You may have worn a Shaker stitch sweater, seen a piece of Shaker furniture, or heard the “Simple Gifts” song, but did you know that Albany was the site of America’s first Shaker settlement? Women played an important role in all aspects of this utopian, egalitarian society, serving as religious leaders, dealing with business matters, and shouldering responsibilities for running the everyday affairs.  In addition to working on the seed and herb businesses, the Sisters produced a variety of textiles and other items for the Shakers’ own needs and for sale to the World. Lorraine Weiss, Education Coordinator at the Shaker Heritage Society, will present a program on what “women’s work” meant for the Shaker sisters. As reflected in the journals, the Sisters’ craftsmanship evolved to respond to the changing economy and trends over the Shakers’ 162 years in Albany. This is an in-person talk presented at Mabee Farm Historic Site as part of our "Crafted in Schenectady: the Building of a Community" exhibition.  Admission is $10, or free for members. To register as a non-member please visit schenectadyhistorical.org/tickets. To register as a member, simply email office@schenectadyhistorical.org and we will add you to our list. Tickets also available the day of the program.  

Interested in learning about the history of printing? Curious about what makes one book valuable and another not? Please join Sarah Schmidt, Director of Archives and Special Collections at Union College, for an informal discussion on book history and rare books. This is a virtual talk presented on Zoom. Admission is $8, or free for members. To register as a non-member please visit schenectadyhistorical.org/tickets. Members do not need to register. A link for this program will be emailed to all Schenectady County Historical Society members the day of the virtual program.

This is an in-person program at Mabee Farm. Admission is free and open to all; no advance tickets or registration required. Join us this night of the full moon for a candlelight walk through the woods of the Woestyne (that's Dutch for wilderness). The path will be illuminated and a guide will lead you on a short half mile walk along the Mabee Farm’s nature trail. The historic farm buildings will also be open where docents will share colorful stories and tall tales from our local area. Warm drinks will be available to fight off the night’s chill.  

Material culture provides wonderful opportunities for studying aspects of the past that we cannot examine or understand fully through other means. In this richly illustrated presentation, Dr Carl Benn will explore the material culture of the Six Nations Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois, between 1700 and 1815. He will focus on how Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas, and Tuscaroras presented themselves to the world through their clothing. Key questions will centre on what clothing did they have? what did they want to communicate through their dress? how did outsiders understand what they saw? what does it mean for appreciating Haudenosaunee history? and how does material culture enhance historical understanding? Before coming to Ryerson University in 2008, Dr Carl Benn worked in the museum field for 34 years, latterly as Chief Curator of the City of Toronto’s Museums and Heritage Services. There, he fulfilled senior curatorial and managerial duties, restored historical properties, curated exhibits, and produced other public resources. Carl has published extensively, including six history books, the most recent being "A Mohawk Memoir from the War of 1812: John Norton– Teyoninhokarawen". His current book project is a history of the Royal Ontario Museum. Carl’s teaching at Ryerson focuses on museum history, curatorship, heritage management, material culture, and archaeology. This is a virtual talk presented on Zoom. Admission is $8, or free for members. To register as a non-member please visit schenectadyhistorical.org/tickets. Members do not need to register. A link for this program will be emailed to all Schenectady County Historical Society members the day of the virtual program.

A Virtual Celebration for Black History Month. Watch live at facebook.com/schenectadyhistorical.  A Facebook account is not required to watch. Hosted by the Schenectady African American Historical Records Project. Join us for a conversation with Miki Conn, Walter Simpkins, and Adonis Richards about their lives and memories as Black Schenectadians. This event is part of the Schenectady African American Historical Records Project, a public history project focused on preserving the heritage and historical records of African Americans in Schenectady. We’re launching a community survey which will ask a range of questions that we hope will help expand the community’s knowledge of the history of Black people in Schenectady and illuminate the historical records preserved within the community. We invite you to attend our virtual conversation and learn more about the project, survey, and community memories. Your participation will be an important part of developing the history, legacy and memory of the Black community in Schenectady. For questions and more information, contact Marietta Carr, librarian/archivist at Schenectady County Historical Society, at librarian@schenectadyhistorical.org or 518-374-0263 x3.  

In this in-person creative workshop, we will hand paint pieces of slate roofing using acrylic paints. Salvaged from SCHS' very own Brouwer House in the Stockade, these vintage slate tiles protected one of Schenectady's oldest homes for a century! Each tile has its own unique, natural age and character. Your bespoke piece can be used as a personalized gift, a decorative art piece at home or in the garden, or even as an address plaque or placemat. This workshop is designed for all skill levels- just bring your own creative spirit. Limited to 8 people, tickets are $40.  

This is an in-person program at Mabee Farm. Members and kids under 5 are free. To register as a non-member please visit schenectadyhistorical.org/tickets. To register as a member, simply email educator@schenectadyhistorical.org and we will add you to the guest list. As winter cold begins to recede, the ground unfreezes and the sap starts to run. On a New York farm, the first harvest of the year was always maple syrup. In this family-friendly program, you’ll learn the process for yourself from colonial techniques to later innovations. And of course, we’ll be able to taste the results! COVID safety will be observed and face masks may be required, pending NYS mandates. This is an outdoor event in so be prepared for winter temperatures!  

An historical marker in Oxford, NC, describes how the first school founded there in 1889 to educate African Americans received support from Schenectady, NY benefactor and advocate of equitable educational opportunity, Mary Potter, for whom the school was renamed in 1892. Potter served as Secretary for the Presbyterian Board of Missions for Freedmen-Albany, and donated and raised money for the school which continues to operate within an integrated, public school system. A descendant and relative of many Mary Potter School alumni, historian Cheryl Renée Gooch, Ph.D. explores the intriguing work of Schenectady’s own hidden figure who levered her Presbyterian and social affiliations to garner financial support for the education of African Americans. This program will be presented in a hybrid format: in-person presented at 32 Washington Ave and streamed virtually to registrants. Admission is $8, or free for members. To register as a non-member please visit schenectadyhistorical.org/tickets. Members do not need to register. A link for this program will be emailed to all Schenectady County Historical Society members and all paid registrants the day of the virtual program.