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June 2024

All-digital Hurley Heritage Society Prologue

The 2024 Hurley Historical Society 50^th Anniversary Celebration has begun!

  The Hurley Heritage Society Museum opened on May 4^th, and first day visitors were treated to an impressive assortment of refreshments provided by our hospitality team, Pat Findholt, Barbara Zell, and Flo Brandt. Two of our exhibits have had an update. EAGLES NEST: EXPLORING THE MYTHS AND REALITY has a new panel depicting the first deeds on record for Eagle’s Nest residences, with a portion of each deed and a transcription. In addition, we unveiled a new display in the Dutch Room featuring many items generously donated by the family of Ron and Shirley Rifenburg.

 Thanks to our member donations, the museum has also had a few updates. The porch renovation is nearly complete, and the Gift Shop has a fresh coat of paint, new carpeting and brand-new gift selections.

  We held a reception in May unveiling a re-creation of a sign that graced an Eagle’s nest home. The sign was created by Jim Lee and Wally Cook, and beautiful painted by Cindy Gill. Gail and Bruce Whistance presided at the event.  This was followed with our annual Spring Plant Sale, always a hit! Thank you, Flo Brandt! Visitors to the museum in May were able to preview 23 Roosters painted by local artists, prior to the auction at Cross Point Church.  A very special thank you to everyone who attended and purchased these beautiful roosters. Barbara Zell and her committee did an outstanding job!

 The first of our 3 events celebrating Hurley Heritage Society’s 50th anniversary was our long-anticipated Rooster Art Auction held on June 7^th at Cross Point Fellowship Church. Hurley Heritage Day returns on September 21st with walking tours, music, food trucks vendors and much more. And on December 6th we are planning a fun, holiday themed Gala Evening of Dinner Theatre, which also honors Bruce and Gail Whistance for their countless contributions to HHS. Read on for more about all these events.

  The museum is open free of charge from 1-4 PM on Saturdays and Sundays from May through October. Walking tours are available on the fourth Sunday of each month, reservations can be made on our website. We continue to operate as an all-volunteer organization. If you have an interest in volunteering as a museum greeter, a tour guide,

working in the gift shop or any other capacity, please visit our website  https://www.hurleyheritagesociety.org/volunteer/

  In closing, THANK YOU to our members, volunteers and community. It is through your generosity and support that we continue to grow.

Diane Blakely

President

    Hurley Heritage Society

dianemblakely@gmail.com

Hurley Heritage Society’s annual May Flower and Plant Sale was another example of Hurley’s continuing community spirit. Thanks to our growing list of supporters who purchased the summer annuals and beautiful hanging baskets from Saunderskill Farms and Boice’s Nursery, our Museum has been able to upgrade its appearance, both inside and outside. All proceeds from the sale are used to help maintain our Museum building and grounds.



HHS thanks Flo Brandt the Flower Lady, and her assistants: Barb Zell, Pat Findholt, Cathy DuMond and Dale Bohan, (pictured) for staying true to the legacy of Flower Power and the everlasting funding for gardens everywhere with fragrance and color.

Hurley and the surrounding townships are able to keep preserving their heritage and beauty by supporting these community endeavors.

Your volunteer help is always welcome.

June 7^th after a 9-year hiatus, in celebration of our 50th anniversary, we had our rooster auction. Twenty-three beautifully painted roosters were auctioned off at the Cross Point Fellowship Church. The roosters were hand crafted by Wayne Waligurski of Patentee Lighting. During the preview attendees (approximately one hundred) were treated to light appetizers from Santa Fe Woodstock, Stone Soup, Adams Fairacre Farms,

and Allissa Kelly.

Our Auctioneer Mike Rice did an excellent job getting the roosters auctioned off to proud new owners. We are very fortunate to have such gifted and talented artists in our area. We thank them for donating their creativity to our fundraiser.

We recognized Bruce and Gail Whistance for their tireless efforts to our exhibits, by presenting them with a rooster, created by Cindy Gill Lapp. The title was Homer’s Hurley Hen, as a tribute to Winslow Homer. Gail and Bruce were instrumental in designing and researching our previous Winslow Homer exhibit.

We would like to thank all those who attended and supported our fundraiser. It was heartwarming to see so many of our community come out for such a fun evening. We are still waiting for our final tally, but any way you look at it, it was a success. THANK YOU

It was standing-room-only on the back porch of the museum on Sunday, May19th, for the unveiling of the newest artifact in the Eagle’s Nest exhibit. Through the creative efforts of Jim Lee, Wally Cook, and Cindy Gill Lapp, the museum now has on display a “reimagined” version of an old wooden sign that used to hang in front of a house up on Eagle’s Nest Road off Hurley Mountain Road. Jim replicated the frame and oval of the sign in his local woodworking shop, Wally turned the side spindles, and Cindy painted the image, adding her unique artistic touches. Just as with the tavern and trade signs of yesteryear, it took a team of expert artisans to complete the project. The Hurley Heritage Society is grateful to these three for donating their time and skill for this spectacular result. Also, a big thank you to our hospitality committee who laid out a table of delectable edibles for the event.   

Bruce Whistance remembers living next to the original sign when his family moved to the house in 1954. It featured an adult bald eagle who, with a dramatic flourish, is landing on her nest about to feed a fish to her two hungry youngsters. At that time, when DDT and other persistent pesticides were in common usage, eagles were no longer seen in the Esopus Valley. It is fitting that this iconic sign has been brought back to life in old Hurley where once again bald eagles are nesting along the creek. HHS member Linda Cook reported seeing a circling eagle on her way to the unveiling!   

We do not know for certain who made the original sign. The most likely person is Clarence P. Hornung (American, 1899-1997) who lived in the Eagle’s Nest house prior to the Whistance family. Mr. Hornung was a noted graphic designer and illustrator who authored the two-volume art anthology Treasury of American Design (Abrams Books, 1972). Hornung also published a booklet The American Eagle in Art and Design (Dover Publishing, 1978) on the use of the eagle in American art and design. The image on the original and by then well-weathered sign was lost when Bruce’s father Jack Whistance repurposed the sign for his budding antiques business. We are fortunate to have Jack’s photographs to recall this slice of history.

The old painted wooden signs of the villages and byways suffered the vagaries of year-round weather, and few have survived to the present day. Those that did are coveted by folk art collectors for their unique decorative value. They were an important part of the visual landscape for both residents and travelers alike. This reimagining of the Eagle’s Nest sign not only pays homage to the original artist and craftsmen, but also gives us a tangible way to connect to our past. If you have not yet seen the sign, we encourage you to stop by the museum on a weekend afternoon. It simply must be seen in person! 

Photos:

 Newly created Eagle’s Nest sign, 2024 (Photo by Bruce Whistance)

Unveiling of new Eagle's Nest sign

The Whistance family at their Eagle’s Nest home, 1954

On April 25th, the HHS hosted a fascinating online presentation by Joe Diamond, Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology at SUNY New Paltz. The presentation explored the subject of “what happens when archeology and development collide”, as well as discussed what to do when property-owners discover burial remains or possible cultural artifacts on their land.

You can view a recording of the presentation by licking the link below.

The Hurley Historic District was designated a national historical landmark in 1961 and includes 10 stone houses in the hamlet of Hurley. Hurley is historically important both for its stone houses and its role in the American Revolution. The New York State government moved to Hurley for two months in 1777 after the British army burned Kingston, the first capital of New York State. Hurley is the second of New York State’s three capitals. Along all three streets of the village are well preserved examples of Dutch colonial architecture, which date from the early 18th century. Originally settled by the Dutch in 1662 it came under English control in 1664, but its inhabitants continued to speak Dutch and preserve other aspects of that culture for at least another century.

With this history in mind three Hurley women met for coffee and 1973 and talked about the fact that with all its history, Hurley had no historic organization to preserve and keep this history alive. Iris Oseas (VanDusen House), Nancy Winter (Polly Crispell Cottage) and Barbara Paul (Matys Ten Eyck House) decided it was time to start one. The first meeting of the Friends of Historic Hurley was held on April 22, 1974 in the auditorium of the Hurley School (now the Ernest C. Myer School). The state historian advised that the group name was too similar to Friends of Historic Kingston, and a contest was held to rename our organization. The winning name was Hurley Heritage Society! That year the society held three meetings open to the public with free lectures. One of the lecturers was Fred Johnson, chairman of the Kingston Landmarks Commission who offered guidelines for forming a master plan for preserving historic Hurley.

There were 47 charter members of the Society. Board officers were John Warren president, Schuyler Weidner, vice president, Dorothy Smith, secretary, and Ellie Christiansen, treasurer. Trustees were John Hoffler, Iris Oseas, Nancy Winter, and Sarah Kirtland. Open meetings were held at the Saint Joseph's Mission Church and then Schadewald Hall of the Hurley Reformed Church. Board meetings were held in members’ homes. A constitution was written and accepted by the membership, and it was decided that the organization would apply to the State Board of Regents to be chartered as an educational institution. A Provisional Charter from the Regents of the University of The State of New York was granted in 2001 and an Absolute Charter was granted in 2005. Today the Hurley Heritage Society has 293 members many of whom are people who loved growing up in Hurley and are especially keen on keeping their connection to Hurley alive.

We are thankful to our founders who knew the importance of keeping Hurley’s history alive by forming the Hurley Heritage Society in 1974. Their goal was always to own one of the village’s stone houses to showcase and research that history.

The next Prologue installment of our 50-year history will it be about how members went about raising the money to purchase the Colonel John P Elmendorf house in 2000.

We’re still working out all the details for the second event of our Hurley Heritage Society 50^th Anniversary Celebration, but we already have an incredible day planned. We will have food, music, craft, art and antique vendors, and informational tables from groups like the Ulster County SPCA. Some of the vendors participating are Peg’s Pebble Art, Cindy Gill Lapp, Adam Geuss, NeoPrimitivo, Urban Apis, Hurley Design Co.,

and Emily’s Cookie Co.

The Creepy Uncles will be playing their unique blend of 20^th Century Rock, and Jay Ungar and Molly Mason will cap off the day! There will be a Native American Equinox Ceremony performed by Reverend Nick Miles. At this writing we have 2 old stone houses that will be open to the public and there will be several walking tours of Main Street offered during the day.

The Hurley Heritage Society will be serving up burgers and dogs, and there will also be food trucks from Mad Flava and Vinnie’s Fine Foods. Children’s activities are being coordinated by the Hurley Library and Hurley Nursery School. 

Our last Hurley Heritage Day was a huge success that was enjoyed by all who attended, and this year’s event promises to offer even more. Be sure to visit our website at www.hurleyheritagesociety.org and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HurleyHeritageSociety to stay up to date on

Hurley Heritage Day!

Hurley Heritage Day is September 21^st at The HHS Museum (rain date September 22^nd)!

Mark your calendars! You won’t want to miss Hurley Heritage Society’s 3^rd and final 50^th Anniversary celebration—a festive Dinner and Holiday Entertainment at The Chateau in Kingston on Friday, December 6, 2024 (the Feast of St Nicholas)! A highlight of the evening will be a special award being presented to Gail and Bruce Whistance for their outstanding contributions to the Hurley Heritage Society. Bruce and Gail have each served on the HHS Board of Trustees and curated several of our exhibits. Bruce is responsible for the current popular exhibit “Post Offices of Hurley –1837 to the Present” which opened in 2023, and Gail curated the outstanding exhibit “Winslow Homer’s Hurley – an Artist’s View” which ran from 2020-2022. Their dedication to HHS’s mission and to the history of the area is inspiring. Please join us in honoring Bruce and Gail Whistance on

December 6^th!

Entertainment will include a visit from St. Nicholas, along with three vignettes, designed to give guests a glimpse into the history of how Hurley celebrated the Feast of St. Nicholas and Christmas. You’ll see how the Dutch celebrated the Feast of St. Nicholas in the 1600s, learn about Hurley during the American Revolution, and witness the evolution of St. Nicholas into Santa Claus. And a chorus will delight you with a medley of

holiday songs.

Hurley Heritage Society is fortunate to have Lise Landis Hopson writing and directing the theatre component of the December 6^th event. Lise is drawing upon the works of Washington Irving, Clement Moore’s famous, poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” and Charles Dickens’s “The Night Before Christmas.”

Thank you Lise for donating your time and talent! She began her professional career as a singer, dancer, and actress, but found her life’s calling as a director, choreographer, and vocal director of musical theatre. At Coleman High School here in Hurley she directed 47 Broadway musicals. She has also been involved in theatre at Kingston Catholic School and Dutchess Community College Summer Performing Arts Institute.

Stay tuned for more information about HHS’s December 6^th 50^th Anniversary Dinner and Holiday Entertainment. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thanks to Ellen Richards, who worked tirelessly throughout the winter painting and creating colorful displays, we opened with a truly inviting gift shop.  We’ve added some new gifts, including Yankee candles, Body lotions from Sweet Sprig, Harney Teas and children’s books.  You’ll also find your old favorites—Hurley tee-shirts, hats, mugs and books. Later this year we plan on introducing new items with images of the hand painted roosters that were featured in  the June 7th Rooster Art Auction.

Volunteers are still needed to work at the shop  from 1 to 4 PM on Saturdays and Sundays May through October. If you’re interested in helping out, please call or email Kathy McMahon (kmcmahon287@gmail.com, 845-340-0051, home or 845-399-0317, cell) or go to the volunteer link on the HHS website: Hurley Heritage Society | Hurley Heritage Museum | Hurley NY Museum | Hurley NY.

Virginia Murphy passed away June 6, 2024 at the age of 92. She was a charter member of the Hurley Heritage society and held many board positions. She kept us on our toes with her organizational skills!



Virginia lived in the 1795 Abram Elmendorf house on Hurley Avenue with her husband, Joe and five children. She originated the ghost walk story about Nellie Elmendorf, who lived and died in that house when she fell down the cellar stairs. When Virginia’s last daughter was born, she named her Nellie. Virginia was an integral part of our Corn and Craft Festivals for many years and ran the cafeteria, making endless phone calls to volunteers for their help with donations and serving food. If you worked in the kitchen or cafeteria, you knew that she ran a tight ship! She was a tireless volunteer for Hurley Heritage Society, always cheerful, enthusiastic, organized and full of energy. We are thankful for Virginia ‘s service and honor her memory.

The Hurley Heritage Society offers walking tours of Historic Main Street on the 4^th Sunday of the month, May - October. Knowledgeable guides share unique stories, as you view the exteriors of stone homes 230-330 years old in this National Historic Landmark.

Tours begin at the HHS Museum, 52 Main Street, Hurley at 2PM. Admission $5, children under 12 free. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit  our HHS website to register for a guided Walking Tour of Hurley's historic Main Street. Registration is required in advance to ensure we schedule a tour guide.

Main Street Hurley is compact and small enough for easy walking to view many of the historic locations, and other properties are only a short distance away. Please download or print our Walking Tour Brochure for a self-guided tour map which identifies 27 historic sites in and around the village of Hurley.



Contact us at Info@hurleyheritagesociety.org to arrange for private or group tours.

Our Heritage walk on the front lawn of the Museum grounds continues to grow! Show your support for the HHS Museum by purchasing a brick in your family’s name or to honor someone close to you. For a $125 donation your brick will be added to the walk.

The inscription may be composed with as many as four lines of eighteen characters. If interested, please contact Wally Cook at (845) 338-2193 or send an email to wally.cook@gmail.com.

 If you have a passion for Hurley and local history and are looking for a way to become more involved in the community, the Hurley Heritage Society offers many opportunities! Founded 50 years ago, our mission is to protect and preserve materials, documents and artifacts pertaining to the Hurley area, and raise awareness and educate the public of the town’s special heritage through events, lectures, programs, tours and community initiatives.  

We are an all-volunteer organization, and sponsor a variety of activities including walking tours of historic main street, our popular ZOOM lectures on local culture and history, children’s activities in partnership with the Hurley library, and informative demonstrations. We also operate the Museum which remains free and open to the public, and houses the Dutch room and a gift shop. Last  year we unveiled 2 exciting new exhibits, Post Offices of Hurley: 1837 - Present and  Eagle’s Nest: Exploring the Myths and Reality.

Volunteers are always needed to greet visitors, volunteer in our gift shop, assist with events, and maintain our collections, the museum, and grounds.  If you are interested, please go to the volunteer link on the HHS website: Hurley Heritage Society | Hurley Heritage Museum | Hurley NY.

This year, 2024, marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Hurley Heritage Society (HHS). During the year we will be hosting:

• 50th Anniversary Rooster Auction on June 7th
• Special Hurley Heritage Day on September 21st
• Special HHS Dinner with Holiday Entertainment on December 6th

Help the HHS and the community celebrate this milestone and its mission by becoming a sponsor. Individuals, families, organizations and busineses can be a sponsor. They are recognized at each of the 50th events, online, and receive other forms of appreciation.

Learn what sponsorship options we have and help us make a mark on history!