By Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz
On Sunday, April 3, at 3 p.m., the Oneida Community Mansion House will host a special concert featuring the Jim O’Mahony Trio. A constant presence in the Central New York music scene, Jim is known for both his guitar and piano playing in a variety of styles. Tickets for the show are $20 and can be purchased by visiting eventbrite.com/e/jim-omahony-trio-live-musical-performance-tickets-254692009657
On Thursday, April 7, at 5 p.m., the Oneida Community Mansion House will host a special hybrid (in person/streaming) presentation by Laura Ping, PhD entitled “Short Hair and Short Dresses: The Oneida Community and Reforming Women’s Fashion.” Ping, the Diamonstein-Spielvogel fellow at the New York Public Library in New York City, will talk about how when the Oneida Community organized in 1848 women were instructed to wear functional clothing, specifically a shortened dress over trousers. Women were also encouraged to challenge gender conventions by cutting their hair short. Within three years, woman’s rights reformers and health reformers had organized a formal dress reform movement that advocated similar anti-fashion principles as those practiced by Oneida Community members. This lecture will examine the influence the Oneida Community may have had on the women’s dress reform movement and how the anti-fashion agenda changed over time. This event is sponsored by Humanities NY. Reservations are required. To reserve your spot or for more information, visit oneidacommunity.org.
On Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m., the Clinton Historical Society will host a special presentation entitled “Scandals of Madison County,” by Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz. Urtz will highlight some of the most prominent scandalous stories from the history of Madison County. There is no charge for this event. For more information, visit clintonhistory.org or call 315.859.1392.
On Tuesday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m., the Canastota Public Library will host a special presentation entitled “The Titanic and Biograph” by Joe DiGiorgio. DiGiorgio will talk about the RMS Titanic and its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City. He will explain how some onboard were connected to the biograph and Canastota. There is no charge for this event. For more information, call 315.697.7030.
On Wednesday, April 13, at 6 p.m., the Oneida Community Mansion House will host a six-part reading and discussion group on the theme of “Votes for Women!” OCMH Director of Museum Affairs Tom Guiler will lead the group discussion, which will feature reading a text every three weeks with a follow-up discussion. The program is free and open to the public. Space is limited, so participants are encouraged to sign up in advance. This program is made possible by a grant from Humanities NY. For more information or to reserve your spot, contact Guiler at 315.363.0745 or email tguiler@oneidacommunity.org.
On Thursday, April 14, the Oneida Public Library will host a special presentation by John Taibi on his new book “HOJACK.” This book, John’s 16th, tells the story of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad in Upstate New York. He will have copies of this 768-page book for sale at this presentation. There is no charge for the event. For more information, call 315.363.3050.
On Tuesday, April 19, at 7 p.m., the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation will host a special webinar with representatives of the NYS Office of Historic Preservation entitled “Rehabilitation Tax Credits for Historic Buildings.”
On Wednesday, April 20, at 7 p.m., Cazenovia Heritage will host a special presentation entitled “Old Buildings are Green Buildings” by Andrew Roblee at the Cazenovia Public Library. Roblee is the owner of Roblee Historic Preservation, LLC, and a founding partner of the Circulatory Reuse Zero Waste Deconstruction (CROWD) Group, which seeks to reduce the amount of construction and demolition waste in our nation’s landfills through preservation or reuse of building materials. His talk will speak in layman’s terms on the reduction in carbon dioxide levels and energy efficiency from the reuse of materials over that of new “energy-efficient” alternatives. Before receiving his master’s degree at Cornell University, Roblee worked for 10 years in the construction trades, which enhances and complements his understanding of historic preservation. Roblee also is president of the Preservation Association of Central New York. For more information, visit cazheritage.org or email info@cazheritage.org.
On Saturday, April 23, at 3 p.m., the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark will provide a landscape tour of the Gerrit Smith Estate in Peterboro. Horticulturist Rebecca McElheny will guide the observation of plants, their nature, their history and their uses. This is a free event. For more information, visit PeterboroNY.org or call 315.374.9605.
On Sunday, April 24, at 1 p.m., the Clay Historical Park will host a special presentation by author John Taibi. Taibi will talk about his new book HOJACK. The book is a history of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad and includes nearly 1,400 photos. Copies will be for sale following the presentation. While there, check out the Cigarville RR Train Station Museum, a replica log cabin, Sellen-Weller Barn and the visitor’s entrance. There is no charge for this event. For more information, call Cindy at 315.927.7573.
On Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m., the Limestone Ridge Historical Society will host a special presentation by Gary Ford entitled “Our Veterans-Their Stories-My Heroes.” Ford will tell the stories of veterans. There is no charge for this event. For more information, call 315.821.7819.
On Thursday, April 28, at 6:30 p.m., the Hamilton Public Library will host a special presentation coordinated by the Chenango Canal Museum entitled “Old Tyme in Real Time.” Come hear the stories documenting development, building of, life on and disasters from the Chenango Canal’s History. Four readers will present different stories culled from local newspapers documenting this historic canal. There is no charge for this event. For more information, call 315.824.3060.
On Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m., the Oneida Community Mansion House will host a special concert featuring Livingston Taylor and Rachen Sumner. Taylor picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, which began a 50-year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Tickets for the show are $35 and can be purchased by visiting eventbrite.com/e/livingston-taylor-rachel-sumner-live-musical-performance-tickets-255179969157?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. For more information, call 315.363.0745.
On Wednesday, May 4, at 6 p.m., the Oneida Community Mansion House will host a six-part reading and discussion group on the theme of “Votes for Women!” OCMH Director of Museum Affairs Tom Guiler will lead the group discussion, which will feature reading a text every three weeks with a follow-up discussion. The program is free and open to the public. Space is limited, so participants are encouraged to sign up in advance. This program is made possible by a grant from Humanities NY. For more information or to reserve your spot, contact Tom Guiler at 315.363.0745 or email tguiler@oneidacommunity.org.
On Saturday, May 14, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Cazenovia Heritage and the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation invite members of the community to begin brush removal and clean-up of the historic Farnham Cemetery off Grassy Lane Road in Cazenovia. Coffee and doughnuts will start the day, along with a brief program on the cemetery’s history and inhabitants. Bring weed removal tools, pruners, tarps and work gloves. Volunteer hours available for students. Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Rain date Sunday, May 15. For more information, visit cazheritage.org or email info@cazheritage.org.
On Saturday, May 14, at 1 p.m., the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum will open registration, displays, and exhibits for the Madison County AntiRacism Collaborative. Programs beginning at 2 p.m. will include county anti-racism group presentations, Power of the Pen explanations (Thirteenth Amendment, symbolism of Confederate flag, journalism, Municipal Equity, and Reparations), a panel Growing Up Black in Madison County, Teen Abolition Award and the state birth of the NAACP. For more information NationalAbolitionHallofFameandMuseum.org and 315.684.3262.
On Friday, May 20, the Lorenzo State Historic Site will be opening for the season. Lorenzo will be open for the 2022 season from May 20 through Oct. 10. Hours will be Wednesdays through Sundays and Monday Holidays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Guided tours are available every half hour, with the last tour beginning at 4 p.m. Groups of 12 or more may call for a reservation, 315.655.3200, ext. 106. The visitor center and gift shop will also be open during these hours. Grounds, including the formal garden, are open daily from dawn until dusk. Admission is $5 for adults, seniors and students are $4, Children 12 and under are free. Groups of 12 or more can have a discounted rate of $4 with a reservation. For more information, visit the Lorenzo State Historic Site Facebook Page, visit parks.ny.gov, or call 315.655.3200.
On Saturday, May 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Oneida Community Mansion House will host its first Oneida Community Mansion House Car Show. Come enjoy this free car show featuring classic cars. The event will have a live D.J. and food trucks. For more information, call 315.363.0745.
On Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Cazenovia Heritage will host a special walking tour of the hamlet of New Woodstock. Cazenovia Heritage will host an architecture walking tour of New Woodstock, conducted by Ted Bartlett. Participants are to gather shortly before 10 a.m. at the Baptist Church on Main Street. This event is rain or shine. For more information, visit cazheritage.org or email info@cazheritage.org.
On Saturday, May 21, at 1 p.m., the Lorenzo State Historic Site will host a special presentation on Preserving African American Foodways by Lavada Nahon. Nahon is the Interpreter of African American History for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. A noted culinary historian, she has a wealth of experience interpreting the lives of free and enslaved African Americans across the mid-Atlantic region, with an emphasis on the work of enslaved cooks in the homes of the elite class. There is no charge for this event. For more information, visit the Lorenzo State Historic Site Facebook Page, visit parks.ny.gov, or call 315.655.3200.
On Wednesday, May 25, at 6 p.m., the Oneida Community Mansion House will host a six-part reading and discussion group on the theme of “Votes for Women!” OCMH Director of Museum Affairs Tom Guiler will lead the group discussion, which will feature reading a text every three weeks with a follow-up discussion. The program is free and open to the public. Space is limited, so participants are encouraged to sign up in advance. This program is made possible by a grant from Humanities NY. For more information or to reserve your spot please contact Tom Guiler at 315.363.0745 or email tguiler@oneidacommunity.org.