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April 2025

All-digital Hurley Heritage Society Prologue

Welcome to the 2025

Hurley Historical Society season!

OPENING DAY

Saturday May 3rd 1-4pm

The daffodils are beginning to pop, a sign that Spring has finally arrived and that means the Hurley Heritage Society volunteers are busy preparing the Museum and Gift Shop for our Spring opening on Saturday May 3rd.  Please stop in to see what’s new at the Museum and meet some of the volunteer staff. Light refreshments will be served.

Our popular exhibit,  Post Offices of Hurley 1837 to the Present has been extended for one final year.  As in the past, children will be able to open a vintage mailbox for a gift.  In addition, we are excited to unveil a new exhibit in the Emil F. Zullo Library. You will not want to miss The Wynkoop House, Inspiring the Arts Across the Centuries.

We have already held 2 zoom lectures in 2025, A Misogynist Minister and the Glorious Revolution in Ulster County, and Visiting Old West Hurley. If you missed them, they are available on our website. Watch for announcements of more of these popular lectures.  

We are extremely grateful to everyone who came out to support us last year as we celebrated our 50th year with 3 special events: the Spring Rooster Art Auction, Hurley Heritage Day in the Fall, and the spectacular holiday event at the Chateau. This year will see the return of our regular events, the Spring and Fall flower sales, an Herbal Wreath making workshop and the Holiday Boutique. We will also be holding another on-line auction in the Fall.  Watch our website for announcements of more activities.

The museum and our gift shop at 52 Main Street, Hurley are open free of charge from 1-4 PM on Saturdays and Sundays from May through October.  Walking tours of Historic Main Street are available on the fourth Sunday of each month. We continue to operate as an all-volunteer organization.  We welcome new volunteers! 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 at  https://www.hurleyheritagesociety.org/volunteer/

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

                                                         Diane Blakely

                                                           President

                                                  Hurley Heritage Society

                                                 dianemblakely@gmail.com

For over 300 years, eight generations of the Wynkoop family owned a Hurley farmstead, located at the intersection of Wynkoop Road and Hurley Mountain Road.  Cornelius Wynkoop received the original land grant in 1663, and it stayed in the family until 1971 when t was acquired by Robert and Viola Opdahl. The Opdahls were superb stewards of the estate and its rich history, and to them we dedicate this year’s new exhibit. The property has attracted a remarkable number of artists over several centuries: from portrait painter Pieter Vanderlyn, grandfather to artist John Vanderlyn, in the eighteenth century, to several listed artists in the latter half of the 19th century, and local artists in the 20th and 21st centuries. It even became the set of a major motion picture. 

A Fortuitous Discovery

Our interest in the art created at the Wynkoop place was piqued by a discovery made back in 2016 by Reilly Rhodes, an author and long-time collector of Winslow Homer’s art. I remember clearly the day an email arrived from Mr. Rhodes, asking if the museum had an interior picture of the Hurley Wynkoop House showing exposed beams. Doreen Lyke, then town historian, and Bruce Whistance had just collected an oral history from Viola Opdahl and had scanned many of the vintage photographs left by the Wynkoops. Reilly was astonished by the ca.1890 image we sent to him. It turned out to be definitive proof that Homer was in the Wynkoop house sketching for his 1875 wood engraving The Family Record. Just as in Homer’s engraving, the photograph shows the Pieter Vanderlyn portrait (1743, Huntington Art Museum) of the 8-year-old Colonel Cornelius Wynkoop hanging on the wall below his sword from the Revolutionary War. Even more importantly, the man in the engraving is sitting on the exact New York slat-back great chair appearing in the photograph. Viola pulled out the estate auction record from 1970, listing an “antique Dutch chair” which brought the top price at the auction. The chair’s current location is unknown, but was likely sold to a local person. Anyone know where it might be? It would be a grand addition to the museum’s collection. Reilly insists it would have national significance.

A Destination for Artists

The discovery of the Homer connection spurred us to identify four other paintings of the Wynkoop house by noted artists of the late 19th century, each a picture of the south-facing porch. At least one of these artists, Platt Powell Ryder, traveled to Ulster County at the same time as Homer. We do not know the exact circumstances of how and why these four artists came to the Wynkoop farm, but it is likely that both George Wynkoop (1814-1885) and James D. Wynkoop (1843-1904) met these artists in New York City where both were patrons of the arts. The Wynkoop farm seems to have been a rural retreat for artists seeking views of a bygone era. What better place than Hurley?

In 1981, the Wynkoop house once again became the nexus of creative activity when the movie Tootsie, starring Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange, came to town and chose the Wynkoop farm for its upstate New York setting, along with the Hurley Mountain Inn for the interior bar scenes. That was the era when antlered deer heads peered down from the walls of the Inn. More recently, local artists such as Dr. William Askue, Judy Howard, and Cindy Gill Lapp have made paintings that feature the Wynkoop house or surrounding farmland.

Come visit the Hurley Museum on Opening Day, Saturday, May 3, or any weekend day through October, to see the images and objects we have collected to tell the remarkable story of how the Wynkoop farmstead served as a magnet for the art world.

Thank You Volunteers!

 April is National Volunteer Month, a time to celebrate and recognize the volunteers in our community who make a difference, and to encourage more people to get involved.

 The Hurley Heritage Society wishes to thank the many volunteers who supported us last year. In addition to our dedicated Board of Trustees, volunteers worked in the Museum as Greeters and Gift Shop sales, they assisted with our annual fundraisers, and they helped maintain the museum building and grounds. They were also key to the success of three very special events we held to celebrate our 50th anniversary.      

 I am grateful for everyone who so generously donated their time to support us.

Diane Blakely

Do you know of a Hurley senior, interested in history, graduating High School and going on to college in the fall of 2025? Last year the HHS celebrated our 50th anniversary. Our fundraisers were highly successful. We are grateful for all the support we received and would like to give back to the Hurley Community. For the first time we are offering two $500.00 scholarships to a Town of Hurley Resident who is graduating from Kingston High School and Onteora High School.

Graduates of KHS can obtain the application from the Guidance office of the high school. Onteora graduates can email Barbara Zell @ Bzell1950@aol.com for an application. We would like to have all applicants apply by May 1st.

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We aim to make this an annual event.

It’s time to plan your Spring gardens. The Hurley Heritage Society is taking pre-orders for flats, pots, and hanging baskets of beautiful plants grown by Saunderskill Farms, Accord, and 6-inch planters from Boice's Farm, Saugerties, filled with a mix of flowers (Lobelia, Million Bells, Petunias - to name a few).  

The forms were mailed in the first week of April. They will also be distributed to various locations throughout Hurley. 

Please return your completed form to:            

Flo Brandt, 132 Woodland Drive, Hurley, N.Y., 12443 by May 1st. 

Pick up for the pre-orders will be at the museum grounds Friday, May 16th, 4 to 6 PM and Saturday, May 17th 10 AM to 1 PM. We will also sell left over plants at that time. 

Please check the Hurley Heritage website for any additional information regarding the sale that may be forthcoming.

All proceeds from this sale go directly to the Hurley Heritage Society and benefit the maintenance of the gardens and grounds of the museum. 

Please feel free to call Flo at (845) 331-8767 if you have questions or need forms.\

VIEW ORDER FORM >>>

DOWNLOAD ORDER FORM >>>

OR

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO>>>

HAPPY SPRING PLANTING!



After a one-year hiatus as we celebrated our 50th Anniversary, our Autumn Auction returns by popular demand!

This year’s online auction will take place from Friday, October 17th, through Sunday, October 26th. As always, we will feature a wonderful array of high-quality merchandise to include artwork, jewelry, furniture, antiques and historic items, gift baskets and certificates, and much more. We even have what may turn out to be our last full set of the Wendy Bowen Hurley Stone Houses!

Right now, we’re asking for help from our membership and the community at large as we curate a treasure trove of appropriate items.  

If you have any items you would care to donate for consideration or would like to volunteer to help us collect items for the auction, please email auction@hurleyheritagesociety.org.  

Thank you for your ongoing support! 

Here are some of the items from our last auction. 

Hurley Heritage Society expresses its sincere condolences to the families and friends of Lifetime Members Ernest M. Myer and Louise Lefkovits who passed away this Spring.

The Myer family has long supported the Museum and Society, beginning with the generous donations of Ernie’s parents, Mabel and Ernest Myer. The continuous support over the years from Ernie and his wife Joan, especially during the Covid Pause, has had  a significant impact and for that we are forever grateful. Joan’s handwritten notes of thanks and support are a reminder of the goodness that still exists in our community.

Thank you, Ernie and Joan!

Louise Lefkovits, was a talented area artist and well-loved teacher, whose work has been featured in numerous galleries and Art Shows. She also designed, painted and donated two beautiful roosters for our Rooster Art Auctions. Louise was a lifetime member and active supporter of Hurley Heritage Society events and fundraisers.

Thank you, Louise!

With the snow finally over and before tree leaves begin to block out views, this is a great time to check out all the beautiful historic locations in Hurley.

You can view and download the Historic Hurley Walking Tour here.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported us by purchasing bricks for the Heritage Walk located on the front lawn of the museum. The bricks on our beautiful walkway serve as a lasting tribute to our loved ones.

Due to the recent retirement of our vendor, we are currently unable to accept  new orders. We are actively working to resolve the situation and will make all details available on the website and in our newsletter once we can resume orders, We appreciate your patience during this transition period.

 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  and in-person 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 gift shop. Our current exhibit , Post Offices of Hurley:  has been popular with our visitors. 

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

We are still accepting membership donations for the 2025 season. If you would like to renew your membership, or become a new member, please use the form below, or join through our website at https://www.hurleyheritagesociety.org/join/

The Hurley Heritage Society maintains and operates the Hurley Museum, which is free and open to the public from May through October. We strive to collect and preserve materials, documents and artifacts pertaining to the Hurley area, including Old Hurley, West Hurley and Glenford. Our mission is to raise awareness and educate the public of the town’s unique heritage through events, lectures, programs, tours and community initiatives.

Your membership dues enable us to maintain our museum building and to continue to provide activities for the community and visitors to our beautiful historic Hurley. You will also receive our periodic newsletters with advance notice of planned activities, our quarterly Prologue, discounts in the museum shop and discounts to HHS sponsored events.  

Please help by sending your tax-deductible donation to :

Hurley Heritage Society

PO Box 1661

Hurley, NY 12443

Dues and donations can also be made through our website using PayPal 

https://www.hurleyheritagesociety.org/join/

Membership levels are as follows:  

(  )     Single                    $30

(  )     Family                    $40                        

(  )     Patron                        $175

(  )     Lifetime Supporter    $300

(  )     Donation                     ____