HIstorical Society of Woodstock

Book Signing And Talk by Joanne B. Mulcahy
2025-05-03 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Marion Greenwood:
Portrait And Self-Portrait—A Biography
by Joanne B. Mulcahy

Date: Saturday, May 3, 2 pm
Admission: Free
(Note that parking is limited at the Historical Society; please park in the lower Comeau parking lot)
The Historical Society of Woodstock will host a talk, photo presentation, and book signing by author Joanne B. Mulcahy for her newly-published book Marion Greenwood: Portrait and Self-Portrait—A Biography on Saturday, May 3 at 2:00 pm at the Historical Society’s Eames House Museum at 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock NY. Admission is free.
Based on a decade of research, Mulcahy’s book explores the life of this Brooklyn-born artist celebrated in the mid-twentieth century for her murals, easel portraits, and lithographs. Greenwood thrived at the Art Students League in New York City, in the studio of German modernist Winold Reiss at Yaddo, and at other storied institutions. From the age of fourteen, she spent part of every year in Woodstock, splitting the time with her studio in New York City. The Maverick Festival and Woodstock’s art scene were central to her development.

In 1933, Greenwood catapulted to international fame as the first woman to paint a public mural in Mexico. Diego Rivera celebrated the then 24-year-old artist as one of “the world’s greatest living women mural painters.” She traveled the globe to create award-winning portraits of people from diverse backgrounds, crossing racial, cultural, and class lines. An early feminist, Greenwood was one of only two women war artist-correspondents during World War II and advocated for the inclusion of other women.
After social realism and portraiture fell from favor, Greenwood doggedly stuck with what she called “the human thing” in art. Her freewheeling romantic life and independent spirit defied expectations for women, and she dismissed sexist critics who mixed acclaim for her work with commentary on her stunning beauty. In following Greenwood’s maverick path and artistic achievements, Mulcahy argues for her place in the pantheon of history’s remarkable women artists.

Joanne B. Mulcahy is the author of Remedios: The Healing Life of Eva Castellanoz and Birth and Rebirth on an Alaskan Island: The Life of an Alutiiq Healer and coauthor of Writing Abroad: A Guide for Travelers. Her award-winning essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. For over thirty years, she taught creative nonfiction at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She’s also taught in prisons, libraries, and other community settings in the US and overseas. She lives with her husband in Portland, Oregon and Pátzcuaro, Mexico.

HSW’s Holiday Market Fair - Final Weekend
2024-12-14 - 2024-12-15 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Shop local crafts and jewelry, holiday cards, local history books, original artwork, Sixties memorabilia, delectable treats, handknit items and more.
Special This Weekend:

This year we have brought back our Woodstock cookbook, The Cookie Collection. Now on sale, this updated edition is dedicated in memory of longtime Society Board members, Kathy Anderson and Jean White.

Book Signing, Saturday from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. Woodstock – From World War to Culture Wars, with Woodstock town historian, Richard Heppner.

Silent Art Auction – Two works of art by award winning artists, Calvin Grimm and Eileen Power. Open for bidding both Saturday and Sunday.

As always, delicious spiced cider, treats and fresh holly and greens are our holiday gifts to all shoppers

We wish everyone the best of holidays and thank you for your support of the Historical Society of Woodstock.

HSW Holiday Market Fair - Dec 6-8
2024-12-06 - 2024-12-08 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
The Historical Society of Woodstock, located at 20 Comeau Drive in Woodstock, is pleased to announce its annual Holiday Market Fair.
Beginning Friday December 6, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., and continuing Saturdays and Sundays, December 7, 8, 14, and 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day.
Shop local crafts, holiday cards, local books, original artwork, delectable treats, handknit items and more.
Our Historical Society Bakers are busy at work preparing for our ever-popular cookie tins. This year we are also bringing back our Woodstock cookbook, The Cookie Collection. This updated edition is dedicated in memory of longtime Society Board members, Kathy Anderson and Jean White. As always, delicious, spiced cider, treats and fresh holly and greens are our holiday gifts to all shoppers.

Book Signing and Talk: Woodstock – From World War to Culture Wars
2024-10-13 15:00 - 16:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Book Signing and Talk for New Book:
Woodstock – From World War to Culture Wars,
by Richard Heppner
On Sunday October 13, at 3:00 p.m., the Historical Society of Woodstock will host a book signing and talk by Woodstock Town Historian, Richard Heppner for his new book, Woodstock – From World War to Culture Wars. Published by SUNY Press, Woodstock – From World War to Culture Wars explores the uncommon history of a small town in the shadow of Overlook Mountain as it moved through major changes during the twentieth century.
Few towns in America are as famous as Woodstock, New York—although Woodstock may be most famous for an event that happened many miles away! Long before the 1969 Woodstock festival put the town on the map, it had been a center for artists and free thinkers who found refuge in its rural setting. Longtime citizens were often shocked by the arrival of these newcomers who brought new values and attitudes to their once-isolated village. From the transformative arrival of artists in the early twentieth century to the influx of musicians and young people in the 1960s, Woodstockers worked and struggled to balance everyday life in a small, rural community with the attention and notoriety the outside world brought to it. Presented chronologically, this text examines the nature of change within Woodstock’s uncommon story as it emerges from the Great Depression, confronts the realty of World War II, moves through the 1950s and into an unimagined and unintended future with the arrival of the Sixties through today. At its core, this is a story of how Woodstock’s cultural and political institutions, its citizens, and its physical landscape met the ever-changing challenges of changing times. It is a story of community, resilience, conflict, and transition into a world its early settlers could not have imagined.

Richard Heppner is Emeritus Professor of Communications and the former Vice President of Academic Affairs at Orange County Community College, State University of New York, and has served as the Woodstock Town Historian since 2001. He is the author of Woodstock’s Infamous Murder Trial: Early Racial Injustice in Upstate New York and coauthor (with Janine Fallon-Mower) of Legendary Locals of Woodstock.

Exhibition Walk-Through With Curator Joann Margolis
2024-10-05 16:00 - 17:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
The Historical Society of Woodstock will present a walk-through of the current exhibition, Woodstock Village: The Evolution, with curator JoAnn Margolis on October 5th at 4:00 pm. The talk will be held at the Historical Society’s Eames House Museum at 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock NY. Admission is free.
An overview of the exhibit, how it came to be, and what it represents will be discussed, along with how the business district in Woodstock has evolved overtime. Many buildings remain relatively unchanged, others are gone, and some transformed. Woodstock has changed and evolved dramatically over time, but the business district has been the center of commercial, social and cultural life in the village for over 200 years. If buildings could talk, what tales would they tell?

JoAnn Margolis holds a Master’s in Library Science from the State University of New York at Albany and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Wilkes University. She has done postgraduate work at Temple and Columbia Universities and has attended many archive workshops. She retired as a School Library Media Specialist at Woodstock Elementary School and previously was a teacher and librarian at the Bennett School in Boiceville. In between her two stints with the Onteora School District, she was a jeweler and co-owner of “The Jewelry Store” in Woodstock.
Her strong commitment to the Woodstock community includes serving on the executive boards of the Woodstock Public Library, the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce and Arts, the Woodstock PTA, the Historical Society of Woodstock, as well as organizing many town-wide events. She received the 2024 Alf Evers Award for her many years of volunteer service in the Town of Woodstock. JoAnn was the HSW archivist for over 20 years and a long-time board member until 2021. JoAnn curated several HSW exhibits and coordinated local history projects with students in area schools.

Architecture and Woodstock
2024-09-21 16:00 - 17:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
On Saturday September 21, the Historical Society of Woodstock will host
a talk by Architect, Barry Price,
speaking on the topic, “Architecture and Woodstock.”
Admission is free.
Barry Price is an Architect, designing homes and structures in and around the Hudson Valley. He takes inspiration from the beauty of the landscape, from its vernacular building forms and the colors and textures of the forests and mountains. His intentions are to elevate his structures from buildings to works of Architecture, integrating modern-vernacular form with high-performance building techniques and regional materials.
Barry Price attended Lehigh University, the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in NYC, and obtained a Master of Architecture with distinction at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
Barry has won a series of residential design awards over the years. With experience as an adjunct Professor in Architectural Design, he is often called upon to teach or act as guest critic at graduate school programs.
Barry Price is a Certified Passive House Designer, NCARB Certified and Licensed Architect and a member of the American Institute of Architect. He lives in Bearsville with his wife, April Traum, and has two grown children living in New York City.

On that same day, from 2:00-4:00 p.m., the Historical Society will also be holding a “History Harvest.”
In an effort to add to the Society’s archives, if you have a unique photo of Woodstock, its buildings, an event, or a memory of another time, bring it to the Historical Society that day and it will be scanned, returned to you and the scan will be added to the Society’s collection.

Mystery In The Woodstock Speakeasy - Sept 15
2024-09-15 17:00 - 19:00 | Mescal Hornbeck Community Center, 56 Rock City Rd., Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Book a Ticket

It’s 1929 and Hudson Valley based bootlegger Dutch Schultz wants to open a speakeasy in the Woodstock Valley Hotel. The club will give Dutch’s new girlfriend, Lu Lu, a classy place to sing her songs. Unfortunately, local flapper Rosie doesn’t like competition and neither does Dutch's rival, Legs Diamond.
Sergeant Lance Boyle, a local cop who works both sides of the law, is the club’s greeter and bouncer. Looking over his shoulder is Needles, a longtime associate of Dutch’s, who is on hand to emcee the entertainment portion of the evening.
You’ll swoon to the best of the Jazz Age as long as the temperance union and a rival bootlegger and gangster don’t rain on Dutch’s opening night. But before Lu Lu sings her second song, tempers flare, bullets rain and a masked gunman bursts upon the scene. At least one body will fall and it doesn’t look like the Charleston did it.
Enjoy the roar of the 1920's as you keep track of the clues and guess whodunit. You could win a prize!

September 14th at 7:00 pm
September 15th at 5:00 pm
Mescal Hornbeck Community Center
56 Rock City Rd., Woodstock, NY

Tickets:
$18 in advance (scroll down to buy ticket)
$20 at the door
Appetizers and desserts will be available.

Celebrating its 26th year in business, Theatre on the Road is owned and operated by Frank and Kirsten Marquette of Rosendale, New York. For more information visit www.theatreontheroad.com
.

Mystery In The Woodstock Speakeasy - Sept 14
2024-09-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Mescal Hornbeck Community Center, 56 Rock City Rd., Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States

Author’s Talk: In Defiance – Runaways from Slavery in New York’s Hudson Valley
2024-09-07 15:00 - 17:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
by Susan Stessin-Cohn and Ashley Hurlburt-Biagini
The Historical Society of Woodstock Presents author Susan Stessin-Cohn for a talk on the second edition of her book, In Defiance: Runaways from Slavery in New York’s Hudson River Valley 1735-1831
On Saturday September 7 at 3:00 p.m., the Historical Society of Woodstock will present a talk by Susan Stessin-Cohn on her newest research and second edition of the publication, In Defiance: Runaways from Slavery in New York’s Hudson River Valley 1735-1831.
In recent years, historians and researchers have taken a closer look at New York’s complicity in the “peculiar institution” of slavery. One of the books that helped shed more light on this tragic subject was the 2016 publication of In Defiance: Runaways from Slavery in New York’s Hudson River Valley, 1735–1831. The core of that book by Hudson Valley historical researchers, Susan Stessin-Cohn and Ashley Hurlburt-Biagini, was the reproduction and transcriptions of hundreds of 18th and 19th-century newspapers notices offering rewards for the return of enslaved persons who had escaped their enslavers and become “runaways.” Continuing their research, Stessin-Cohn and Hurlburt-Biagini discovered more than 250 additional runaway notices that prompted them to rewrite and greatly expand In Defiance in this newly released Second Edition.
Most enslaved persons held in the Hudson River Valley lived and worked and died and left behind no historical record—no birth certificates, no marriage records, no death certificates, unmarked graves. But In Defiance rescues over 900 of those individuals from obscurity because they decided to free themselves; when their enslavers placed notices in local and New York City newspapers offering rewards for their return, they not only gave identity to some of the enslaved people, but also unwittingly indicted themselves before the bar of historical judgment. Surnames synonymous with Hudson Valley history—names like Schuyler, Van Rensselaer, Beekman, Rockefeller, Van Cortlandt, Van Buren, Livingston—appear throughout the book as the authors of the notices advertising rewards for the return of their enslaved “property.”
The result of 17 years of research on behalf of Stessin-Cohn and Hurlburt-Biagini, In Defiance examines life in bondage in our region and the natural “fight or flight” instinct in every human being dominating the minds of all those who were treated as property.
The Historical Society of Woodstock is located at 20 Comeau Drive. Admission to this talk is free. While in attendance, visitors can also view HSW’s current exhibit: Woodstock Village – The Evolution as well as the Society’s permanent Tool Shed and Remembering Woodstock exhibits

Woodstock – An Evolutionary Tale
2024-08-24 14:00 - 17:00
A Talk by Town Historian, Richard Heppner
Saturday August 24 at 4:00 pm.
Also – A History Harvest from 2-4:00 pm
In conjunction with the Historical Society’s current exhibit, HSW will present a talk entitled, Woodstock – An Evolutionary Tale, by Woodstock Town Historian Richard Heppner on August 24th at 4:00 pm. The talk will be held at the Historical Society’s Eames House Museum on Comeau Drive. Admission is free.
Much has unfolded within the shadow of Overlook Mountain since the founding of Woodstock in 1787. Over the course of more than two centuries, Woodstock has evolved from a rural Catskill Mountain town to what some have proclaimed to be the “most famous small town in America.” During that span, Woodstock has been buffeted by both internal and external forces unlike other small towns and far beyond what the town’s founding fathers and mothers could have envisioned as the 18th century drew to a close.
So how did Woodstock become Woodstock? While it is a tale that goes far beyond a festival that bore its name (though never held here), it is a tale that includes hardworking laborers cutting bluestone and working the tannery, artists, musicians, conservative and progressive politics, tourists, changing businesses, generational conflict, and a collective of townspeople who often saw the world through a slightly different lens.
During his talk, Heppner will explore the many facets that have combined over the years to create an uncommon history; a history unique in its telling and, frankly, hard to imagine.
Richard Heppner has served as Woodstock’s town historian since 2001. During his tenure, he has written multiple of books and essays on Woodstock history. His latest book, Woodstock – From World War to Culture Wars will be released by SUNY Press on October 1.
Also, on August 24 from 2:00-4:00 pm, HSW will be conducting a “History Harvest.” In an effort to add to the Society’s archives, if you have a unique photo of Woodstock, its buildings, an event, or a memory of another time, bring it to the Historical Society that day and it will be scanned, returned to you and the scan will be added to the Society’s collection.

Exhibit: Woodstock Village: The Evolution
2024-08-24 - 2024-10-06 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
A photo exploration of how the village of Woodstock transformed from a small rural town to a bustling creative community. The exhibit illustrates how buildings and businesses changed over the years.
The exhibit contains photographs from the late 1800s to present, from the Historical Society of Woodstock and private collections. Current photos of Mill Hill Road, Tinker Street and Rock City Road were taken by Henry Neimark and Fern Malkine-Falvey. Maps, and paintings by
Woodstock artists, John Pike, Wilna Hervey, Agnes Bierhals, Jean White and others are presented to illustrate changes over time.
Some buildings remain relatively unchanged, others are gone, and some transformed. Woodstock has changed and evolved dramatically, but the business district has been the center of commercial, social and cultural life in the village for over 200 years.
If buildings could talk, what tales would they tell?
Saturdays and Sundays, 1 -5 pm
HSW Eames Museum20 Comeau DriveWoodstock, NY 12498
Events
Saturday, August 24, 4 PM. A Brief History of Woodstock: a talk by Richard Heppner, Woodstock Town Historian. – see more info
Saturday, August 24, 2 to 4 PM. History Harvest. Bring a photo of a Woodstock village building or event. It will be scanned on site to be added to the HSW Woodstock Town Center Collection.
Saturday, September 21, 4 PM, Woodstock Architecture: a talk by Barry Price, architect.
Saturday, September 21, 2-4 PM. History Harvest. Bring a photo of a Woodstock village building or event. It will be scanned on site to be added to the HSW Woodstock Town Center Collection.
Saturday, October 5, 4PM. If Buildings Could Talk! An exhibition walk-through: with Curator JoAnn Margolis

Celebration: Republication of The Catskills by Alf Evers
2024-08-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Celebration: Republication of
The Catskills
by Alf Evers
An event to celebrate the republication of The Catskills: From Wilderness to Woodstock by Alf Evers will take place at the Historical Society of Woodstock on Friday, August 16, from 7 to 9 pm. Purple Mountain Press of Bovina recently brought out its edition of this definitive regional history.
For countless readers over the course of more than fifty years, Alf’s stand-alone book has served as the gateway to learning about and treasuring the Catskills, in all the region’s intricate and colorful history. Originally published by Doubleday in 1972 and then in an updated edition by The Overlook Press in 1982, the book had become unavailable.
Poet and composer Ed Sanders, author of Alf Evers: An American Genius, and Fred Steuding will share their recollections of working closely with Alf towards the latter part of his life, when both friends assisted with the research and completion of his Kingston: City on the Hudson.
Born in 1905, Evers grew up on a farm in Ulster County within sight of the Catskills. The genesis for The Catskills was when Alf’s frequent articles about local subjects caught the notice of an editor at Doubleday, who approached him to write a full history. It took him eight years to research and write and was published to great success. Thrilling generations of readers since, The Catskills presents the lore, legends, art and commerce, flora, fauna, and natural and manmade wonders that have made the Catskills one of America’s most historically rich and romantic regions. Not least among its delights is the voice of Alf himself as a storyteller, entertaining and wry.

Publishing books since the 1980s, Purple Mountain Press specializes in titles about the Catskills, Adirondacks and other regions of New York State. In 2020, founder Wray Rominger of Fleischmanns, who ran the press with his late wife Loni for many years, was presented with the Alf Evers Award for Excellence by the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. The publishing house continues under the stewardship of James and Maureen Krueger. Books can be purchased at www.nysbooks.com.

The Historic Woodstock Art Colony – Arthur A. Anderson Booksigning and Discussion
2024-07-20 14:00
The Historical Society of Woodstock presents Arthur A. Anderson in conversation with art historian Bruce Weber discussing his collection of art from the historic Woodstock art colony, followed by a signing of the recently published book by SUNY Press, The Historic Woodstock Art Colony: The Arthur A. Anderson Collection, on Saturday, July 20, 2024 from 2 to 4 PM at 20 Comeau Drive in Woodstock, N.Y. Admission is free. Mr. Anderson will sign copies of the book, which is lavishly illustrated and includes essays by its eight authors.
Long before the famous music festival in 1969, Woodstock, New York was home to what is considered America’s first intentionally created, year-round arts colony—founded in 1902. Collecting the remarkable range of work produced there has been Arthur A. Anderson’s focus for three decades, resulting in the largest comprehensive assemblage of its type.
The artists represented in this collection reflect the diversity of those who came to Woodstock, including Birge Harrison, Konrad Cramer, George Bellows, Eugene Speicher, Peggy Bacon, Rolph Scarlett, and Yasuo Kuniyoshi, among many others.
Anderson recently donated his entire collection—some 1,500 objects by almost 200 artists—to the New York State Museum, and this book introduces to the public, for the first time, a sample of the highlights of this extraordinary collection, which represents a body of work that together shaped art and culture in New York and forms a history of national and international significance.

WOODSTOCK PERSONALITIES: 40 Years of Photographs by John Kleinhans
2024-06-07 - 2024-07-28 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Opening reception
Friday June 7 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Exhibit Open – Saturdays & Sundays, June 8 through July 28, 1–5 pm
Gallery Walk-throughs with John Kleinhans on:
Sunday June 23 at 2:00 p.m.(with art historian Bruce Weber)
Sunday July 14 at 2:00 p.m.(with artist Paula Nelson).
The public is invited to these events at no cost. For more information: (845) 679-2256 or info@historicalsocietyofwoodstock.org.
The Historical Society of Woodstock presents our opening exhibition of the season, Woodstock Personalities: 40 Years of Photographs by John Kleinhans, on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 20 Comeau Drive in Woodstock, N.Y., with an opening reception on Friday, June 7 at 7 PM. The exhibition will run through July 28 and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free.
This exhibition of 94 photographs, taken over a span of forty years by John Kleinhans, features pictures of local personalities. Seldom seen without a camera in hand, Kleinhans considers these photographs to be what he refers to as “a visual diary” of casual meetings and unexpected encounters with local friends and associates.
Kleinhans, a Pittsburgh native, set up his first darkroom in 1965 in New York City. After a 12-year academic career specializing in visual perception, he settled in Woodstock in 1979. He was drawn mainly to landscape photography and, commercially, he specialized in photographing artwork and architecture. During the 1980’s he was a photographer for the Woodstock Times and other publications.
A casual meeting in 1983 with Robert Angeloch, founder of the Woodstock School of Art, led to a life-long involvement with the school where he was a student, handyman, and board member. He also served on the boards of the Woodstock Artists Association and the Center for Photography at Woodstock. From 1988 to 2007 he worked as a designer and product developer at Woodstock Percussion. With his wife, artist Paula Nelson, he founded Precipice Publications which released his books: An Image of Monhegan (1997) and Woodstock Landscapes (2000).

REVIEW
Woodstock personalities highlighted in photography exhibit
by Geddy Sveikauskas
John Kleinhans has been photographing the creative people he has known in Woodstock – many of them painters and sculptors – for 40 years. Of the more than 80,000 images he has produced over the four decades, a carefully selected 94 are currently on exhibit at the Historical Society of Woodstock’s facility at 20 Comeau Drive on weekend afternoons from one to five p.m.
These are digital snapshots, not carefully staged studio portraits, “Records of unplanned encounters with friends, co-workers and casual acquaintances,” as Kleinhans puts it in the foreword of the exquisitely produced catalog entitled “Woodstock Personalities.” The expansive circle of Kleinhans’ friends and acquaintances know that he and his camera are virtually inseparable. His friends are used to him moving around or making a quick suggestion before snapping one or several shots. The result can be an extraordinary display of the social intimacy among old friends – creative Woodstock at its best.
For the creative people of Woodstock, life is a labor of love – and a bunch of other feelings as well.
The affable Kleinhans, gifted with an ability to intuit the narratives that connect people, has a doctorate in experimental psychology from Rutgers University, where he taught as a professor for a dozen years. But as he wrote, “Photography eventually triumphed over psychology.”
In Woodstock, Kleinhans also worked for several years at Garry and Diane Kvistaad’s Woodstock Percussion, Woodstock art historian Bruce Weber has contributed informative single-paragraph texts of explanation that accompany each photograph,
“Woodstock Personalities,” curated by Letitia Smith, closes on July 28. The sumptuous 68-page catalog will remain.
Hudson Valley One Review June 27, 2024

Farewell Concert at Happy Brooks
2024-05-26
We invite you and your guests to a Farewell Concert hosted by Tamara Pajic Lang. The family of Michael Lang, which has occupied Happy Brooks’ grand halls since 1979, will be putting it on the market to sell this year.
The event will feature a piano recital by the world-renowned solo pianist and Steinway Artist Katya Grineva at Happy Brooks Estate in Mt. Tremper, in the afternoon of May 26th. All ticket proceeds will be donated to the Historical Society of Woodstock.
One of the most prominent residents of Woodstock, Michael Lang was a concert promoter, producer and artist manager who was best known as a co-creator of the Woodstock Music & Art Festival in 1969. He was only the fourth owner of the magnificent estate since its construction in 1929 by the artist G. Adolph Anderson.
Ticket purchasing is closed • Tickets will not be available at the door.
Ticketholders at the Owner’s Club level will receive a tour of the property conducted by Ms. Lang, including the main house, guest house and beautiful gardens. The tour will begin at 1 pm.
All ticket holders are invited to attend the concert by Ms. Grineva which will begin at 3pm in the Great Room of the main house. Paintings by G. Adolph Anderson, the original owner of the house, and several other paintings owned by the estate of Michael Lang, will be on view.
Refreshments will be served.
In order to qualify for member tickets you may join now. A family membership is $50 ($35 for an individual member; $25 for students and seniors). Become a member
If you wish to send in a check, click here to open, print and fill out the form and mail it to: Historical Society of Woodstock, P.O. Box 841, Woodstock, NY 12498.
payment form for mail in

Annual Sale of Trinkets and Treasures
2024-04-12 - 2024-04-14 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day
Community members have generously gone into attics, barns, and cellars and have donated wonderful items to the HSW sale. Household items, tools, jewelry, small furniture, toys, artwork, vintage treasures and more. All proceeds benefit the Historical Society of Woodstock.

Holiday Market Fair Dec 9-10
2023-12-09 - 2023-12-10 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
ANNUAL HOLIDAY MARKET FAIR
Dates: Saturdays & Sundays, December 2 & 3 and December 9 & 10
Times: 10AM to 3 PM
Location: Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Dr., Woodstock NY 12498
Admission: Free
The Historical Society of Woodstock is pleased to announce its annual Holiday Market Fair. Shop local crafts, holiday cards, local books, original artwork, delectable treats, wreaths, and more. This year also brings the return of the HSW homemade cookie tins and an exhibit from the HSW holiday card collection As always, delicious spiced cider, treats and fresh holly and greens are our holiday gifts to all shoppers.

The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.

Holiday Market Fair - Dec 2-3
2023-12-02 - 2023-12-03 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States

Catskill Love Song–Coloring Book signing
2023-11-04 16:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Writer, Steve Charney,and the illustrator, David Goldin
will be signing books
Soft CoverTrim Size: 8.5 x 11 inchesPages: 12Retail Price: $8.95
Our new publication Catskill Love Song–Coloring Book will be available for purchase at the HSW gift shop. It is based on the recent song, “Catskill Love Song” by musician and author Steve Charney. Steve and illustrator and author David Goldin created this coloring book to support the mission of the HSW to preserve, interpret and share the unique history of Woodstock.

While participating in the planning for a benefit concert for the Historical Society of Woodstock (HSW), Steve Charney wrote a melody and lyrics for “Catskill Love Song”, to perform at the show. The words inspired the idea of producing a coloring book as a fundraiser for HSW. Steve Charney and David Goldin donated their time and talent to create this project to support the mission of HSW– to preserve, interpret, and share the unique history of Woodstock.

Steve Charney has lived in Woodstock since 1977. His love for the town and its history inspired him to write this song. He’s also an international magician, ventriloquist, author, songwriter, and radio personality. If you want to find out more about him than you’ll ever need or want, visit his website: www.stevecharney.com
To hear his song, this coloring book was based on a link to: www.youtube.com/stevecharney and search “Catskills Love Song.”

David Goldin first came to Woodstock for one day in 1969 as a kid, playing in a stream at someone’s wedding. He grew up an artist and began working in animation, illustration, and publishing. He moved to Woodstock in 1996 and raised his kids here. David is a local art educator / mentor and elucidator of complex principles and ideas. If you want to find out more about him, visit his website:www.davidgoldin.com

Thank you to the HSW Board of Directors, Andrea Newman-Winston, JoAnn Margolis, Weston Blelock, Print Express.

A Catskill Mountain Folk Festival - A Benefit Concert
2023-10-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Christian Science Church, 89 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
October 21 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Featuring John Sebastian, Molly Mason & Jay Ungar and Happy Traum
Admission: $18 in advance. When online orders are sold out, tickets at the door will still be available (scroll to the bottom, to book tickets)At the door, $20
On Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 7 p.m. the Historical Society of Woodstock will present a Catskill Mountain Folk Concert featuring a stellar lineup of musicians donating their time to a benefit concert for the HSW. Headliners include Molly Mason and Jay Ungar, Happy Traum, Tim Kapeluck, Steve Charney, Jeff Keithline, and Pat Lamanna. The concert is a tie-in to the Woodstock’s Farming Story exhibit, which runs through November 12. The set list will include songs about farming, bluestone quarrying, ice harvesting and shipping on the Hudson River, and a mix of old favorites like “Ashokan Farewell.” The concert will take place at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, 85 Tinker Street, Woodstock NY 12498. Admission is $20 at the door or $18 in advance (scroll to the bottom, to book tickets).
Featured Performers

Jay Ungar and Molly Mason met in the late 1970s at the Town Crier. They hit it off and began gigging together. In the 1980s, they co-founded the Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Club. When Ken Burns selected Jay’s tune “Ashokan Farewell” as the theme song for his series The Civil War, the soundtrack went on to garner a Grammy. Jay and Molly have appeared on CBS Good Morning, the Rosie O’Donnell Show, and All Things Considered.

Folk singer, writer, teacher, recording artist and first-rate fingerstyle guitarist Happy Traum began playing guitar and 5-string banjo as a teenager, and was an important participant in the legendary Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1950s and ‘60s. He was a student of blues guitar legend Brownie McGhee, a major influence on his picking style. He and his family moved to Woodstock in 1967. Happy has played in concerts, clubs and festivals throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan, both solo and with his late brother, Artie Traum. Happy has appeared and/or recorded with Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, John Sebastian, Larry Campbell, Eric Andersen, Allen Ginsberg, Jim Kweskin, Maria Muldaur and many other major figures in the folk/acoustic music world.

Tim Kapeluck is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His music is steeped in the traditions of bluegrass and Appalachian folk music. He has performed for years with banjo greats Bill Keith and Eric Weissberg in the Saturday Night Bluegrass Band.

Steve Charney is a magician, ventriloquist, author, songwriter, and radio personality. He’s written dozens of songs for Disney and Jim Henson and has published over 15 books with Scholastic and Barnes and Noble. His radio show Knock on Wood was aired around the country for decades. He was a commentator on All Things Considered and was profiled in The New Yorker magazine. His stage act of magic, music, and ventriloquism has taken him from Africa to California. He’s lived in Woodstock since 1977.

Jeff Keithline’s 50-plus-year career as bassist, composer, sideman, and featured artist covers many genres from pop and rock to string band and gypsy jazz, from folk and blues to free improvisation and electronica.

Pat Lamanna is a folk singer/songwriter living in Hyde Park, N.Y. As a child, she attended Camp Woodland in Phoenicia, where she first met Pete Seeger and began her lifelong love of folk music.

The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.

Family Tales of Farming and Country Life Around Old Woodstock
2023-10-07 11:00 - 13:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Would you want to hear the story about the farmer who kept bears as livestock? How about the woman who had a fried rattlesnake recipe and a special skillet just for it?
These and many other Woodstock family stories have been handed down through the generations. Please join with some members of Woodstock families as they recount these tales and many others that will make you laugh and amaze you.
This will be a panel discussion at the Historical Society of Woodstock on Saturday, October 7th, from 11 AM until 1 PM. Audience participation will be encouraged. This event is part of the Path Through History weekend.

Going to Cider Mill

Farmhouse Henry Van DeBogerts House

The Historical Society of Woodstock is located at 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock. Admission to this talk is free and it is presented in conjunction with the final weekend of the Historical Society’s summer exhibit, Goin’ to Town–a Celebration of the Woodstock Village.
The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.

Annual Meeting
2023-10-01 15:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States

Woodstock’s Farming Story
2023-09-30 10:00 - 2023-11-12 17:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Opening reception Saturday, September 30, 3–5 p.m.
Admission: Free
The Historical Society of Woodstock announces the opening of a new exhibition, Woodstock’s Farming Story, on Saturday September 30 2023 at 20 Comeau Drive Woodstock, N.Y. with an opening reception on September 30 at 3 pm. The exhibition, through images and artifacts, looks at how farming has been part of Woodstock’s story from its earliest days to the present. The exhibition will run through November 12th and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free.
Like most of rural America during the 1800s, Woodstockers relied on farming to provide for the needs of their families and to serve as sources of income. Even “town families” maintained large gardens and chickens as well as a milk cow in their backyards. Will Rose, for example, writes in his book The Vanishing Village about the wonderful smell of the fruit trees and berries throughout the village. The artists who arrived in the early 1900s also learned the value of Woodstock’s barns as both a subject for their paintings as well as a place to live. The exhibit also looks at present day farmers as they bring their own twist to Woodstock’s farming story.
Would you want to hear the story about the farmer who kept bears as livestock? How about the woman who had a fried rattlesnake recipe and a special skillet just for it?
These and many other Woodstock family stories have been handed down through the generations. Please join with some members of Woodstock families as they recount these tales and many others that will make you laugh and amaze you.
This will be a panel discussion at the Historical Society of Woodstock on Saturday, October 7th, from 11 AM until 1 PM. Audience participation will be encouraged. This event is part of the Path Through History weekend.

”In addition, our new publication Catskill Love Song–Coloring Book will be available for purchase at the HSW gift shop during the exhibit. It is based on the recent song, “Catskill Love Song by musician and author Steve Charney. Steve and illustrator and author David Goldin created this coloring book to support the mission of the HSW to preserve, interpret and share the unique history of Woodstock.

Also open to visitors is the new permanent exhibit Remembering Woodstock and the newly renovated Tool Shed, featuring examples of tools used in Woodstock’s past.

The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.

Woodstock Meets the Sixties with historian Richard Heppner
2023-09-16 15:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Saturday, September 16, 3 p.m.
Admission: Free
On Saturday, September 16 at 3:00 p.m., the Historical Society of Woodstock will present a talk by Woodstock Town Historian Richard Heppner titled Woodstock Meets the Sixties. Heppner, who has written extensively on Woodstock history, will discuss how, at the time, a decidedly conservative town “greeted” an influx of young people as Woodstock became a beacon for those seeking music, magic, and freedom. It wasn’t always pretty.
From the early 1960s, through a good part of the 1970s, official Woodstock and many of its townspeople weren’t always pleased with the new arrivals as the town confronted differing lifestyles, issues of drug use, nude swimming, trespassing, and varying political and philosophical beliefs. Through his talk, Heppner will highlight the impact and evolution of changing times in Woodstock as the name of a small town at the base of Overlook Mountain became linked to an entire generation.

The Historical Society of Woodstock is located at 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock. Admission to this talk is free and it is presented in conjunction with the final weekend of the Historical Society’s summer exhibit, Goin’ to Town–a Celebration of the Woodstock Village.
The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.

Murder Mystery at the Art Colony - Sept 10
2023-09-10 17:00 - 19:00 | Mescal Hornbeck Community Center, 56 Rock City Rd., Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
To be performed as a fundraiser for the Historical Society of Woodstock
It's 1902 and you're invited to dine at the new Byrdcliffe Art Colony. You’ll socialize with Ralph Whitehead and his wife Jane Byrd McCall. Artist Bolton Brown and hotelier Elizabeth Reynolds will also be present along with college professor Percy Longfellow. You'll be fussed over by a loyal butler and a fortune-hunting maid. Katherine Kerry, a local writer for the Kingston Daily Freeman, observes much more than merriment and gaiety when she witnesses a murder.
Written and directed by Anika Krempl for Theatre on the Road, her historical whodunits have enjoyed sold-out performances throughout the Hudson Valley since 2015. Anika remarked, “Mystery at the Art Colony is a work of historic fiction. Although it features four historic characters, we do not represent any of them as a murderer. Like all of Frank Marquette’s productions, it is rich in fact and fiction, comedy, drama and mystery.”
Along with Anika Krempl, the cast includes Theatre on the Road owner-operator Frank Marquette, Erica Woolley, Nicole Prepeluk, Tom Roberts, Lauren Roberts, Ken Stallon and Jim Keenen. Live period music will be performed by Hannah Tufano.
“Mystery at the Art Colony” will be performed as a fundraiser for the Historical Society of Woodstock, on Saturday, September 9 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, September 10 at 5:00 pm. Tickets are $18.00 in advance and $20.00 the day of the event. Light refreshments will be available for a nominal fee.

Celebrating its 25th year in business, Theatre on the Road is owned and operated by Frank and Kirsten Marquette of Rosendale, New York. For more information visit www.theatreontheroad.com

SPONSORS

Please support our sponsors.

Diane and Garry Kvistad of the Kvistad Foundation
Woodstock Building Supply

Murder Mystery at the Art Colony - Sept 9
2023-09-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Mescal Hornbeck Community Center, 56 Rock City Rd., Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States

Levon Helm: Rock*Roll*Ramble
2023-08-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
John Barry,
in conversation with Barbara O’Brien
Book signing, Free
Hudson Valley music journalist John W. Barry will be at the Eames House, Woodstock, on Saturday, Aug. 19, to discuss his book, “Levon Helm: Rock, Roll & Ramble—The Inside Story of the Man, the Music and the Midnight Ramble.”
Levon Helm, a more than 40-year-resident of Woodstock, played drums, sang and played mandolin in The Band. He also developed a successful solo career, winning three Grammys inspired by his legendary house concerts, the Midnight Rambles, held at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock.
Helm’s Midnight Ramble success followed his battle with cancer of the vocal cords; bankruptcy; and nearly losing his home to the bank. A former staff writer for the USA Today Network in Poughkeepsie, Barry documents it all in his book, which is based on recorded conversations with Helm, captured over years.
Barry will be joined for the book discussion by Barbara O’Brien, who served as Helm’s manager during his Midnight Ramble era.
This event, which will also feature signed books for sale, is set for 2 p.m. Aug. 19 and is being presented by the Historical Society of Woodstock on the Woodstock festival anniversary weekend.
Visit rockrollramble.com to learn more.

Anthony Robinson, in conversation with Tad Wise Father of the Man
2023-08-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Anthony Robinson,
in conversation with Tad Wise
Father of the Man,
A Novel about growing up on the Maverick
Book signing, Free

The sons of famous men are notoriously hobbled by their fathers’ reputations. This was not the case, however, here in Woodstock, when one of The Maverick’s first writers, the struggling poet Henry Morton Robinson, emerged into literary stardom with a “book of the year novel” in 1950 entitled, “The Cardinal.” The reason being his only son Anthony Robinson failed to be intimidated by his father’s brief if spectacular career. ( Robinson, Sr, died at 61 and is remembered today more for his classic collaboration with Joseph Campbell : “A Skeleton Key To Finnegan’s Wake.”)
Instead a tenacious Anthony Robinson would himself write several admired novels and short stories, while becoming a local favorite professor of English Literature and director of the Creative Writing department at SUNY New Paltz. Even so, Tad Wise argues that the son of Henry Morton Robinson has– late in his own life—left us perhaps his most remarkable portrait by recalling his own boyhood “on the Maverick,” while yes, reproducing with uncanny accuracy and sympathy the vastly different experiences of a father and son, locked in a struggle rife with anger, resentments, begrudging love, and hard-won respect.
In Father of The Man, the younger Robinson, in fact, emulates a completely different set of mid-century American writers and—while including his own classic friendship with Maverick founder Hervey White—makes an impressive contribution to the Coming of Age American novel.
Wise will interview Robinson on…

Goin' to Town...A Celebration of the Woodstock Village
2023-08-05 - 2023-09-17 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
The Historical Society of Woodstock announces the opening of a new exhibition
Goin’ to Town… a Celebration of the Woodstock Village
Saturdays & Sundays, August 5 through September 17, 1–5 p.m.
Opening reception
Saturday, August 5, 3–5 p.m.
20 Comeau Drive Woodstock, N.Y.
Admission: Free
The Historical Society of Woodstock announces the opening of a new exhibition Goin’ to Town…a Celebration of the Woodstock Village on Saturday August 5, 2023, at 20 Comeau Drive Woodstock, N.Y. with an opening reception on August 5 at 3 pm. The exhibition includes images and reminiscences of Woodstock’s Town Center from the 1800s to present times. The exhibition will run through September 17, and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free.
“I’m goin’ to town.” For generations Woodstockers from all over the township have said these words as they set off by foot, horseback, wagon, bike, or car…to the Woodstock Village…for supplies, for work, for entertainment, to worship, to watch a parade, to protest, to trick or treat, to wait for Santa. Woodstock’s original Town Center was located at the intersection of what is now Route 212 and Mink Hollow Rd. in Lake Hill. By 1805 this hub of activity had relocated itself to its present site. At that time “town” was made up of a store, a church, several taverns, and small farms. This exhibition will celebrate the Town Center, so vibrant and well-loved.

Arriving at Rose’s Store on Tinker Street – circa, 1900. (Historical Society of Woodstock Archives/Town Center Collection)

On Mill Hill Road – circa, 1970. (Historical Society of Woodstock Archives/Town Center Collection)

Also open to visitors is the new permanent exhibit Remembering Woodstock and the newly renovated The Tool Shed.
The Historical Society of Woodstock is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 and admission is free.

The Tools they used— A History of Woodstock Through Tools
2023-06-17 12:30 - 14:30 | Historical Society of Woodstock, 20 Comeau Drive, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Two talks illustrating the use of tools throughout the history of Woodstock.
Richard Heppner, the author of six local history books and the Town Historian, will talk on life in early Woodstock from 12:30 to 1:15.
His presentation will cover farming, blue stone quarrying, ice harvesting, and woodworking.
At 1:30, Graham Blackburn, a master woodworker, and a featured presenter at the national level on woodworking, will discuss woodworking tools and demonstrate their uses.
Until the beginning of the 20th century the Town of Woodstock was an agricultural rural community. The town was largely self-sufficient in that people grew or produced most of what they needed to live a good life. Surrounding the small-town center were many active farms that raised livestock and grew a variety of crops. Farming itself has never been a hugely profitable endeavor in the Catskills, and Woodstock farmers were no exception. They frequently had to supplement their income with other activities such as making shake shingles or barrel staves from locally harvested timber. Ice harvesting from local ponds was a winter job, as was hauling timber and quarried bluestone by sled over snow.
The Tool Shed exhibit highlights some of the stories of the people of Woodstock through the tools they used from the mid-1800s until the mid-1900s. They represent farm families, tradespeople, and merchants. The tools on display show a sample of the types of work in which these people engaged.
