Discover the lost history of Urban Renewal in Beacon.

Beacon’s West End Story is a collaborative community project that examines the history of our city's Urban Renewal during the 1960s and 1970s. Urban Renewal was a mid-20th-century federal initiative to revitalize urban areas. These programs had complex and unintended consequences, particularly on marginalized communities. The West End neighborhood, predominantly home to Beacon's Black community, faced disproportionate effects from this initiative.

The Beacon Historical Society, Howland Public Library, I Am Beacon, and The Highlands Current have joined forces to tell the story using historical documents, photographs, news clippings, oral histories, and a series of public programs. We invite you to join us as we explore the multifaceted story of this era and its enduring influence on the Beacon community.

Events and Programs

Panel Discussion:

Beacon's West End Story,

Community Perspectives

Cancelled - Stay Tuned for New Date

Springfield Baptist Church

8 Church Street, Beacon, NY

A panel discussion about life growing up in the Black community in pre-Urban Renewal Beacon. Moderated by former West End resident and Beacon Historical Society Urban Renewal Educator, Connie Whitener Perdreau.

Exhibit: The West End Story Project

A portrait of a Community

Howland Public Library

313 Main Street, Beacon, NY

On view through January 28th

The West End Story Project is a collaborative portrait of the West End before Urban Renewal featuring images and words from the past and present. During the course of the exhibit, there will be opportunities for community member with memories of the West End to contribute to the story.

Exhibit: Beacon's West End Story,

A Historical Perspective of Urban Renewal in the 1960s - '70s

Beacon Historical Society

61 Leonard Street, Beacon, NY

On view through February 2024

The exhibition tells the story of Beacon's Urban Renewal with a focus on the West End and the development of Forrestal Heights using archival documents from the Beacon Historical Society collection.

Podcast: This is Beacon

Beacon's West End Story

Online via Spotify

Episodes One and Two are Available Now

Join This is Beacon for a four-part podcast series as they journey through time to delve into the intricate story of Urban Renewal and its profound impact on our beloved community. In the series, you will hear from historians as well as the people whose lives were impacted locally by this nationwide initiative.

Listen to the Podcast on Spotify

Lecture:

Urban Renewal in the Hudson Valley

Howland Public Library

313 Main Street, Beacon, NY

Join Professor David Hochfelder for an informative presentation that examines the history of Urban Renewal in the Hudson Valley, and how urban renewal projects affected local residents and communities.

Watch the Lecture on YouTube

Community Sharing,

Beacon's West End Story,

Beacon Housing Authority

Date TBD

Dutchess County OFA Friendship Center

1 Forrestal Heights, Beacon, NY

In collaboration with the Beacon Housing Authority, residents of Forrestal Heights and Hamilton Fish Plaza are invited to attend an afternoon of sharing memories about the West End and Forrestal Heights.

Thank you to all our dedicated volunteers and community partners including Michael Raab, Beacon Housing Authority, the Covin-Whitener Collection, Foundation for Beacon Schools, Picturing Urban Renewal, the RiseUp Project, Southeastern New York Library Resources Council, and Springfield Baptist Church.

This project was made possible with support from the Friends of the Howland Public Library, ConsidertheSourceNY.org, a program of the New York State Archives Partnership Trust, through a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services and Pomeroy Fund, which is a partnership between the William G. Pomeroy Foundation® and the Museum Association of New York.