Tickets are now on sale for the 12th Annual Wonderland of Trees Gala. It will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, at the Holland Land Office Museum.
This year's theme is "Visions of Gingerbread."
Cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Proceeds benefit the museum, located at 131 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia. For information call 343-4727.
The Holland Land Office Museum presents a Fall Family Festival to be held at Ye Olde Willow Bend Inn, 3489 W. Main Street Road, Batavia, from to 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20.
You will be part of the 1800's stagecoach experience with travelers in period and military clothing. Music by Rebel's Posse starts at 1:30 p.m. Line dancers welcome.
Adult entrance fee of $5 benefits the museum. Children are free.
It's important to fund both history and reading, members of the County Legislature were told today during a meeting of the Public Service Committee.
Representatives of local libraries as well as the Holland Land Office Museum presented annual reviews that both contained requests to keep county funding for these programs at current levels.
"County support is very important to use in order for us to provide the level of service we do to our guests and to our community," said HLOM Executive Director Jeff Donahue. "We are doing what we can (to increase revenue) though our programs such as Wonderland of Trees and the summer program, but this only brings in a small portion (of our budget)."
Laura Cerri Pastecki, from the Haxon Library in Oakfield, said libraries still play an important role in the community. Seniors on fixed incomes still depend on borrowing books and many come into learn how to use computers, and people who can't afford computers depend on the library for online research and creating resumes.
"You might think the library is a thing of the past with technology these days, but just the opposite is true," Pastecki said. "There's more information out there and more entertainment out there and people use the libraries for information and entertainment."
Debbie Rider, a trustee with the Richmond Memorial Library, said there is typically a 30- to 45-minute wait to use a computer there and that many middle school children use the library as a place to do homework after school.
"There's such a huge number of children who come from school to the library directly," Rider said. "It allows the library to reach a population it might not normally reach and a chance for the children to access resources they might not otherwise get."
Donahue gave a detailed report on HLOM actives, which includes school and group tours, visits to local schools and leading history tours in the local area.
"Our history just isn't in one building," Donahue said. "It's our entire area."
In the past year, 3,000 people have visited the muesum and more than 400 artifacts were added to the collection.
Upcoming events include the 12th Annual Wonderland of Trees, the Batavia Antique Show and Sale, a bus trip to the New York Central Terminal in Buffalo and a lecture series of women's rights in the 19th and 19th centuries.
In December, the museum will host a traveling exhibition, "Lincoln, the Constitution and the Civil War."
No budget numbers were discussed and legislators offered no comments on what they might support, or not.
Jeff Ficher, the new assistant director at the Holland Land Office Museum, leads children participating in HLOM's Summer Heroes program in singing a Civil War Era song.
The eight-day program is just wrapping up its first week with a focus on the Underground Railroad.
The program is being led by Anne Marie Starowitz.
From the Holland Land Office Museum:
Eight days of history-oriented fun awaits young participants in the Holland Land Office Museum's History Heroes Summer Program. This year it begins on July 15 and ends July 26, running eight days Tuesday through Friday for two weeks.
It's for children 7 through 12 and begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.
The deadline to register is June 22.
The Underground Railroad will be highlighted. The children see firsthand some of the homes that were safe homes for fugitive slaves.
They will also visit the wonderful Le Roy House and the Jell-O Museum on Jell-O Day.
The program is divided into eight days. On the first day, the children will be introduced to a play that will culminate into a production for parents/ grandparents families on the last day. It will have some historical significance to this area.
The HLOM is also happy to announce that there will be a certified music teacher that will help with the songs for the play, a certified art teacher to entice the children to choose a home or a scene from Batavia to draw. There is also a retired college professor that taught photography at Brockport State College to take individual pictures of the children in various period clothes.
The History Heroes Summer program was established in 2011. It came about when a retired school teacher dream was to immerse children in their local history. Over the past three years the program has evolved into a history playground for young people.
Previously, the children learned how to knit with a 4-nailed loom. Last year the children were taught how to knit on a knitting loom, which could produce a scarf. This year they will learn how to weave.
Children are to bring a packed lunch; snacks and bottled water will be provided daily. They will receive a History Heroes T-shirt, too. Please check out the Holland Land office Web site and Facebook for more information.
The coordinator and teacher for the summer program is Anne Marie Starowitz, a retired school teacher from Robert Morris School.
The cost for EACH program is $22 for HLOM Members, and $25 for non-members.
July 16 -- Introduction to the Underground Railroad Day
July 17 -- Music Day / Play Parts
July 18 -- Field Trip to Le Roy House / Jell-O Museum
July 19 -- Textile Day / Weaving & Knitting
July 23 -- Cooking Day / Costumes & Photographs
July 24 -- Art Lesson Day / Historical Photographs
July 25 -- Performing Arts Day / Play & Practice Music
July 26 -- Celebration Day / Play & Picnic
Press release:
Did you ever wonder who wore corsets? Why did they wear them for over 500 years? Did you know men wore corsets in some time periods? What were the benefits of wearing them?
A review of the fashion corsetry in the 18th and 19th centuries will be presented by Gail Argetsinger at the Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W. Main St. Batavia, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 25.
She is an associate professor and costume designer in the Department of Theatre at SUNY Brockport who designs and builds the costumes for the plays and teaches costume-related courses at Brockport.
A favorite class is History of Costumes, which studies many corseting techniques. Her costumes have been seen frequently onstage in the Rochester area, particularly at National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology and the Jewish Community Center of Rochester. She has designed several outdoor dramas throughout the country, including the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the musical UTAH! for the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in St. George, Utah, and the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra. She lives in Greece with her husband, Jerry, and two sons.
This lively and informative presentation is the last of the Spring 2013 series of lectures brought to you by the Holland Land Office Museum. It is open to everyone – all ages will enjoy this – general admission is $5 per person or $2 for museum members. Refreshments and a question and answer session with Professor Argetsinger will follow.
For more information or to make a reservation, please call Jeff Donahue, Director, at 343-4727.
Mrs. Richmond hosted a tea party at the Holland Land Office Museum today and dozens of local women attended.
Awards were given for the best hats.
Above, Dona LaValle, who won the award for best hat and ensemble.
Below, Anne Barone, most original, and Maryanne Arena, most elegant.
Jeff Donahue, director of the Holland Land Office Museum, stands with a big flag that once flew on the flagship of Rear Admiral Ralph Chandler, who was born in Batavia in 1829 and died in Hong Kong in 1889.
Chandler, a ship commander in the Civil War, was Asiatic Squadron commander from 1886 until his death.
The flag is on loan to the museum by Ralph Chandler Parker III. It measures 13' 11" on the hoist and 25' on the fly.
To fit it in the case, four people wearing archival gloves spread it out on sheets on the floor and then folded it, and folded it, and folded it, until it fit.
"It would have been beautiful if we could have displayed it at its full dimensions," Donahue said. "Unfortunately, we just don't have the space to do that."
Chandler was married to Cornelia Redfield and they had five children together.
The Holland Land Office Museum invited children in today from throughout Genesee County to participate in the annual snowman making contest and a chance to learn about the Civil War through a group of reenactors.
Above, contest winner Meyah Woods-Richardson, 5, a student at Jackson. Second, was Hunter Gaylord, 7, of Byron-Bergen.
CORRECTION: While held at HLOM, the event was sponsored and hosted by the Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden.
Santa had a busy day in Genesee County today and I did my best to keep up with him.
I first found him at the Holland Land Office Museum, where his appearance coincided with the annual Children's Gala. Children made cookies, watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, ate pizza and let Santa in on what presents they'll be dreaming about on Christmas Eve.
Next, I found Santa at Alli's Cones and Dogs in Oakfield. At Alli's, both children and adults whispered in Santa's ear.
Finally, Santa promised the Genesee Sno Packers at their annual open house that their Christmas wish for snow will be granted. He also added all the good children who came to visit him to his long list of boys and girls who will find their desired gifts on Christmas morning.
More photos in the slide show. Parents who wish to purchase prints should click on the "visit gallery" link in the slide show.
Games, Movies, Singing, decorating Christmas Cookies, pizza and even a visit from Santa. We will have a direct mail box to the North Pole at the Museum - so bring your letters with you. For youngsters under 10 years old - cost $5.00 per child or $10 per family. Call the museum for pre-registration at 343-4727.
Also, stop in to see the Festival of Trees at the Museum - display will be open until January 2nd. Always a nice way to create family memories. Our gift shop is open with great ideas for holiday giving.
Friday was the gala opening of the annual Wonderland of Trees at the Holland Land Office Museum.
The event features trees decorated in themes selected by their sponsors, which are local businesses, government agencies and charities.
The Wonderland Of Trees will be open at HLOM through the holiday season.
You are cordially invited the 11th annual Wonderland of Trees Gala at the Holland Land Office Museum from 7 to 10 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 16.
The theme is "Home for the Holidays." There will be entertainment by Jeff Fischer and Don Bouchard, a silent auction, and hors d'oeuvres prepared by D & R Depot.
Cost is $15 per person or $25 per couple/family. Proceeds benefit the museum, which is located at 131 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia.
The event presented by the president, directors and staff of the Holland Purchase Historical Society and HLOM.
The Holland Land Office Museum is offering a senior bus trip to the Central Terminal Tour in Buffalo on Sunday. Sept. 16. The bus will depart at 10 a.m. and return at 5 p.m. the tour will be two hours.
Cost is $15 and will include the admission to the Central Terminal.
We will stop in Buffalo for lunch at your own expense, before returning back to Batavia.
There only 40 seats available so please call 343-4727 to make your reservations and payment. For more information please call the Holland Land Office at 343-4727.
As I was out and about this morning, I kept seeing this group of youngsters in bright red shirts, walking this way and that, hither and yon, and going all about town.
While I was at city hall about 1 p.m., here they came again.
Ann Marie Starowitz was leading the group.
It turns out the 19 students are part of the Holland Land Office Museum Summer History Camp. Today was their first day and they went to the Batavia Cemetery and the Richmond Memorial Library to get a start on their study of local historical figures.
Genesee County Historian Susan Conklin is giving a presentation "The Brides of Genesee -- for Better or Worse" at the Holland Land Office Museum at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 26.
Refreshments will be served.
The museum will be open to give people the opportunity to view the exhibit "Treasured Wedding Memories" before it is taken down, the first week of August.
Anne Marie Starowitz and Kathy Jasinski give tours and share tidbits about the gowns and pictures in the exhibit.
What started as an effort to organize and examine all of the old articles of clothing in the Holland Land Office Museum has turned into a new exhibit displaying the history of WNY wedding dresses.
More than 30 dresses -- most of them owned by HLOM, but some from local residents -- are on display and the show officially opens with a reception at 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 31.
The collection includes Civil War era dresses up through more modern gowns, including a 1940 plain satin gown and train, a 1920s-era lace gown with bolero jacket, a flapper gown of the same era and a 1870s two-piece wedding suit.
Charles Men's Shop is supplying a modern tux for display and Stella's Wedding Boutique is displaying a new wedding dress.
Treats from Sweet Ecstasy Bakery in Stafford will be served at the opening reception Saturday, and there will also be door prizes.
A new exhibit called "Teasured Wedding Memories" opens March 31 at the Holland Land Office Museum in the City of Batavia.
It includes wedding gowns from 1840 through present showing the styles and customs of our Genesee County ancestors.
The opening event March 31 will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and there will be refreshments, entertainment by local musician Jeffrey Fischer, a sponsor display and door prizes.
Charles Men’s Shop and Stella’s Bridal Boutique will showcase 2012 Wedding apparel.
Maddie, 8, on the left, with Maranda, 9, and Tess, 9, decorate cookies this afternoon at the Holland Land Office Museum.
The Valentine's-themed event was put together by Tonisha Price, owner of Sweet Ecstasy Baker in Stafford.
Children were invited to HLOM throughout the afternoon to decorate heart-shaped cookies.
Below, Tess with her cookie.
February's topic in the ongoing Holland Land Office Museum lecture series is Ely Parker.
The Seneca chief, known by his people at Do-ne-bo-ga-wa, was a Civil War officer and the writer of the Terms of Surrender at Appomattox Court House.
The presentation about Parker will be made by Terry Abrams, of the Western New York Association of Historical Agencies as well as the Tonawanda Indian Reservation Historical Society.
The lecture begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the museum, located at 131 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia. Phone is 343-4727.
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