Schuyler Mansion

Schuyler Mansion is the modern name for the brick mansion built directly South of Albany in 1761. This was once the home to General Philip Schuyler. He owned the property until his death when his children took it over.

Today the estate is open to the public for viewing of 18th century style and beauty. This historic site is a way for the public to visually understand the outstanding amount of wealth that this man had and in order to understand the lifestyle of the 18th century elite. The site was used for military strategy during the Revolutionary War, along with social gatherings, and political functions.

I believe it is important for people to visualize places like these in order to understand the setting and feel of the time of the Revolutionary War. ,

I am looking forward to visiting this site and to photographing the gorgeous building from its outside. Hopefully I will be allowed to bring my camera inside.

*UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE BUDGET NOT BEING LIFTED IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK, I WAS UNABLE TO GET TO THIS HISTORICAL SITE.  HOPEFULLY, AS OTHER PEOPLE VISIT AND MORE HISTORIANS ARE INVOLVED, QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED ABOUT THE REASONS WHY CERTAIN THINGS ARE SET UP INSIDE THE WAY THEY ARE, WHEN IT OPENED TO THE PUBLIC AND OTHER IMPORTANT PUBLIC HISTORY KNOWLEDGE THAT SHOULD BE KNOWN. TIL THEN, IT REMAINS UNKNOWN TO ME.*

FOR NOW YOU CAN VISIT THEIR WEBSITE FOR HISTORICAL INFORMATION


http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/loc/schuylermansion.html#websites




Schuyler Mansion: A Historic Structures Report, prepared by The Division for Historic Preservation, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (Albany, 1977).

USS Albany Heritage Exhibit

Did you know there were tons of US ships named after the City of Albany, NY?

Well, there is an exhibit dedicated to those who sailed on them!

This exhibit will be very interesting, and visitors who come to Albany or even people from the surrounding area may want to know about the ships that were named after the city of Albany, NY. This is an exhibit that is dedicated to the City of Albany, to the ships that were named after it,  and to those who sailed on the ships. The history begins in 1846 and runs to the present day.

http://www.ussalbany.org/

Shaker Heritage Society

" The landscape of the Historic District includes distinctive natural and cultural resources. Historically, the Shakers divided the area into four economically and geographically distinct “family” groupings. Of these, two are privately owned and one is no longer extant. The Society’s primary interest is in the fourth grouping known as the “Church Family,” which is publicly accessible and includes nine historic structures, an important Shaker cemetery (where Shaker founder, Ann Lee is buried), and the ruins of a gristmill. Despite heavy commercial development within the Historic District, the landscape retains much of its original rural character including an apple orchard, herb garden and open pastureland. The property also encompasses portions of Shaker Creek and the Ann Lee Pond Nature Preserve. "

The Society is a place to depict and show the history of the first Shaker's in America...

Visit the site for a little information before the visit...

http://www.shakerheritage.org/

Mabee Farm

Did you know that the Mabee Farm Historic Site is the oldest standing home in the Mohawk Valley?
Well if you didn't then now you do! It is 300 plus years old and lies on the bank of the Mohawk River in Rotterdam Junction, NY.

The last family to own the farm was a man by the name of George E. Franchere, who in 1993 gave the farm to the Schenectady County Historical Society to display as a museum.
The Farm hosts community and educational workshops so that people will remember or learn the historical significance of the farm. The farm house was originally a fur trading post for Native Americans before they reached the city of Schenectady. While on their way to Schenectady to sell, they were stop at the farm to trade with the owner of the Mabee House.

Presently, the farm, which consists of  the farm house, the Inn, Slave Quarters, barns, and gardens,offers workshops, canalfests, arts and crafts festivals, and much more...

When I visit the site, I will take tons of photographs in order to understand the importance of the artifacts and the site itself.

For now, here is the site to get an understanding of the historic site which was last updated in February of 2009.


http://www.schist.org/mabee.htm

Crailo State Historic Site

Crailo State Historic Site will be one of my first stops on my public history tour. It is located in Rensselaer, NY which is located directly over the river from Albany, NY. This historic site is dedicated to the history of the Dutch in the upper Hudson Valley. Over the years Crailo has undergone different changes and had many uses. At one point during the late 18th century, Crailo was remodeled in a Federal style. It also served as a boarding school for boys in the mid 1800's, and was later a church. In the 1920's it was donated to New York State for museum purposes and development. The exhibit highlights archeological findings from Fort Orange. Here is the site for some more information before I go...

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/historic-sites/30/details.aspx

Capital District Map

This is a map of the Capital District. I will be focusing primarily on Schenectady and Albany, and pursuing other towns near. Just so you can get a sense of what it looks like...

What is Public History Anyways?

Some people ask, what is public history? Others may have never even heard the term before. Even if you have not heard the term, I am sure that you have witnessed and attended something we would categorize as public history before sometime in your lifetime. Public history can be something as simple as a statue, and as complex as the Natural History Museum in New York City. Anything that is a physical or visual and educational representation of history is considered public history. What is the reason to study public history?
Well... One can say it is simply beneficial to those that are better visual learners. Others may say that it is a better and more comprehensive way to explain a time in history, aka. Slavery with slave cabins, or a mansion owned by an old revolutionary war soldier, or a museum dedicated to a certain ethnicity that settled in a particular area. All of these things help us better understand history and can enrich our learning experiences. Whether you enjoy attending museums, or visiting historic sites, it is important for these places to be considered while teaching about a particular topic in history.

One of the reasons why Public History is so important these days is because historians have started to become involved in the creation of the sites. They have begun to bridge the gap between the academia world, and the general public in order to steer away from bias.

Academics study public history because so many people are learning their history through these forms. It was said that something like 80% of students believe more of what they see in Museums and historical sites than in the classroom. That is an astounding number, and therefore professors and historians felt that they needed to latch on to this medium.

One thing that people have to wonder is what people are actually learning from these places. Are they learning a subject that might reflect bias? Is there more strength put on one class than another? Why is the subject depicted the way it is? And how long has the site been for public use?

In some cases, museums are depicting subjects in a bias and less accurate manner, as well as sometimes a very selective manner. In the 1970's the historians decided to get involved and not let the subjects fate only be in the hands of volunteers and tour guides, rather it have assistance by people who understand the history well.

From thinking about all of these points, we can understand that public history is not only what the product is, but also the practice of how it is presented.

As I visit more of these sites, maybe I will start to see trends and biases...

The purpose of this blog, is to better MY understanding of what public history is as a whole; as well as get an idea of some of the most exciting places around the Capital Region of New York State. Over the course of 7 weeks, I will visit several different sites and museums, and document my visit with photographs and some writing by me. I will also attach links to the individual place's websites for further information!