second location at 27 Main Street to house a year round Friday the 13th exhibition. The Grand Opening Ceremony was attended by Ari Lehman, Tom McLoughlin, Jason Brooks, Vincent DiSanti, Dave Brown and hundreds of fans.

The Museum’s Vision Statement:

In fulfillment of our mission, we have adopted the following Vision Statement: “The Blairstown Museum will be a vibrant social, cultural and economic centerpiece of the town and will be regarded as an entertaining and worthwhile tourist destination. The Museum will be a resource for residents, visitors, historians and educators. The Museum will preserve and catalog important objects and documents and will use those items to provide educational and cultural programs for the public.”

The Blairstown Museum

The Museum’s Mission Statement:

The Blairstown Museum’s mission is to acquire and collect; research and document; protect and preserve and exhibit and promote the unique history and heritage of the Township of Blairstown for the benefit of residents and visitors. Founded by the Iurato family and managed by a group of dedicated individuals, the Museum is house in a 19th Century building, known as the last remaining structure of “Roy’s Row”.

As the only independent public museum in the Township of Blairstown, the Blairstown Museum is an IRS Certified 501(c)(3), all volunteer, non-profit charitable organization tasked with the responsibility of caring for thousands of items which illustrate the history of the township and its inhabitants, including former resident and founder John Insley Blair. In an effort to help foster heritage tourism throughout the region, our collections are used to interpret the area’s history through permanent and changing exhibits and to educate the public about our history through programs, resource materials and events.

Blairstown Museum staff are charged with providing professional care to the collection, employing standards established by the American Alliance of Museums for the storage, care and exhibit of artifacts in its custody. Historic exhibits are on display on a rotating basis throughout the year. We are committed to expanding the digital display of our collection, in a manner that makes it available as a teaching tool for students, teachers and historians.

Disclaimer: This information on the Blairstown Museum was taken from their website and I give them full credit for the information.

The Introduction of the film from 1980 “Friday the 13th”:

Annie arrives in Blairstown:

Here are the sites from Downtown Blairstown, NJ.

These are some of the sites from the film in Downtown Blairstown, NJ in January 13th, 2023:

Downtown Blairstown, NJ:

Where Annie walked in the beginning of the film January 13th, 2023

The Blair Academy Park that Annie passed by in January 13th, 2023.

Downtown Blairstown, NJ on January 13th, 2023

Flatiron Building in the film

The Flatiron Building where Annie walked down the hill on January 13th, 2023

The Blairstown Water Building on January 13th, 2023.

Blairstown Water Building in the downtown

Walking through the Water Building where Annie walked.

The theater where Annie passed on her way to the cafe just below Blair Academy

The movie was showing on Friday the 13th January 2023

The Blairstown Historic District downtown

Downtown Blairstown, NJ

Blairstown Diner at 53 Route 94

https://www.blairstowndiner.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46308-d848990-Reviews-Blairstown_Diner-Blairstown_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Blairstown Diner for Friday in 13th

The burgers at the Blairstown Diner are fantastic.

Washington Irving’s Sunnyside 3 West Sunnyside Lane Irvington, NY 10533

Washington Irving’s Sunnyside

3 West Sunnyside Lane

Irvington, NY 10533

(914) 591-8763

Washington Irving’s Sunnyside

Admission: Please see their website

Open: Please check the website for seasonality

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48720-d3680157-Reviews-Sunnyside-Tarrytown_New_York.html?m=19905

The front of Sunnyside in the Fall of 2024

Washington Irving’s home, Sunnyside is open during the warmer months of the year, closing at the end of October. The house looks like a enchanted cottage with almost a fairy like appearance right on the banks of the Hudson River with the most spectacular views of the river valley and the Tappan Zee Bridge in the distance.

Sunnyside during the Fall of 2024

The house was designed by architect George Harvey and reflects the Dutch Colonial Revival, Scottish Gothic and Tudor Revival influences with wisteria growing up and around it and a jagged crow stepped gable.

The front of Sunnyside in the Fall of 2024

When walking through the home, you will see the study where Washington Irving conducted the business of the house and did his writing. To the other side of the house, you will see the living room and small dining room where the family used to entertain.

Washington Irving’s Study

The Dining Room set for a formal lunch

The Dining Room in the Fall of 2024

The formal meal at the afternoon

The hallway between the Dining Room and the Living Room

The Living Room where the family gathered and entertained visitors

The Living Room of Sunnyside

The upstairs contains small bedrooms where Washington Irving, his brother, Ebeneezer and his five nieces lived on and off when they were living at the house. Washington’s brother’s business had failed and the family came to live with him. Two of the nieces never married and ran the home for their uncle.

The Guest bedroom at Sunnyside

The Guest Bedroom

The Children’s Bedroom that catered to the little guests

The house is nicely furnished in the most modern decor of its time but is not an elaborate house. It is a home and not a weekend mansion and this ten acre estate was a once a working farm. In the back of the house, there is an ice house and a barn show where the people who worked on the estate kept the house running.

Ebenezer’s daughter’s room

Ebenezer’s Room in Sunnyside; Ebenezer was Washington Irving’s Older Brother

Washington Irving’s bedroom

Washington Irving’s bedroom

The view of the river is one of the most spectacular in the Hudson River Valley as its at the widest part of the Hudson River. You can see the cliffs of New Jersey on the other side with views of Nyack and the Tappan Zee Bridge in the background.

The grounds of Sunnyside

The grounds of Sunnyside

During the Fall season there are all sorts of activities going on at the estate and the tours are a very interesting look at life at that time. The Kitchen staff ran the home for social calls and main family meals as well as all the things it took to run the household.

The Sunnyside Kitchen

The kitchen and pantry area

The stove in the kitchen

The delicious items that were prepared in the Country kitchen

The sink area of the kitchen

The Cooks Kitchen

The Pantry

The Linen Room

The Sewing Room for the family

The History of Sunnyside:

The estate was once the home of Wolfert Acker called Wolfert’s Roost and was part of the Manor of Philipsburg and this home was once a simple two room stone tenant farmhouse built around 1690.

The patio view from the back of the house

The property came into the hands of the Van Tassel family, who were married into the Eckert family and owned it until 1802. That year, 150 acres were deeded to the family of Benson Ferris, one time clerk of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, whose wife, Maria Acker, was a descendant of Wolfert Acker’s.

The grounds of Sunnyside

In 1832, Washington Irving visited his nephew, Oscar Irving, who lived near the old stone farmhouse and was looking for a home at the time. He purchased the property on June 7, 1835 and would add to the property.

The view of the house of the Hudson River

Irving wrote a story, “Wolfert’s Roost”, about Acker and the site. In a letter to his brother Peter, he described it as “a beautiful spot, capable of being made a little paradise…I have had an architect up there and shall build upon the old mansion this summer. My idea is to make a little nookery somewhat in the Dutch style, quaint but unpretending. It will be of stone.” He asked his neighbor to help him remodel the house and landscape the grounds in Romantic style adding a brook and waterfall.

The grounds of Sunnyside

The house became a major spot of people visiting the area to meet the author. In 1842, he was appointed to be the Ambassador of Spain and left the estate in the care of his brother and four daughters. He returned in 1846 and added to the home the ‘Spanish Tower” in 1847. This added four more bedrooms to the home.

The Smokehouse

The Ice House at Sunnyside

The Ice House

The Fruit Cellar

Irving died in the house in 1859 of a heart attack at age 76.

The house was purchased from Louis Irving by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and was restored for historic preservation. It was opened to the public in 1947.

The grounds has a very nice gift shop

Sunnyside at Christmas time decorated for the holidays:

In 2025, I visited Sunnyside during the holidays to see what Christmas would have been like in the pre-Civil War era. These were not the elaborate times of the Victorian era but still the life of an Upper Middle Class families who celebrated the spirit of the holiday.

I visited the estate for a special Victorian event with refreshments, creating crafts and a special open tour of the home decorated for the Christmas holidays.

The property decorated during the holidays

The holiday events at the estate

The meeting room was decorated for the holidays for refreshments and good conversation

The refreshments at the Open House included cookies, candies, Hot Cider Wassil and Hot Chocolate and Tea

Sunnyside at Christmas time

The Sunnyside front door at the holidays

The beautiful view of the estate overlooking the Hudson River

When you enter the house, the first room to the left is the office of Washington Irving. There was a bed in the room for last night work and the room decorated for the holidays.

Washington Irving’s office during the holidays

The fireplace in the author’s office

Nothing says entertaining than the dining room with a holiday lunch set with family china and all the delicacies of the time.

The Dining Room set for a holiday lunch

The Dining Room table set for Christmas lunch

The Christmas desserts showcasing the Christmas pudding

The pantry set for Afternoon Tea

The Living Room decorated for the holidays with a Table tree, fashionable for the times.

The Table tree in the Living Room

The hallway and stairs decorated for the holidays

The French inspired bedroom

The Children’s room of a visiting niece

Washington Irving’s bedroom

The niece’s bedroom of those that lived with him

My last part of the tour led to the behind the scenes of how the household runs with the kitchen, washrooms and sewing room.

The Christmas dinner being prepared for the family

The delicious foods prepared for the family meals including cookies, pies and a favorite treat, doughnuts

The kitchen stove where all the family meals were cooked

The house kitchen is decorated for the holidays

The staff holiday dinner was less elaborate but still very festive

The patio off the kitchen overlooking the Hudson River

After the tour was over, I joined other guests making crafts such as Christmas crackers, creating ornaments and making pumices, the oranges studded with clovers.

The festive barn where crafts were created

Me making my pumice for the holidays

Visiting Sunnyside during the holidays is a special trip to the past to join the Irving family in their celebration. Not as elaborate as some of the Victorian mansions of the Hudson River Valley but a look at a family whose celebration was similar to our own. Their traditions are the basis of our own of food, family and fun.

Washington Irving’s Birthday:

I came back for a special event for Washington Irving’s Birthday. They had special tours of the house, crafts to do with families and birthday cake in both vanilla and chocolate with thick icing and flowers that was so good! It really was a nice event. The estate was just starting to come into bloom and their ‘daffodil hill’ was in full bloom and was a sea of yellow and white.

Sunnyside in the early Spring

The estate in the early Spring of 2026

The entrance of the estate during Washington Irving’s Birthday event

Touring the estate before touring the house. The original entrance to the estate was once heavily landscaped.

The grounds in the front of the house

I then took the tour of the house. I had just been there for the Christmas tour so I knew all the rooms. Some rooms like the dining room and kitchen had been decorated for the Summer season. These rooms were decorated for a regular dining experience on a daily basis. It was not as elaborate as Christmas time.

The Dining Room set for afternoon lunch

The fully set table for afternoon Lunch

The end of the meal

I toured the house again and ended my tour in the kitchen which differed from the tour at Christmas with a less elaborate meal for a normal day.

The afternoon meal being prepared

Preparing the afternoon meal

The servants afternoon meal in their private dining room just off the kitchen

The laundry room and servants meal area where the household work gets done.

The back of the house and the patio overlooking the Hudson River in the Spring of 2026

The View of the Hudson River

The Daffodil display in the back of the house in the Spring

The gardens in the Spring

The gardens in the early Spring

The back of the estate from the gardens

I went back to the Visitor’s Center for birthday cake. It was so good! It was a birthday cake with a sugary icing and colorful flowers. It was the perfect way to end the afternoon.

After the tour of the house, I went in to enjoy some birthday cake

The birthday cake for the celebration

Happy birthday to Washington Irving!

I enjoy the special events that they run at Sunnyside.

Van Cortlandt Manor 5 Riverside Avenue Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY 10502

Van Cortandt Manor

5 Riverside Avenue

Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY 10502

(914) 366-6900

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze

Open: See website for seasonal hours

Van Cortlandt Manor

My review on TripAdvisor (Manor and Pumpkin Blaze):

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47560-d116391-Reviews-Van_Cortlandt_Manor-Croton_on_Hudson_New_York.html?m=19905

A trip to the Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-the-Hudson is an interesting step back into the Colonial history of this country. During the summer, there is an interesting walking tour of the home offered usually from the end of July to Labor Day. Then the house is closed to prepare for the huge ‘Pumpkin Blaze’ during the months of October and November and then the house is shut down until the spring.

The house tour is interesting because it shows the home as a working farm and place of commerce for the family. This was not a weekend home for the family working in the City but crops being grown for shipping, vibrant gardens that supplied the house and a small tavern for travelers along the Albany Post Road as well as a place for shipping goods down the rivers.

Van Cortlandt Manor

The home is furnished in the most modern furnishings of the time and you can see how the house reflected the needs of the family at that time. It was more of a home than a luxurious place to entertain. The furnishes are practical, very in fashion of the time and nicely decorated.

The Dining Room

The tour of the kitchens and storage areas show that even in what was the modern era was not such easy living without servants. The estate was somewhat self-contained with animals and provisions being raised on the land and there is even an area where fabric such as flax and cotton where spun and made into clothing.

The kitchen dining area

The upstairs bedrooms show that the linens were under lock and key even with the servants and that the rooms were well-appointed and comfortable. A lot of the family heirlooms still reside in the house and it gives you a perfect look at what life must have been like when the family lived here.

Don’t miss the gardens as well. Some have been over-grown because of the lack of volunteers but still you can see the beauty of the flowers and trees around the house. The house sits right on the cross between the Croton and Hudson rivers and even though it is now grown in, you can see that the house stood at one of the busiest sections of Upstate commerce.

The Pumpkin Blaze-Hudson Valley Historical Association:

During the months of Halloween, there are thousands of pumpkins that line the walks and beautiful displays to see along the paths of the estate and the river. This event is sponsored by the Hudson Valley Historical Association and is one of their biggest fundraisers. Don’t miss this annual event every fall.

The Blaze is amazing!

The Pumpkin Blaze in 2019:

Some pictures from the MoMA Pumpkin Museum:

Their version of “The Scream”:

The Van Cortlandt Manor ablaze with lights and sounds

Justin Watrel at the Pumpkin Blaze

My Aunt and I at the Pumpkin Blaze in 2019

The Pumpkin Blaze in 2022:

Entering the Pumpkin Blaze in 2022

Pumpkins greeting you in all shapes and sizes

The Pumpkin Planetarium at the Pumpkin Blaze

Pumpkin Bee Hive

The “Terror Zee Bridge” at the Pumpkin Blaze

The Pumpkin Carousel

The Pumpkin Fire Services

The Headless Horseman is the theme of many October festivals in the Hudson River Valley

The History of the Van Cortlandt Manor:

By Royal Charter, Van Cortlandt Manor was originally a 86,000 acre tract granted as a patent to Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1697 by King William III, stretching from the Hudson River on the west to the first boundary line between the Province of New York and the Colony of Connecticut, on the east, twenty English miles in length by ten miles in width in shape nearly a rectangular parallelogram forming, “The Manor of Cortlandt”.

The massive holding was acquired by direct purchase from the Indians, in part by Stephanus van Cortlandt, a native born Dutch gentleman of New York and in part by others whose titles he subsequently bought, this tract together with a small tract on the west side of the Hudson River opposite the promontory of Anthony’s Nose, which he also purchased from the Indians.

The Manor House was built sometime before 1732 but was not any owner’s principal residence until a grandson, Pierre Van Cortlandt, moved there in 1749. At the time the manor house was on a 1000 acre portion of the original tract.

Pierre brought his family to the estate in 1749 and established the manor into it most vibrant days, according to some. During this period, the manor was operating an apple orchard, dairy farm, a bee house, a kiln, a tavern and a carpenter and blacksmith shops. Van Cortlandt Manor was a self-sustaining community while Pierre and his family resided in the estate. At this time, tensions leading to the Revolutionary War were building and the manor would become a place of wartime retreat.

Pierre sided with the colonies and the manor was used to assist the Continental Army, using its resources to make food and supplies. Pierre was involved with military legislature and his son Philip was a soldier for the Continental Army. Eventually Pierre and his family vacated the manor in the thick of war. The manor was ransacked by the British Army and left in poor standing. Philip, becoming a brigadier general by the war’s end, returned and along with his sister, Catherine, brought the manor back to working order.

Van Cortlandt Manor became an essential stop on the route from New York to Albany in the years that followed the war. The mills were once again thriving and provided the community and travelers with food, supplies and lodging. Pierre and his wife did not return until 1803 once the manor was in full working order again. The manor was passed down in the family until it was sold to a non-relative, Otis Taylor in 1945. By this time, the property had lost its luster and was not the flourishing estate it had once been.

In 1953, John D. Rockefeller Jr. purchased the property and began restoring the manor to previous prominence. In 1961, Van Cortlandt Manor became registered as a National Historic Landmark.

Disclaimer: This information on the history of the house was provided by Wiki and I give them full credit on the information.

Places to Eat:

Located in the ShopRite Mall next to the Blaze:

The food at New Happy Garden in the Shoprite Mall is excellent and you can sit down in the restaurant. It is the perfect place for lunch or dinner before or after the Blaze. Their Lo Mein and General Tso’s Chicken are excellent. Please read my reviews on TripAdvisor.

New Happy Garden

440 South River Side Avenue

Croton on the Hudson, NY 10520

(914) 271-7888/8268

https://www.menupix.com/westchester/restaurants/3212099/Dong-Happy-Garden-Menu-Croton-On-Hudson-NY

Open: Sunday 12:00pm-9:00pm/Monday Closed/Tuesday-Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g47560-d4616434-Reviews-Dong_Happy_Garden-Croton_on_Hudson_New_York.html?m=19905

Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston 265 Fair Street Kingston, NY 12402

Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston

265 Fair Street

Kingston, NY 12402

(831) 331-0866

https://kingstonvolunteerfiremensmuseum.weebly.com/

Open: The hours vary by the season so please look to the website for the openings. School groups please call for an appointment.

Fee: Free but donations accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

The Kingston Volunteer Museum during the ‘Kingston Snowflake Festival’

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48003-d3367598-Reviews-Volunteer_Fireman_s_Hall_Museum_of_Kingston-Kingston_New_York.html?m=19905

The antique fire truck outside the firehouse during the Kingston “Snowflake Festival”

I was recently visiting Kingston, NY for an event and while walking around the downtown the doors of the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston was open for visitors. Even if you are not a fire fighter it is such an interesting museum on the history of fire fighting and the role the Kingston Fire Department had in the formation of the City of Kingston.

The early horse drawn fire equipment

The museum welcoming people to the Kingston “Snowflake Festival” in 2022

On the main floor is four pieces of equipment from various stages of the department. The engines are from the turn of the last century featuring horse drawn ladders and steam engines and then the latest equipment from the early teens and twenties from the automotive stage. Each piece of equipment has been carefully maintained and is in pristine shape.

The museum decorated for Christmas for the recent “Kingston Snowflake Festival”

It is interesting to see how different each rig is at that stage of its history but how much has not really changed with the use of the equipment when fighting a fire.

The bay area of the old firehouse with the antique equipment

One of the more interesting pieces in the collection is the beautifully detailed Parade piece from the late 1800’s (circa around 1890’s) which has gorgeous details and intricate craftsmanship work to it. This interesting piece of equipment was the pride of the department on parade day and is one of the few of its type in the country.

The Fire Department Parade Piece

Along the walls is all sorts of pictures of old fires, men who were once members of the department, ribbons and awards, old systems for calling for firemen from the horns that used to sound the alarms to the more modern telegraph equipment to the current paging systems.

The roster upstairs

The fire department equipment pieces

Upstairs you can visit the furnished headquarters of a firehouse circa 1890’s to 1920 with vintage furniture, decorations and composites of firemen long ago. There is even a mannequin of a fire fighter sliding down a pole that leads to the first floor. Here and there are more decorative equipment pieces, furnishings and awards.

The upstairs of the Kingston Volunteer Museum

The museum has a little something for everyone and if you are interesting in knowing more of the history of the fire service and want to hear the stories by members current and retired from the Kingston Fire Department, then the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum is the place to visit.

Old decorations from fire equipment at the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum

History of the Museum and Fire Fighting in Kingston, NY:

Ulster County has a remarkable over 350 year history of noble fire fighting. See it up-close and personal at the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston.

The award case upstairs at the firehouse

When Kingston City Hall burned on June 4th, 1927, the third alarm was sounded from the building’s own bell tower before it crashed to the ground. Fire calls in Kingston today are answered through the 911 system with a three minute response time. Ever watched a TV show about firemen and their firehouse? The ‘squawk’ to a call is unmistakable.

The upstairs in the firehouse

Seven volunteer fire companies and the Exempt Association of Kingston recognized the importance of preserving and protecting firematic artifacts as well as establishing a meeting hall for volunteer fire organizations in Kingston and Ulster County. They were charged with finding a permanent home and signed a lease with the City of Kingston for Fair Street’s historic circa 1850 Wiltwyck Fire Station and the rest is history.

The Ladies Auxiliary and rosters

Walk through the large wooden doors to the home away from home of the 19th century firefighters.

The old Kingston, NY firehouse that now houses the museum

Disclaimer: this information was taken directly from the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston pamphlet and I give them full credit for it. Please check out their website for more information.

The living area upstairs in the firehouse decorated for Christmas

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