The Hyde Park Historical Society at 4389 Albany Post Road
The Hyde Park Historical Society is going through a type of rebirth as it has reopened with a fresh approach towards not just the history of Hyde Park, NY but the area in general and life here over the last two hundred years. The society is taking a new direction and revamping their efforts on the displays and on the history and activities of the museum. The museum is housed in what was once the Hyde Park, NY Fire Department building.
The museum is broken down into sections by displays. When you enter the museum there is an display of bicycles and recreation items that would have been used over the years. This activity changed the social life of both men and women of that era.
Bicycle display:
Some of the newest donations are from members of the organization who have recently passed away. They donationed their Boy Scout and Girl Scout uniforms to the museum which were from the past century. This shows how the unforms have progressed over the years.
Uniforms from the early Twentieth Century
Another donation that was added to the collection from the State Museum is a collection of Native American arrowheads that were found locally. These show that the area was once the hunting and gathering grounds for the Lenape Indians before colonialization.
The donation of Native American Arrowheads.
Next to it was the history of the Hyde Park Fire Department with pictures of companies of fire fighters and all sorts of memorabilia. There are pictures of former fire companies including the ones that were once housed in the museum building.
The Hyde Park Fire Department:
Across from that, there is a display called “Daily Life” which was the history of the town with homes and businesses in the area at that time. There were all sorts of pictures of prominent families and their day to day activities.
Daily life in Hyde Park, NY for the Middle class members of the community
Luxury items of the Gilded Age
There was all sorts of objects from the bills of sale of homes, household items and there is an wonderful display of accessories from the Victorian era.
The front room of the museum is dedicated to life of the middle to upper-middle class of Hyde Park around the turn of the last century. There is all sorts of clothing, pictures and artifacts from schools, the boy scouts, area schools and there are even sleds and skates from winter recreation sports played on the Hudson River. There are all sorts of athletic equipment, clothing based on sporting or activity event and accessories that were used and worn when participating in all seasonal activities.
Life in Hyde Park, NY
Every day life in Hyde Park, NY
There is a small display from the semi-professional baseball team that used to be located in Hyde Park with pictures, equipment and uniforms. It seemed that semi-professional baseball was a big entertainment and community event in years past in Hyde Park, NY.
The Hyde Park baseball team
There are also items in a small war display that is circa WWI. Many artifacts were donated by families whose members fought in the war.
The second small room in the back is dedicated to communication equipment from WWII and pictures of Franklin Delano Roosevelt who was the President at the time as well as a prominent member of the community. The Roosevelts had lived in the Hudson River Valley for generations.
There are several important pieces of war time equipment located here.
There is also a display of farm equipment showing off the areas agricultural past and present. This is still a major farming area as you head north of Rhinebeck, NY.
The back room is dedicated to clothing and wardrobe items like dresses, hats and spinning items.
There are a few portraits of local residents as well.
This shows the change of clothing from when Dutch women would spin their wool for clothing to buying ready to wear items in the local department and specialty stores that dotted towns like Rhinebeck and Poughkeepsie.
The display also shows the manner of dress went from the Victorian era to the Jazz Age and the changes in just ten years.
Hats from various ages
Here and there are other items that relate to daily living and a prosperous life in Hyde Park, NY. The museum is well lit and very well organized and signed so it makes viewing the displays a pleasure. It is a treasure trove of artifacts and information and insights to the life of Rhinebeck NY at that time. This display was on the Hype Park School System.
Everyday life in the schools in Hyde Park and Rhinebeck, NY
The History of the Hyde Park Historical Society:
(From the museum’s pamphlet):
The Hyde Park Firehouse:
As indicated by the engraved stone lintels over the engine bays, the firehouse that the museum is housed in was built in 1905 for the Eagle Engine Company founded in 1845 and the Rescue Hook & Ladder Company (1866), separate companies whose volunteer members included Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The old Hyde Park Firehouse serves as the museum
Designed by Poughkeepsie architect William Beardsley, the Renaissance Revival style brick building features a cast iron cornice and a bas relief decoration above the third story windows.
Downtown Hyde Park in the summer of 2023.
You can find all sorts of items at the museum. It contains lots of local pictures and artifacts. In the Textile Room, you can find a hat box labeled Mrs. James Roosevelt, a spinning wheel and period apparel.
The Hyde Park Historical Society at Christmas 2022
In the Research Room, you can search your family and friends’ history, look at local tools of trade and maps of Dutchess County in the 1700’s.
The beautiful Hyde Park Christmas tree December 2022
The Mission of the Pilesgrove-Woodstown Historical Society:
To preserve and advance interest in and awareness of the history and heritage of the Borough of Woodstown and Pilesgrove Township by properly procuring, preserving and maintaining the art, artifacts and documents that relate to the cultural, archaeological, civil, literary, genealogical and ecclesiastical history of the local community. We welcome researchers and provide them with any available material.
On the site is the 1840’s one room schoolhouse that was moved from Eldridge’s Hill in the 1970’s and is open for touring during museum hours. The organization hosts quarterly presentations and participates with the Candlelight Tour on the first Friday of December.
Touring the house is a wonderful experience and I got an excellent tour from a member of the Board of Directors who took me on a full tour of the house and grounds. She explained that the volunteers take a lot of pride in the home, the displays and the artifacts and antiques that make up the décor of the house. The tour starts in the Library which is to the right of the entrance. This is where people can research their families and the towns’ histories. The house was originally owned by the Dickerson family and had changed hands many times over the years.
The Library:
This display has the portrait of John Fenwick and the family tree
The Library:
The Library:
The collection of books and manuscripts is held in the library of the home. Patrons can do their research on their family trees and on the local towns here.
The Living Room:
The Living Room:
The Living Room:
The Living Room:
The Living Room:
The Kitchen:
The kitchen had been modernized over the years but still retains its historic look to it.
The Kitchen:
The Kitchen:
The Kitchen:
The kitchen:
The Military Room:
Memorabilia from the Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Upstairs Bedrooms:
The Upstairs bedroom:
The Upstairs bedroom:
The Upstairs bedroom:
The upstairs bedroom has lots of children’s toys, clothes and musical instruments.
The Upstairs bedroom:
The Upstairs bedroom:
The hats and toy collections in the home.
The Bathroom:
The Commercial section of the home:
The outside grounds have a wonderful lawn area where the foliage was in full hilt when I was visiting and in the back of the home is the schoolhouse from the 1840’s. This was locked for the day, but I could see the classroom set up of an old-fashioned school room that has not changed all that much since that period.
The Schoolhouse on the society’s property
The Schoolhouse
The property behind the house was beautiful and well-kept with colorful foliage.
The house is well maintained, beautifully displayed with artifacts and there is a lot to see and do here. I just wish this wonderful site was open more often so that people could enjoy these wonderful artifacts and displays.
The Society when decorated for Christmas 2023
Some of the special programs that the society has run:
“David Crockett, Scout and Adventurer” on March 26th, 2023:
The Pilesgrove-Woodstown Historical Society is presenting a free program for the community titled ” David Crockett, Scout and Adventurer.” There are many stories about “Davy” Crockett. Our speaker, Mr. Douglas Jones, in period clothing, will be sharing many and will have time for questions. The date is Sunday, March 26th, 2023 at 2:00 pm in the Woodstown Friends Meeting House, 105 North Main Street, Woodstown, N.J. 08098 (this is down the road from the Historical Society). The meeting house is handicap accessible with a sound system and onsite parking. All are welcome. For more information or questions, call 609-313-7534.
Special Event on May 21st, 2023
The Pilesgrove-Woodstown Historical Society Quarterly Program, on Sunday, 2:00 pm, May 21st, 2023 is titled “Liberty, Loyalty, Libations, Love and Remembrance.” The hosts, Jan and John Haigis, from “PastTimePresent” will be setting stories to music and song from Memorial Day Celebrations of our United States History.
This free program will be held in the Woodstown Friends Meeting House, 104, North Main Street, Woodstown, N.J. 08098 is suitable for all ages, all are invited. The Meeting House is handicap accessible with on site parking available. For any questions or information call 609-313-7534.
‘The Woodstown by Candlelight’ Christmas Holiday House Tour:
I returned to Woodstown this December for the Annual Pilesgrove-Woodstown Christmas Holiday House Tour and it was a really amazing event. I had a wonderful time. I did not realized it until the tour was over that this was the first time they had extended the tour through Pilesgrove and used the buses to go out to four of the additional homes.
That lead to some challenges like people being left at homes and not being picked up. It also led to other folks missing parts of tours of the homes because they stopped the transportation too early to get people around. So there are some hiccups that will have to be worked out for next year.
We had gotten left on our last house on the tour by forty-five minutes and did not leave until someone called the woman running the event and we got the bus back to pick us up. That made us an hour late for the regular tour in Woodstown but I was still able to see most of the homes on the listing. It all worked out in the end and I had a ball.
The Creekside Inn at 197 East Avenue in Woodstown, NJ
I started my tour at the Creekside Inn in Downtown Woodstown, where the tour would start and I would be taking the bus with the group of people I would be touring with that afternoon. I checked in and there was over an hour before my tour began, so I stopped for lunch at the restaurant in the Creekside Inn and what a nice choice it was for lunch.
The restaurant was so nicely decorated for the holidays
They had a nice holiday buffet set up for dinner
The restaurant was so beautifully decorated for the Christmas holidays with garland and lights and two Christmas trees. It really put me in the holiday spirit and I started to relax. I had the most wonderful lunch.
The Grilled Cheese with Tomato and Bacon with a side salad
I ordered on the recommendation of the waitress the Grilled Cheese Sandwich on sourdough bread with bacon and beefsteak tomato with a side salad. It was the best lunch for a long day of touring. The sandwich was homey and crisp and I loved the combination of flavors. It would get me through the rest of the afternoon of touring.
I highly recommend the Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Tomato here
The lobby of the Creekside Inn
I was just finishing my lunch when the woman from the Historical Society came in and announced that the tour was going to start and we had better finish. I would stop in later after the tour.
I got on the bus with everyone on my tour to get to the first stop which was The Seven Star Tavern in Pilesgrove, NJ. The main portion of the home was built as a tavern in 1762. In 1805, with the changes in transportation and the community for farming, it became a farmhouse. It has served as a private home since 1941 (Tour handbook).
The Seven Star Tavern at 1349 Kings Highway in Pilesgrove, NJ
The decorations in the old tavern which is now the Living Room
Our group at the Seven Stars Tavern with the owner who was in Revolutionary War costume
The Living Room at the Seven Stars
The second room with a fire going
The Christmas in the Living Room
The Kitchen at the Seven Stars Tavern
The back of the home’s decorations
The Seven Stars Tavern house before we left
The Seven Stars Tavern was interesting in that you can see that it is a home but you can see that when you are inside how it was a tavern at one time.
Our next stop was the Catalpa Hill Farm, which had been in the same family for almost two hundred years. The property was beautifully decorated for the holidays. The farm was owned by the Lippincott family for almost 200 years until it was sold in 1999 to the current owners, the Valentes (Tour handbook).
The entrance sign to the farm
Our group starting the tour of the farm
The property was beautifully landscaped
The entrance to the home
The Dining Room of the home
The Christmas tree in the Living room
Sleigh bells on the door
A family portrait above the working fireplace
More family portraits
The Christmas tree in the kitchen
The formal Dining Room table in the Dining Room set for Christmas
The middle part of the Dining Room
The second Christmas tree in the Dining Room
The barn in the back yard
The front of the house at sunset when we left for the next house
Our next stop on the tour was The Zigo Farm which was built in the 1860’s. This ‘gentleman’s farm’ is based around the Colonial Home which was fully renovated and expanded in the 1950’s by the Costello family. The current family bought it in 2013 and added the stables in the back for their rescue horses.
The entrance to the Zigo Farm
The front of the Zigo Farm
The Christmas tree in the entrance was of the home
The kitchen dining area
While we in the kitchen, our host’s mother was helping prepare homemade cookies for all of us and I thought this was a very nice touch. While the tour went on, I stayed in the kitchen and talked with the ladies as I enjoyed some of the cookies. These freshly baked treats were really popular on the tour.
The homemade cookies in the kitchen
We then toured the rest of the house which was very tastefully decorated for the holidays. We toured both the Living Room and the Dining Room. I stopped and talked to our hosts parents while everyone took a hay ride through the grounds.
The Dining Room of the Zigo Farm
The Living Room of the house
I then caught up with the rest of the group at the stables, which were also nicely decorated for the holidays. The grounds were also decorated for the upcoming holidays. The lighting and the sunset made the property glow.
The Walled Gardens
The Stables on the property
The Christmas decorations at the stables
The beautiful Christmas tree at the stables
The tour of the farm and its stables were really impressive and the farm was decorated from top to bottom with impressive decorations.
The last stop on the bus tour before we went back to town was at the ‘Morgan’s Folly House’ at 2 Layton Avenue, which was built in 1804 by Samuel Morgan in the Federal Colonial style. It was considered a very large home at its time and somewhat pretentious which earned it its nickname “Morgan’s Folly” for being so out of place. The home today has been fully renovated by the current family.
The beautiful sunset on the fields
The front of the Morgan’s Folly House decorated for the holidays
The Dining Room at the Morgan’s Folly House.
The Living Room at Morgan’s Folly
The Christmas in their Living Room
The historical beauty of the renovated upstairs
One of the upstairs bedrooms decorated for the holidays
It was funny because we were at Morgan’s Folly house for about forty-five minutes when we all started wondering where our bus was and finally someone in our group called the woman in charge to send a bus for us. The owners kidded with us that we could spend the night if we wanted.
It ended up that one of the bus drivers had been released for the evening and they forgot we were still touring. The poor bus driver was beside himself. I thought they really needed to work on this for next year. One group missed the second half of the tour and the second group was left at the last house. Not a good thing.
When we finally got back to Woodstown, we arrived back at the Creekside Inn for dinner. I was still stuffed from lunch and walked around the Crafts Fair that they set up. There in the middle of the Fair was Santa sitting there looking bored. I walked up to him and asked him honestly why people were getting so rude.
He did not miss a beat and told me honestly that it was the way they were raised and how it starts at home. This guy was so earnest and honest about what he said that I listened to rest of the conversation with such interest. We talked for a bit more and when I left I said to him, “ I just wanted to let you know that I still believe in you.” That seemed to make him very happy.
Me with Santa-I swear he made me believe again
I then moved on to touring Downtown Woodstown’s decorated homes. The whole downtown was so beautifully decorated for the holiday.
Downtown Woodstown, NJ decorated for Christmas
Downtown windows decorated for the holidays
Downtown Woodstown, NJ decorated for the holidays
The downtown homes decorated for the holidays
Decorated houses downtown
Decorated house in Woodstown
Decorated house in Downtown Woodstown
On the side of this house, they had the most interesting light show with a blue Christmas tree:
The first house on the tour was the Bobbitt House, which seemed to be a very popular house on the tour. I could see why, with its turn of the century style rooms and gorgeous decorations.
The Bobbitt House at 216 North Main Street in Woodstown, NJ, the home of Bruce and Lori Bobbitt. The home has some of its original cherry, chestnut and oak woodwork and the original stained-glass windows. The home was beautifully decorated for the holidays.
The Christmas tree in the Bobbitt House Parlor
The Parlor of the Bobbitt House
The Dining Room at the Bobbitt House
The doll collection at the Bobbitt House
The Christmas tree in the Living Room
After the tour of the Bobbitt House, I walked to the next home across the street. We toured through the home quickly as it was so crowded, and it was tough to get around. I stopped at the Ellwood Davis House, which is a Colonial Revival home built in 1906.
The decorations and the giant gingerbread man welcomed us to the home
What I thought was really nice was that that the young girl who lived here performed Christmas songs for the people that stopped by and even in the cold, it was so entertaining and really put me in to the holiday spirit.
Video of the girl playing Christmas songs on here piano:
I stopped by the Pilesgrove-Woodstown Historical Society for a quick tour of the museum. The docents wanted to fill our minds with all sorts of facts and all I wanted to do is look at the decorations around the old home. The first floor was nicely decorated for the Christmas holidays.
The Pilesgrove-Woodstown Historical Society at Christmas time
The old fashioned kitchen in the Historical Society
The upstairs bedroom at the Historical Society
The upstairs decorated for the holidays
After I left the historical society, I had time for one more house before the evening ended and I made my way down to the Melissa Dolan House. The home was originally owned by the Presbyterian Church and had been the minister’s home with his wife. The house was built around 1890 and had some the original floors, fireplaces and pocket doors.
The front of the Dolan House at 25 Bowen Avenue
The beautiful Living Room during Christmas
The Christmas tree in the Living Room
The banister decorated for the holidays
The Christmas tree in the back room of the home
After the house tours were finishing up for the evening, I made my way back downtown and walked through the last of the vendors who were still open. At the Craft Market they had set up, there were vendors selling all sorts of gourmet foods like chocolate, ice cream and jellies plus all sorts of crafts. They stayed open to the last of the crowds still milling around until about 9:30pm.
I made my way back by one of the last busses back to the Creekside Inn and drove back to Salem for the evening. It was freezing by this point and I just wanted to relax.
The Craft Market in Downtown Woodstown, NJ
The Salem River Inn was really quiet when I returned around 10:00pm. I got a wonderful night’s rest and prepared for breakfast the next morning and the second house tour that would take place in Salem, NJ the next day.
The sunrise view from the Meadow Room at the Salem River Inn
The decorations being prepared for a wedding the next day
Breakfast overlooking the Delaware Bay
Breakfast overlooking the patio
It was a nice way to end the event with a wonderful breakfast and a lot of good memories from the night before. Don’t miss visiting Woodstown and Pilesgrove at the Christmas holidays. It is a very special place to relax and enjoy the coming of Christmas.
I am taking a class in Trends in Tourism for my graduation program in Global Hospitality Management and this included a recent trip to the Fotografiska Museum at 281 Park Avenue South. We had a meeting with a member of the Marketing Team at the museum and he explained how the museum functioned and the direction that they want to go to promote the museum.
After the talk, we were able to tour the museum. The exhibition that we saw as a class at NYU for my graduate program was the David LaChapelle exhibition. This was a unique blend of art with works in many different forms and ideas. The artist was influenced by his association with his friend and collaborator, Andy Warhol. I saw this in many pieces in the exhibition.
What I liked about the museum is that you had three floors of artwork that showcased the artist’s work and gave his perspective as a living artist.The artist even had input on how the exhibition was mounted, the works that would be shown and use of music or lack of in the exhibition.
On the bottom level of the museum is an engaging coffee shop and gift shop that are open, airy and very inviting. You can access these by walking in the front door and you do not have to enter the museum to enjoy these services. The museum created these as spaced where people can gather, relax and socialize.
The Fotografiska Museum is giving us a new perspective on what the modern museum can be and its engagement with its patrons.
The entrance of the Fotografiska Museum for the David LaChapelle exhibition
The exhibition sign
The fascinating paintings of the artist
I admire the work of the artist
The galleries were full of interesting works by artist David LaChapelle
ABOUT THE ARTIST
(from the museum website)
David LaChapelle was born in Connecticut in 1963 and attended high school at North Carolina School of The Arts. Originally enrolled as a painter, he developed an analogue technique by hand-painting his own negatives to achieve a sublime spectrum of color before processing his film.
At age 17, LaChapelle moved to New York City. Following his first photography show at Gallery 303, he was hired by Andy Warhol to work at Interview Magazine.
The artist is giving a nod to her friend Andy Warhol with these two takes on his famous “Portrait Work”
The last piece of art on Andy Warhol was done by LaChapelle right before he died.
Through his mastery of color, unique composition, and imaginative narratives, LaChapelle began to expand the genre of photography. His staged tableau, portrait and still life works challenged devices of traditional photography and his work quickly gained international interest. By 1991, The New York Times predicted, “LaChapelle is certain to influence the work of a new generation…in the same way that Mr. Avedon pioneered so much of what is familiar today.”
In the decades since, LaChapelle has become one of the most published photographers throughout the world with an anthology of books including LaChapelle Land (1996), Hotel LaChapelle (1999), Heaven to Hell (2006), Lost & Found, and Good News (2017). Simultaneously, his work has expanded into music video, film and stage projects. His 2005 feature film Rize was released theatrically in 17 countries. Many of his still and film works have become iconic archetypes of America in the 21st Century.
The History of the Fotografiska Museum:
(from the museum website)
Fotografiska New York is the NYC location of the renowned Stockholm-based destination for the world’s best photography. Founded in 2010, Fotografiska was built on the foundation of photography as a haven for inclusivity and free expression.
The Fotografiska Museum in Manhattan
Our goal is to inspire a more conscious world through the art of photography. We showcase the greatest photographers, whether they’re emerging artists or already established internationally.
The building is a registered landmark built in 1894 and originally named “The Church Mission House”. We’ve renovated this iconic jewel to be a new experience of world-class art, cultural events, retail, and epicurean dining, in an awe-inspiring space.
Situated in a beautiful rural setting, the Log Cabin is restored in the same manner as the local Quakers lived in the 1700’s. The site houses a barn full of antique farm implements as well as many items used in the local industries of Lower Alloways Creek.
Salem’s County’s maritime history is documented in a unique floating cabin which is complimented with a collection of fishing and trapping memorabilia. The site also features an outhouse, carriage shed and the last canning house that was left in the Township.
The buildings on the grounds and the outhouse
History of the house:
The main house is very unique. The addition to the house was built in the mid 1800’s and is furnished from that time period. This was added to the log cabin that has been reconstructed on the site. The early parts of the log cabin date back to before the Revolutionary War.
The first-floor parlor
The Kitchen in the main house
Washing clothes in the house
How to wash clothes until WWII
The second-floor bedroom
The Bonnet collection
The second floor bedroom
The Attic Room
The toys and playthings of the Attic Room
The house has an extensive collection of antique toys and dolls and furniture.
The dolls
The dolls
The Hat collection at the home.
(Information from the museum website):
Part of the house is an old log cabin with an addition added on later. Although the date of the original construction is unknown, the cabin has been restored and reconstructed in much the same manner as local Quakers would have lived in the 1700’s. Because the air had deteriorated so many of the logs, it was impossible to save the entire original structure.
The log cabin section of the house.
The log cabin and the later addition.
All the wood used in the reconstruction of this cabin came from the woods in Lower Alloways Creek that are owned by the Township. The hand-hewn logs are white oak. The wide floorboards are pine The fireplace and foundation were built from Jersey sandstone that had been donated by John Hassler.
The inside of the log cabin and hearth.
The Hearth during the event
The Historical site also features a log cabin, carriage shed and barn, many antique farm implements, a two-seater “outhouse” and an old fashion hand water pump.
The Outhouse
The hearth of the log cabin
The loft section of the log cabin on the second floor of the home.
There is also an original Can House, with a working line shaft, a floating cabin, both of which were originally built in Lower Alloways Creek.
The historic Can House.
The historic Can House
Some of the interesting programs that the society hosts:
Line Shaft: the historic line shaft in action as it powers a variety of machines.
Outdoor sportsmen: view displays of fishing and trapping, hunting gear, decoys, floating cabins and turkey call demonstrations.
Model Trains: all aboard an exciting display of model trains.
Old time engines: South Jersey Gas Engine Club proudly presents their collection of “Hit or Miss” engines.
The Farm equipment and working engines at the “Old Time Engine Day” in September 2023 was an interesting mix of old farm equipment, household equipment and everyday items run by an engine in the early 1900’s. It was a very interesting display on how we have come in manufacturing and the museum did a nice job on the displays.
The working farm equipment at the Lower Alloways Creek Historical Society
The Farm Engine equipment
The Farm Engine equipment
The Farm Engine equipment
The Farm Engine equipment
Video on the display:
The Farm Engine equipment
Farm Day: Come and see antique tractors and a variety of farm equipment. See the progression of farm equipment throughout the centuries.
Retired farm equipment in the barn
The barn
Farm Equipment in the barn.
Some of the equipment and refreshments in the barn.
The barn equipment during my visit in 2025
Indian Arrowheads on display in the barn
Cabin Cooked Pie Day:
There is nothing better than a freshly baked pie in a fireplace. In November 2025, I returned to the museum for ‘Pie Day’. There were various pies, chestnuts and soup being cooked in the log cabin fire place that afternoon. It was interesting to see cooking procedures from a hundred years ago.
I visited the museum and got to watch the volunteers cook all sorts of goodies in the fire. It is interesting how foods were cooked and tested for doness over a wooden fire. The coordination of cooking times and temperatures.
The Log Cabin goodies that afternoon
Visitors choose from Apple or Pumpkin pies, Roasted Chestnuts, Buttery Popcorn, Chocolate Chip cookies or Stuffed Cabbage Soup, all cooked fresh in the pots on the open fire hearth which also warmed the house on a cool afternoon. The museum was even selling a cookbook, Down Jersey Cookbook on some of the recipes being used in this part of New Jersey.
Cooking pies, soup, chestnuts and popcorn in the fireplace
The pies, Chestnuts and soups being cooked in the Open Hearth
It was interesting how the pies were cooked in the cast iron equipment and then laid out to cool. They came out of the oven steaming hot and sat to cool before being sliced.
The freshly baked Pumpkin pie
Freshly baked Apple pie
Freshly baked Apple pie. Yum!
Stuffed Cabbage Soup in a cast iron pot
The thick Stuffed Pepper Soup
Freshly Roasted Chestnuts from the fireplace
The pots and pans in the fire
It was fun watching the foods being cooked right on the spot they way they would have over a hundred years ago. It was even more fun to eat them. I learned a thing or two about the culinary arts this afternoon and it was so nice to sit in a warm kitchen by the fire on a cool November afternoon.
The delicious Fall goodies cooked in the hearth
Farm supplies kept cool in the barn
It was really a homey event at the museum, with good food and wonderful conversation with residents of the community. All in a room warmed by a fire in a working fireplace. I love it when museums do such great events and using the historical cooking instruments was very unique.
The Museum is in a rural location so the farmland that surrounds the house is really beautiful. The views in the fall were just gorgeous when the leaves were turning colors.
The beautiful farmland that surrounds the historical society.
The view on a late Fall day
The view of the local farm
The fields
The plaque of the “Quinton K. Baker Canhouse, the last one left.
The historic cars and fire trucks on display at the museum that day:
The Model T
The Hancock Bridge’s 1928 Hose truck
The cars on display that day
The front of the museum on my visit in November 2025
The back of museum during my visit in November 2025
The museum is open six times a year for special events. Please check out their website and their Facebook page for details. The Pie event was the last event for the season until the Spring.
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 