Genesee Country Village & Museum

We’re Coming Home!!

2012-01-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

The collections of the John L. Wehle Gallery—and its staff—are finally headed back to GCV&M to our newly renovated gallery after being quartered in a warehouse in a secure undisclosed location for the last year. RIT intern Anton Siekmann lends a helping hand as we pack. Watch this spot for weekly updates on what’s happening with the art and costume collection as we get ready to unveil our stunning "new" gallery this summer.

Learning about Broom-Making

2012-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Today, we hosted a training session for some of our talented village interpreters on broom-making. Broom-making by hand is quickly becoming a dying art as the availability of cheap, mass-produced, machine-made brooms increases.

In the 19th century, the Shakers were adept at making brooms and sold them to “The World’s People” the same as they did seeds, bonnets, and herbs. Usually “brothers”, or Shaker men, were the broom makers in the community. It was thought a job especially suited to older gentlemen no longer able to go out in the fields.

After today’s training session, the new broom makers will be able to produce whisk brooms, flat and round brooms, cake testers, cobweb brooms, and pot scrubbers both for the Flint Hill Store as well as for use in the Village homes and businesses. Those new brooms will go great with the dustpans from our Tinsmiths!

2012-01-23T07:19:00.000-08:00

Did you know there is a special Family Pack for Owl Moon this year?

There is!

An Owl Moon Family Pack admits 2 adults and accompanying youth.

Purchase a Family Pack for just $40 (or $32 for members) by calling 585-294-8218.

Looking Forward to 2012

2012-01-18T11:56:00.000-08:00

This year in the Historic Village we look forward to….

….chocolate demonstrations where we can learn how this tasty treat was enjoyed in the nineteenth century….

…. new clothing around the village as our seamstresses have been hard at work….

… the opportunity to take tea….

… watching Buck and Dan grow as they learn to work together as a great oxen team....

… learning about natural, homegrown dyes for fabrics…

Looking Forward to 2012

2012-01-16T12:04:00.000-08:00

We hope your 2012 has started off well. Ours certainly has as we plan an exciting 2012 season for you.

This year we invite you to come out to the Genesee Country Village & Museum for an excellent assortment of special events including favorites as well several new events:

This February, get up-close with owls and take an evening hike during Owl Moon on the 3rd and 4th.
Learn about the maple sugaring process at The Maple Sugar Festival on March 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th. Be sure to make reservations for your pancake breakfast, a favorite seasonal treat.
Join us for our 14th Annual Antique Show & Sale on April 21st. Get a sneak peak during the Friday night Preview Party)
Opening weekend is Mother’s Day weekend when we will look at 19th Century Fashions on Saturday and give tribute to Mothers on Sunday.
New in May is our NY Military Through the Ages Day on the 19th.
Learn about the often forgotton War at the 200th Anniversary: War of 1812 & Jane Austen Weekend.
Celebrate Independence Day with us on July 4th.
The Civil War Re-enactment commemorates the second year of the War’s Sesquicentennial.
Enjoy a Concert on the Meadow: BeatleMagic! on July 28th.
Bring to life childhood stories with Laura Ingalls Wilder Days on August 11th and 12th.
Immerse yourself in the sounds of the Old-Time Fiddlers’ Fair on August 18th and 19th.
As the leaves change, celebrate the season at The Fall Festival featuring the Agricultural Fair on October 6th and 7th.
On weekends throughout October, explore our New Corn Maze!
Also in October, enjoy our popular Spirits of the Past Theatrical Tours and Trick-or-Treating in the Village.
New to Preparing for the Holidays on November 24th is a New Breakfast with St. Nicholas as well as the favorite Crafts at Christmas.
Don’t forget to schedule your Yuletide Tour and Buffet early this year. These popular festive tours run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting November 30th through December 16th.

End of the Season

2011-12-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

With the end of our Yuletide in the Country tours and supper Buffet comes the close of our season. The Genesee Country Village and Museum is now closed to the public. The Nature Trails will be open starting January 7 and 8 for skiing and snowshoeing. Call 585-294-8262 for hours and information on the Nature Trails.

Last Weeked for Yuletide in the Country

2011-12-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend is the final weekend this year for the Yuletide in the Country tours. And we finally have some snow!!

Our tours are full, but there are still spots for the Buffet Supper. Check out our website HERE for more information on this yummy supper. You can call 585-294-8218 to make reservations!

Last weekend of Yuletide in the Country coming up!

2011-12-11T09:46:00.001-08:00

The last weekend to enjoy our Yuletide in the Country Christmas tours is fast approaching. Friday through Sunday, December 16-18 will be the last weekend to enjoy the tours of various Christmas scenes through the 19th century in our Historic Village and to enjoy our holiday Buffet Supper! Call now to make your reservations while there are still opening available! (585)-294-8218.

See website for more details! Click Here to visit our Yuletide in the Country webpage.

Preparing for the Holidays!

2011-11-15T06:12:00.001-08:00

Today we are decorating the village houses to get ready for Yuletide. During Yuletide, visitors take special guided tours around the Village and observe different Christmas scenes in each building. We are still looking for singers for our chorus for this. If you are interested, please contact Megan at mbarrell@gcv.org.

Along with Preparing for the Holidays, you can observe more ways that our 19th century counterparts were getting ready for the festivities on Saturday the 26th. You can try making some Christmas Crafts for your tree and home, taste some flavors of the season, and even see how a hog gets from the barnyard to the feast table!

In other news, Genesee Country Village and Museum hosted it's very first Civil War Immersion event. An Immersion event is one in which the participants are in First-Person the whole time. That is, they assume a character for the weekend and do not break it for the whole 48 hour period. Nothing is scripted, so the participants have to be prepared to react to whatever may happen. In this case, the event was set in Western Virginia in 1861. A local bridge had been burned and the area occupied by the Federal Army. The Confederates are hoping to retake the bridge area. We did not expect to see soliders in town, but we did, many times! It was quite exciting!

Here are the civilian participants in front of Hosmer's Inn.

We hope to host such an event again as it went off very well and all had a great time!

Open Call for Yuletide In The Country Auditions and Volunteer Opportunities!!!

2011-11-10T21:06:00.001-08:00

We are still looking for Actresses and Choir Members for our Yuletide In the Country Event.

Young Actresses (Ages 12-14) are still needed for the vignettes that are put on in each of the houses on the tour. The scenes celebrate how Christmas traditions have evolved over the 19th century and range in date from 1830 to 1870. We are also looking for Chior Members for our church scenes.

Performance dates are December 2-4, 9-11, and 16-18 in the evenings. All interested parties should email our events department at events@gcv.org to schedule an audition!

If you’re not a young lady or interested in bring in our Christmas Choir, part of Yuletide in the Country event is a large buffet offered in the heated Meeting Center. We are looking for volunteers to help bus tables, greet guests, and help keep our stations supplied from 4-8:30 on the nights of tours. Help out one night or several as your schedule allows! Contact Brett Elliot, Director of Volunteer Services, at belliot@gcv.org if you'd like to be part of the magic!

Pokeberry Adventures Continued!

2011-10-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Pokeberry adventure UPDATE!!

As promised, the picture of the yarn in the pumpkin! The pumpkin yarn is the darker yarn while the redder yarn was the pokeberry in vinegar. The light yellow is the pokeberry with lime.

The color of the pokeberry has been so fascinating to us, that we dipped a few of the reeds used for baskets in the dye. A lovely shade of pinky-red occurred depending on the species of the reed dipped. Then, upon moving a few artifact baskets around, our Curator discovered the same pinky-red, now faded except in the recesses of the insides of two of these baskets!

One is a small round basket that opens in the middle. The color is all over the inside of it, so we are curious, was it totally pink at one time? It has a hole in one end and was likely used to hold a ball of string or yarn. Perhaps even while knitting as in this lovely painting of Mary Isabella Grant:

The second basket is a workbasket with decorative ash curls. Here they are next to a modern piece of ash dyed with the pokeberry:

See how similar the colors are?

So, were THEY using pokeberries to dye decorative elements of their baskets? The color is remarkably similar, and it has obviously faded over time as we have been warned the pokeberry will do, but is it the same dye-stuff? A mystery is afoot! Does anybody have any clues they can share?

Trick-or-Treat!

2011-10-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

Looking for a safe way to take your little ones Trick-or-Treating this year? The Genesee Country Village and Museum offers a safe and educational way to collect the traditional Halloween loot!
On October 29 and 30 from noon to 5, take your little one trick-or-treating in the scenic and traffic-free Historic Village. Children 16 and under will be admitted for $5 and their parents or chaperones for free. Over a dozen village buildings will be staffed with a friendly volunteer in costume handing out candy. In addition, you can learn about the history and traditions of Halloween by trying a fortune-telling game in Keiffer House, hearing the story of jack-o-lanterns at the Pioneer Cabin, reciting a Halloween Poem in the Schoolhouse, and sitting by the fire roasting s'mores and hearing stories at the McKay house. We are also reprising a kid's version of the Tent of Wonders in the Town Hall, where you can see various "artifacts" on display from around the world. You won't believe your eyes....!

Outside of the village, you can meet author Michael T. Keene who wrote "Folklore and Legends of Rochester" and have him sign a copy of his fantastic book. He'll be available at the Flint Hill Store from 2pm to 5:30.

To keep the little ones busy, try several crafts in our large Exhibition Hall around the Great Meadow. For an added fee (cash only), make a cornhusk doll, paint a pumpkin, or tie up a yarn ghost. Try a walk through the straw bale maze, or become weightless in the bouncy house. Plenty of family fun to be had, and all geared towards ages 8 and under! Of course, all children, both those at heart and in actuality, welcome!

Open Call for Actors and Actresses!

2011-10-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Gearing up for the Yuletide in the Country here at the Museum means finding actors and actresses to fill the roles in the scenes that tour groups witness in buildings around the Village Square. The scenes celebrate how Christmas traditions evolved over the 19th century and range in date from 1830 to 1870.

Performance dates are December 2-4, 9-11, and 16-18 in the evenings and rehearsals will be held on November 5,12,19,29 and a dress rehearsal that family of participants can attend on November 30.
Contact Megan Barrell to schedule an audition at a time that works for you at mbarrell@gcv.org

Interested in participating, but not into memorizing lines? One of the scenes needs a Christmas Chorus to sing two simple carols in a church setting. We're always looking for volunteers there! Please contact Megan above if you would like to be part of the chorus.

Want to help but not in the Village? Part of Yuletide in the Country is a large buffet offered in the heated Meeting Center. We are looking for volunteers to help bus tables, greet guests, and serve food from stations from 4-8:30 on the nights of tours. help out one night or several as your schedule allows! Contact Brett Elliot, Director of Volunteer Services, at belliot@gcv.org if you'd like to be part of the magic!

End of the Season!

2011-10-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

On this, our last regular day of the season, our final Word of the Day is hyson. Hyson is the 19th century word for green tea. A good cup of hyson would warm you today!

After yesterday's rainy episode, we're now back to enjoying the sunshine, if not the warm temperatures.
Today in our village, you can try a taste of quince jam at the Livingston Backus house as you warm yourself by the fire. The last of the fall berries are being made into jams and preserves to last the winter through on warm fresh bread from the oven!

To go with that jam, you can head over to Jones Farm to help make some butter from the last milk of the year. It should make up quickly in the cooler temps!

We're getting ready for winter by making warm quilts of scraps of fabric in the Eastman House. You can help us get the word done by putting a few stitches in yourself!

End of the Season!

2011-10-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

Sad to say it, the end of our regular season is already upon us. Today and tomorrow are the last two full days of regular admission. Not to worry though, it is only the kick-off of our special themed programs like the Spirits of the Past Tours, Trick-or-Treating, Yuletide Tours, and Preparing for the Holidays events. You can find more information about those programs here.

Today, visitors can taste Quince Jam at the Livingston-Backus house. Jam was often being put up for winter use out of the fall bounty.

Observe the last cheese of the season being made at the Jones Farm. In about 3 months it will be ready to enjoy by a warm January fireside as the snowflakes fall!

The Word of the Day is palaver. To palaver is to talk profusely.

We villagers have been having a Word of the Day contest where entrants must write a story in 300 words or less that utilizes as many of the past Words of the Day as they can. Points are awarded for correct use of the words as well as humorous content. Stay tuned for the winner's story!

This Weekend: Baseball and Tastes of Fall

2011-10-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

To go along with thisSaturday’s Mayor’s Cup Championship base ball game and a celebration of thesights, sounds and taste of fall, we are offering a special admission price to anyyoung baseball players under the age of 16. If they wear the uniform of theteam they play for, they can receive a special admission rate of just $5.00.This offer is good any day this weekend Saturday, Sunday, or Columbus DayMonday.

Come watch the Flower Cityand Live Oak base ball clubs play under the rules of 1865 for the covetedMayor’s Cup on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the museum’s own Silver Base Ball Park.You can enjoy a hot dog, cold drinks and a variety of other snacks from ourconcession stand located just behind home plate. Celebrate a great falltradition in one of the grandstands in America’s only recreated 19^thcentury ball park.
Sunday will host another game: Rochester v. Victory at 1:30pm.

Families can also enjoy avariety of other games on the village square. The sugar maples surrounding thesquare are ablaze with fall color and provide a wonderful backdrop to a greatfamily outing. We’ll have all of our favorite 19th century games out to enjoy includingbowling, croquet, stilts, hoops, graces and many more. It’s a great way tospend time outdoors on a perfect fall day.

The women in the village andsome of our household cooks have been busy using up some of the season’sharvest for some special autumn treats available for you to taste. Guests each day can try fall favorites like homemadeapple sauce and apple-butternut squash soup made using historic receipts(recipes). There will be a special elderberry shrub available in the newlyrenovated Hosmer’s Inn on the village square along with our famous 1-2-3-4 cakeat the Livingston-Backus House. We’ve even used up some of our herbs in somewonderful herbed butter that’s great for any holiday table.

There will also be $2.00hot dogs and plenty of cold drinks at the Depot restaurant located on the GreatMeadow. The Depot’s regular menu will also be available. The museum’s FreightHouse and Tap Room will also be open Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 until 5:30for anyone interested in one of our great area craft brews, including our own1803 Fat Ox Ale. Be sure to stop in at our Flint Hill Store for the latest creations from our kitchenswith new seasonal candy apple and pumpkin varieties of fudge in our now famoushome-made fudge offerings. There are also some terrific seasonal items for saleand the new stoneware pottery from the first firing of our new salt-glaze kilnis available.

Meet our final pioneer familyfor the 2011 season this Saturday and Sunday at the Pioneer Farm and find outhow they enjoy living the life of the Genesee Country pioneers in the early1800s. They will be living, eating, and sleeping in the log pioneer house forthe weekend and learning how to cook on an open fire, caring for animals at thefarm, dress in 19^th century-style clothing, learning 19^thcentury games, and even finding time to do some dancing. They’ll also belearning how to prepare for the upcoming winter by stuffing sausages and dryingfruits and vegetables.

Other villagers are alsogetting ready for the upcoming cold season: visitors can assist the quilter inmaking warm bed coverings out of scraps of leftover fabric, the kitchens areputting up preserves and condiments to use throughout the winter, and thespinner is making warm wool yarn for winter knitting projects. In addition to spinning, the spinners will also be dyeing the last of the yarn Sunday and Monday. See what fantastic colors can be achieved with natural materials! The villagersare giving their houses a last airing out on this fine weekend and getting outthe warm clothing…before we know it, it will be winter!

Word of the Day

2011-10-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

Today's Word of the Day is cairngorm. A cairngorm is a Scottish variety of smokey quartz, commonly found in Victorian tourist jewelry. As we know, Queen Victoria loved all things Scottish and popularized wearing plaid, kilts, bagpipe playing, and Scottish jewelry. The Cairngorms, or Blue Hills, formerly the Red Hills in Gaelic, are a mountain range near Braemar in Scotland, now a national park, but the stones used for jewelry come from the Cairngorm mountain in the Grampian range located in Banffshire. The stones grow on the granite running through the mountain. At one time, it could also be found as pebbles in the Avon river. The brown or smokey color, which can also appear yellow, is attributed to titanium. The stones can also appear black, and are then called morion.

Dyeing with Pokeberries

2011-10-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

Although pokeberry dye is a fugitive dye and will eventually fade, we have heard many reports from diaries and contemporary publications that women loved the color so much, that they were willing to have to re-dye every few years. When we read this, we just HAD to find out why this color was loved so much to go through all the trouble.

We tried a few variations. First was the straight pokeberry juice with the wool yarn simmered and mordanted with vinegar.

The yellow color is pokeberry mordanted with vinegar, and then baking soda simmered with it in lieu of lime, to turn it to "solferino". The yarn first turned a honey-carmel color and then changed into a brighter yellow as time went on.

Our third experiment with pokeberries is a receipt from the New England Farmer in 1824 that says to put it in a pumpkin shell for nine days to produce a crimson color. This advice was again repeated by Godey's in 1866. "One old lady made a really brilliant dye by dipping wool in pokeberry juice, and then inclosing (sic) it for several days where Peter put his wife-in a pumpkin shell. The color obtained was a brilliant red."

Well, it's in there! We'll find out on the 10th what color it will become!

We also had to do a bit of silk:

Just stunning! We're curious how long the color will last.

Word of the Day

2011-10-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

Today's Word is Aigrette: a hair ornament made of pearls or gems, set in silver or gold, in the shape of a plume, feather, or spray. For evening wear.

The Agricultural Fair suffered through some rainy and cold weather, but all who attended had a great time! Thank you to everyone who made it out!

Last Day of the Agricultural Fair!

2011-10-02T04:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a bit rainy, but all had fun seeing Signora Bella's amazing shows, Harry Houdini's artifacts, the vegetables and apple tastings in the Horticultural Tent, and the wonders in the Tent of Wonders.

All will be repeated today but there will be a Harmonic's Concert at 2:00 in Brooks Grove Church.

There's plenty of shopping, poultry, livestock, blue Ribbon entries, appearances of the Man-Eating Chicken, and agricultural demonstrations for everyone!

Countdown to the Agricultural Fair!

2011-09-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

One Day to go until the Agricultural Fair!!

This year's fair is gearing up to be our best yet and features Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem! Get your fortune told by a traveling mystic, hear a sales pitch from a medicine woman, see a magic show, try your hand at phrenology and try a taste of heirloom variety apples. There's plenty to see and do!

Thrill to the many performance opportunities offered: our Grand Show will be the amazing Signora Bella, slack rope walker and juggler. She will astonish you with her talents at knife and fire juggling all while balanced on a slim rope! Having performed at Mt Vernon and Colonial Williamsburg, she is a world-class act you won't want to miss!

For the little ones, see the classic Punch and Judy Show where the time-honored story-telling technique of puppetry will delight them. On Sunday, see the Magic Show at the Davis Opera House. Can the magician guess which card you have without looking?

Roaming around the Village Square, see impromptu encounters with the Medicine Woman and her remedies. Do you believe her pitch?

A Special Exhibit at the McKay house will thrill you! Harry Houdini Original Artifacts will be on display there all weekend accompanied by the grand-nephew of the Handcuff King himself!

The Horticulture Tent is filled with glorious displays of the harvest abundance. See heirloom varieties of carrots, potatoes, squash, and cucumbers and taste some of the apples from the Village. Assist the farmer with thrashing and processing corn and find out how to grow your own heirloom vegetables from our Master Gardener.

Step into the Tent of Wonders and you are sure to be thrilled! See the amazing 6 foot tall Man-Eating Chicken, a rib from the Ark, the Shield of an Amazon Warrior Princess, a painted Lady, the Waters of the World and many more such fantastic items.

New this year, you can try your hand at guessing the objects at the Tactile Teasers table. What is in the box? Can you guess just by touching? Our Barker will be happy to assist you in your guesses and reveal the true answer!

Around the Village Square are a variety of tents to entertain and inspire you. Learn how to tell someone's character by the bumps on their head at the Phrenology Tent. Have the mystic answer your questions about the future, all in good fun, of course, at Fortune's Favorite. Learn about the evils of Demon Rum through an entertaining tableaux and sign the Temperance pledge at the Temperance Society booth.

Shopping opportunities abound, whether getting a jump of Christmas, or taking home the farm-fresh products you love, the popular Market Tent features specialty vendors offering cheeses, baked goods, maple products, spices, honey, cider, apples and other specialty items. Vendors include Abbott's Custard, the historical Popcorn Wagon, Helmut's Strudel, Rochester Herb Society, Kutters Cheese and many more!

In addition, you can purchase Village-made products like baskets, pottery,

brooms, and naturally-dyed wool at the Peddler's Wagon, or the Flint Hill Store.

Special guest Gretchin Sepik, also known as "Erie Canal Sal," will be on campus both days offering a book signing at the Flint Hill Store and performances daily in St. Feehan's Church. Sal, the cook on the boat, the Saint Francis, is a seasoned storyteller. She weaves together history and folktales about the Erie Canal into a fine tapestry of fact and fiction. In her Irish brogue she will insist that each story is true and it is up to you to decide! Book is available for purchase on line or in the Flint Hill Store.

There are exhibitions in more than 150 categories of judged baked goods, preserves, hand-made needlecrafts and the industrial arts—including tin, iron and wooden wares; pottery; cooperage (barrel making); printing; and broom and soap making.

Youth compete in 60 different aged categories, from penmanship and pottery to photography and pumpkin pie.

Among the competitions are those for the largest pumpkin, one for weight and a second for size. The competitions are open to museum members and the public alike, and most have both 19th- and 21st-century categories. This year, entrants will receive one day free admission to the Ag Fair. Click Here for Contest Entries!

Prize-winning sheep, oxen, cows, alpaca and horses will be on display, in addition to a poultry show, sponsored by the Rochester Poultry Assn. On Saturday watch the goat show and competition hosted by the Genesee Valley Dairy Goat Club.

And, as was common at 19th-century fairs, museum vintage base ball teams will square off for the Mayor’s Cup Championship trophy.

Special performance on Sunday: you won't want to miss the Harmonics Concert at Brooks Grove Church at 2pm.

Today's Word of the Day is Cursed Dear. Cursed Dear was a phrase used to describe something expensive in price. "That chocolate was very tasty, but cursed dear."

Countdown to The Agricultural Fair!!

2011-09-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Only 2 days left to go until the Agricultural Fair!
Our word for the day is bracing. Bracing means brisk "I put on my hood against the bracing cold."

One of the tents at the Agricultural Fair will feature Phrenology. Phrenology is a "scientiffic" way to tell someone's character. The idea is that the brain is an organ of the mind, and the skull takes the shape of the brain. Therefore, by measuring the skull, and noting any irregularities of it, such as bumps, one could theoretically know a person's "mind". It was thought that a "reading" of the skull would indicate the clients character, emotions, and thoughts.

Two of the most celebrated American practitioners of Phrenology were the Fowler brothers, Lorenzo and Orson. They were born in Cohocton, a small town about an hour and fifteen minutes south of the Museum. Orson published a book on the subject, Phrenology, Proved, Illustrated, and Applied, after graduating from Amhurst College in 1836. Lorenzo studied in England and became the originator of a Phrenological publishing house, L.N. Fowler and Co., and developed a "Phrenological Head" or bust which detailed the various zones on the head and their relation to a person's character. They practiced the science into the 50s and gave readings to such notables as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Horace Greeley, President Garfield, Mark Twain, and John Brown, and Brigham Young, the Mormon leader.

Visitors to the Agricultural Fair will be able to learn to give readings and have a chance to experiment while using an original Fowler Head.

Now, the Genesee Country Village and Museum has a deeper connection to the Fowlers and Phrenology than might be first thought. Orson had a wide interest in what we might call self-help today. He was a proponent of Women's Rights, Children's Labor rights, Hydropathy, Mesmerism, improvements in Farming and Industry, and an advocate for marriage counseling, sex education, and also......Octagon Houses!

By 1848 Fowler had expanded into the realm of architecture as he branched out into new areas. In that year he published a book entitled: The Octagonal House: A Home for All, or A New, Cheap, Convenient, and Superior Mode of Building. An octagonal house, he would always point out, could have its plans adapted for small or large houses, and thus the basic plan could serve both the rich and the poor. Moreover, he had discovered a new, inexpensive technique for house construction which used gravel, lime, and sand to create concrete which could be poured into molds for the exterior walls of a house, and this technique he used in Fishkill, New York, in building his own large mansion.

Not only was an octagonal structure more healthy, Fowler claimed, but it was less expensive to build. He pointed out that an octagonal house enclosed one-fifth more space than a square house plan and one-third more space than a rectangular house plan of equal perimeter, and he proved this through the drawings and the house dimensions given in his book. Moreover, an octagonal house would use less heat in the winter, and it would allow more light into rooms since with its eight sides there could be more windows. It wasted less space on hallways since all rooms radiated from one central hall. A spiral staircase in the center of the house would provide for the circulation of fresh air in the summer and heated air in the winter. Not only would it be less costly to build and more healthy to live in, but it would be more convenient for its denizens than a standard house plan.

Some 2,077 octagonal house still stand today, the most noted of which are now museums. One such unit is our own Hyde House, built in 1870 by Erastus Hyde and his wife Julia in Friendship, New York. He was a homeopathic physician and herbalist while she was a Methodist minister. They had become involved in the then popular Spiritualist Movement which began not too far from Rochester, Their wooden, octagonal house, by virtue of its plan, was perfect for spiritualist séances—since it had no deep corners which could harbor evil spirits during their séances with the spirits of the dead. Naturally, in time the house came to be considered haunted. The building was dismantled into 6,000 numbered pieces in order to move it to the Genesee Country Village Museum where it has been carefully restored and furnished in the proper Victorian fashion of its day. Legend claims that the workmen involved in the restoration of the building were bothered by the fact that their tools moved of their own accord into different places from which they had been left, and the Museum Director's dog always refused to go into the building when its master entered it. Nonetheless, it is a most popular building in the Museum Village today, despite the overtones of its haunted nature.

At the time of this Post, we know of existing Octagon houses in Alfred, Binghamton, Olean, Chautaqua, Freedonia, and a study built by Mark Twain's sister in Elmira.

And there you have it: the connection between Phrenology and the Octagon house! See both this weekend at the Agricultural Fair!

Countdown to the Agricultural Fair!

2011-09-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

Three Days to go until the Agricultural Fair!!

Roaming around the Village Square, see impromptu encounters with the Medicine Woman and her remedies. Do you believe her pitch?

A Special Exhibit at the McKay house will thrill you! Harry Houdini Original Artifacts will be on display there all weekend accompanied by the grand-nephew of the Handcuff King himself!

In addition, you can purchase Village-made products like baskets, pottery,

brooms, and naturally-dyed wool at the Peddler's Wagon, or the Flint Hill Store.

And, as was common at 19th-century fairs, museum vintage base ball teams will square off for the Mayor’s Cup Championship trophy. Games are at 1:30 pm at the Silver Baseball Field both days.

Special performance on Sunday: you won't want to miss the Harmonics Concert at Brooks Grove Church at 2pm.

Today's Word of the Day is cabbage. Cabbage is a synonym for plagiarize. "I like the way that pumpkin is carved, but I don't want to cabbage it."

Word of the Day

2011-09-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

Today's Word of the Day is Ape. To ape someone was to imitate them. "I saw that she aped the dress I had last week."

Stay tuned: the countdown to the Agricultural Society Fair is upon us and more information about this spectacular event will be forthcoming!

Word of the Day

2011-09-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

Today's Word of the Day is Haberdasher of Pronouns: a schoolmaster or usher.

Word of the Day

2011-09-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

Today's Word of the Day is Loobie. A Loobie is a silly fellow. "Thus while I tell you the truth about loobies, my reader's imagination need not be entirely excluded from an occupation with lords!" George Elliot, Middlemarch.

Word of the Day

2011-09-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

Our Word of the Day for today is steam. Steam is a slang term for beer that was brewed using non-traditional brewing methods. "Greive's Brewery does NOT make any steam. In fact, Greive's uses methods and receipts (or recipes) from 1803!"

Getting ready for the weekend we are featuring some exciting things on Saturday!

First is a special chocolate presentation in the Town Hall from 11am to 3pm. In the presentation, visitors can see how people in the 19th century obtained chocolate. It goes through the whole process from the cocoa bean on the tree to a cup of hot chocolate! The chocolate being featured is the American Heritage Chocolate from the Mars Company. It is the same receipt as that used in the 19th century. The presentation also talks about different flavors that were added to chocolate, some may surprise you! Visitors can also sample the historic hot chocolate.

The second exciting thing that is happening is the final showing of the season of our "Grand Tour: A Woman's Travels in 1830". This is a special performance lasting 20 minutes in Hosmer's Inn where visitors get to meet a lady traveler, Julia Winner, and hear the stories she has collected on her journey through the area. Visitors will also get to peek inside her travel bag and learn what women traveled with. At the end of the performance, visitors can try a gingernut, a small cookie that was recommended to travel with as a snack. The performance will be held 3 times on Saturday: 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm.

Word of the Day for September 22

2011-09-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Our word for today is again from the medical dictionary: Nephritis. Nephritis is any of various acute or chronic inflammations of the kidneys.

Looking ahead to the weekend, there are many activities going on.

First is a new theatrical production taking place in Hosmer's Inn called "The Grand Tour: A woman's travels in 1830." The performance is 20 minutes long. During the performance, visitors get to meet Mrs. Julia Winner, a traveler in 1830. She tells stories of her adventures and also shows visitors what she is traveling with and why. There are three performances on Saturday: 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. It is a free show.

On Saturday, we will be having a special demonstration of the American Heritage Chocolates. American Heritage Chocolate is a special blend of chocolate put out by the Mars company for historic use. It is an accurate representation of the chocolate available in America in the late 18th century and 19th century. In the Town Hall, visitors can see how chocolate goes from growing on the tree as a cocoa nut to becoming a rich hot chocolate drink in the 19th century! Special herbs and spices where added to flavor the drink, even some unusual ones like cayenne. Visitors can even try a taste of the hot chocolate. It's very different than our modern hot chocolates, but if you love chocolate, you won't want to miss it! And if you want to take home a piece of your very own American Heritage Chocolate, the Flint Hill Store would be happy to accommodate you.

There will be a baseball game each day at 1:30 to lead up to play offs. The action should be great!

Word of the Day for September 21

2011-09-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

Our Word for the Day is another one from a 19th century health manual: Pleurisy. Pleurisy is inflammation of the pleura (membrane surrounding the lungs) usually occurring as a complication of a disease such as pneumonia, accompanied by accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity, chills, fever, and painful breathing and coughing.
"Several of our villagers have recently had a bout with the pleurisy, but they have quite recovered now."

At least it's better than what these men have!

Word of the Day for 9/20

2011-09-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Today's Word of the Day is from a medical dictionary from the 19th century.
Contused Wound: an injury in which the skin is not broken, a bruise. "Many children sustain bumps and contused wounds in their lifetimes with little to no ill-effects."

Other news:
Louise, one of our weavers, is in the process of warping the loom in Humphrey House for a new project. She will be weaving 3 corded petticoats based on an original from the Ontario County Historical Society that we have had on loan for the past two months. When finished, the fabric she weaves will make 3 "stick-out" petticoats. These petticoats were woven with cords in them for stiffness. The cords would also absorb starch and, before the advent of the hooped petticoat, maintain enough stiffness to give a fluffy, 1830s-1850s silhouette.

This example from the MET has the corded sewn into the fabric rather than woven.

Foster-Tufts has changed into it's final exhibit for the season; Mourning in the early 19th century. In the exhibit, you can see how a house was prepared to receive callers for a funeral, what foods were served, the attire of some of the mourners, and other accessories and decorations for the occasion.

Remembrance of 9:11

2011-09-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

Our last day of the 19th Century Salute to Seniors remembers the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Centers, the Pentagon, and the attempt that failed in PA. There will be a church service at 10 am in the Brooks Grove Church.
At 1pm, the bells in Brooks Grove will be rung for one minute as part of the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States. As a tribute to those we lost, we ask that everyone cease all activity and conversation for one minute.
At 2pm, there will be a Harmonics Concert in Brooks Grove that will have a patriotic program.

Demonstrations you can see today are dyeing yarn, black powder shooting, fly tying, fly casting, butter churning, tinsmithing, and blacksmithing.
Tastings for today are Shrub, herbed butter, and jam.
You can try your hand at making sweet bags, teacup quilts, fly tying, bread kneading, 19th century games, tin ornaments, and churning butter.
There are two ladies baseball games today as well as the Victorian Tea in the Garden Pavilion.

Meet our Pioneer Family for the weekend, the Burns family. They are the descendants of the family that donated the Pioneer Farm to the museum. See how they are enjoying the weekend living in the Pioneer Cabin.
Our Trolley will be running.
The word of the Day today is knee high to a...which many of our visitors may have heard before. It is a humorous description of short stature or youth. "I remember when the trees in the Village Square were knee high to a mosquito."

Day 4 of the 19th century Salute to Seniors

2011-09-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

Our word for today is actually a saying: Some Pumpkins, which means something or someone impressive. "One of them thinks he's got a horse that's some pumpkins." from A Quarter Horse Race in Kentucky, 1846.

Today we continue to have demonstrations in cheesemaking, pottery, basket-making and selling, and 19th century dancing.
Our tastings are shrub, jam, and herbed butter.
You can try your hand at kneading bread, 19th c. games and dancing, fly tying, sweet bags, tin ornaments, and teacup quilts.
Our trolley will be on hand to assist in transportation needs.
The Garden Pavilion restaurant is open for drinks and Ice Cream!
There is a dulcimer concert on the Livingston Backus porch featuring some talented local players.
You can also meet a person from 1830 at our "Grand Tour" performance. Mrs. Winner has been traveling in the area and will relate many of her tales to you. Followed by light refreshments!

Day three of the 19th century Salute to Seniors

2011-09-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

Continuing with our Salute to Seniors week, our word for today is Slantindicular, which means slanting. "The roads on Flint Hill are very slantindicular."

Some special events for today are the Victorian tea in the Garden Pavilion, a Walking Victorian Fashion Tour, black powder demonstration. There will also be fly tying and casting, and butter churning.
Our concert for today is an organ concert in the Brooks Grove Church at 3pm.
Visitors can try various tastings such as herbed butter, shrub, and jam as well as crafts like punched Tin ornaments. As always, our 19th c. games are up and running and we welcome you to the Grieve's Brewery where our brewmaster will explain the mysteries of the brewing process! We hope you'll join us. It's going to be a lovely day!

Day two of of the 19th century Salute to Seniors

2011-09-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

Today is the second day of our 19th century Salute to Seniors, a week-long event jam-packed with special activities for visitors to the Genesee Country Village and Museum. Our word of the day today is Peart, which means fresh and happy, or sprightly. "Despite the weather, we are all quite peart today."

Visitors can enjoy demonstrations on pottery, blacksmithing, tinsmithing, coopering, basketmaking, fly tying and casting, butter churning, and black powder shooting.
Activities to try yourself include teacup quilts, sweet bags, embroidery, tin ornaments, and log sawing.
Tastings include jam, herbed butter, and shrub.
Two concerts today: 2pm there is a Ragtime Concert in Davis, and at 3pm an Organ Concert in Brooks Grove Church.

As with yesterday, our trolley will be running all day with increased stops to allow greater access to the Village. Hope to see you there!

19th Century Salute to Seniors week, September 7-September 11

2011-09-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

New this year is an event devoted to Seniors. It will run from September 7 through to September 11 and is jam-packed with activities for all ages.

Some highlights:
   Victorian teas in the picturesque Garden Pavilion
         Demonstrations on fly tying, casting, pottery, weaving, spinning, yarn dyeing, basket-making, cheese-making, butter churning, low sawing, tinsmithing, blacksmithing, black powder shooting, and bread making.
   Tastings of some of our most popular condiments and beverages.
   Activities to try yourself such as log-sawing, bread kneading, games of the 19th century, sweet bags, teacup quilt squares, butter churning, and punching tin.
         The Trolley will be running the whole week to provide access to as many locations as possible.
Shop for the holidays at the Flint Hill store where we have books, candy, and Village Crafts.
Free concerts in the Davis Opera House, Brooks Grove Church and a special performance in Hosmer's Inn.
Double-header baseball game on Saturday.
          A patriotic concert by the Harmonics in the Brooks Grove Church on Sunday.

Special admission price is $10!

Word of the Day for September 7

2011-09-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for September 7 is Man Alive! Which as you might guess is an exclamation of surprise or shock. "Man Alive! Have you seen all the things going on for our Salute to Seniors week?"

Word of the Day for September 6th

2011-09-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day!!
The word of the day is Jonathan. Jonathan was a name denoting the American people. Also known as Brother Jonathan and later to become Uncle Sam. " Jonathan was hard to provoke, but when once you did get him up, he remained at a dead white heat for a long while!" from Mr. Root, the Ohio house of Representatives on December 24th, 1846

Word of the Day for September 3

2011-09-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

Our next word of the day is Dashing.
Dashing: Showy, elegant, spirited, especially in dress. "She cut a most dashing figure in her new silk dress!"

Word of the Day

2011-09-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

The word of the day will be a special word from the 19th century that is no longer or rarely in use today. For September 2nd is Chirk: cheerful, chirp, or chirpy "She is not very chirk, but more chirkier than the hand been; and all our folks appear more chirkier than they really feel, in order to chirk her up" from the Yale Literary Magazine, 1843

We are all quite chirk here at the Genesee Country Village and Museum, come join us!

The Fang Gang-Saturday June 4, 2pm

2011-05-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

They howl. They bark. They growl. And they are fascinating.On June 4, three wild representatives of the Canidae family will find their way to Genesee Country Village & Museum in a brand new program “The Fang Gang” designed to explore the fascinating world of these notable creatures that prowl every continent but Antarctica.

All these visitors—the eastern coyote, red fox and grey wolf—are designed for the chase—lithe bodies and relatively long legs. The grey wolf is the largest of the lot. It sometimes can reach more than six feet head-to-tail.

And they have long been a part of the Native American lore, representing clans and even tribes (Sac and Fox). Onondaga storyteller Perry Ground of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy will weave traditional Native American stories about these animals.

The presentation will start at 2 p.m. in the museum's Exhibition Hall. Reservations are required.

Cost is $12/$10 members with a Village Combo Pass ($20 per person) that includes admission to the historic village. Tickets are available online.

The animal program is presented by the New York Wildlife Educators Coalition.

Stuart Bolger 1921-2011

2011-05-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

Stuart Bolger

1921-2011

Stuart Bolger, 89, director emeritus and architect of the Genesee Country Village & Museum, died Monday, May 9, 2011, at Highland Hospital following a short illness.

Born July 3, 1921 in Elmira, he joined with Genesee Brewing Chairman John L. "Jack" Wehle in 1966 to "design and develop a company museum." When the Genesee Country Village open in 1976, there were 32 buildings on site with 22 open to the public.

Stuart remained with the museum for the rest of his life, assuming the title of director emeritus in later years, continuing to add to the facility's growth. Genesee Country Village & Museum opens its 36th season on May 14 with 68 historic buildings.

A man of great wit and a writer and story-teller par excellence, he never believed his job at the museum was complete. He trolled the back roads of 13 counties for 45 years, looking for the next missing piece to his village, uncovering treasures disguised as chicken coups, storage units or a granary. Many were awaiting the wrecking ball. One--the Livingston-Backus House--was in pieces, gathering dust for 20 years in various warehouses, before Stuart came to its rescue.

And they came. The elegant Hamilton House came in four parts; others were moved whole. Many were dismantled to be reassembled at the Mumford site. Every acquisition was an exciting one.

He coaxed two of his most coveted acquisitions to the historic village in the last decade.The two-story Davis Opera House finally arrived in 2001 from South Butler (Wayne County) followed in 2005 by the charming Greek Revival Tailor Shop from Garbutt, just five miles away. He cut the ceremonial ribbon for the restored Opera House in 2003. Both buildings had been on his wish list for more than 30 years.

A life-long fan of the St. Louis Cardinals (who had a farm team in Elmira when he was growing up), Stuart embraced the museum's 19th-century base ball program from its start in 2001. He regularly appeared at the museum in his own "Rochesters" uniform, or parts thereof.

He served in the Pacific with the Marines from 1942-1946, including the 82-day battle of Okinawa, the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific during World War II. Not long after completing his tour of duty, he broke up an armed holdup in Elmira, which resulted in an extensive write-up in the Elmira press.

Stuart was a 1952 graduate of the University of Rochester with an art history degree. He did post-graduate work in architectural history at Harvard, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Sorbonne in Paris, where he completed his studies.

He worked for the architectural firm Sargent, Webster, Crenshaw & Foley in Syracuse before becoming director of Historic Bethlehem in 1958. While there, he also wrote an award-winning column on local history for the Bethlehem Globe-Times. He remained there, supervising the restoration of 18th-century Moravian buildings, until he met Jack Wehle.

Stuart served as a trustee of the Landmark Society of Western New York, chair of the Pittsford Architectural Review, vice-president of the Rochester Historical Society and was a member of the RIT Institute of Fellows.

He is survived by his wife Nancy, four children and countless friends at Genesee Country Village & Museum.

Genesee Country Village & Museum Antique Show and Sale-This Weekend!!!

2011-04-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend, The Genesee Country Village & Museum hosts the 13th annual Antiques Show & Sale this spring. Two of the museum's large indoor meeting spaces will house Western New York's finest antique dealers and collectors offering a wide variety of items to browse and purchase.

For just $5 (members are free), explore the Meeting Center and Exhibition Hall filled with rare finds and good bargains. Dealers will present items from their extensive collections of furniture, paintings, militaria, books and ephemera, jewelry, porcelains and glassware.

Want to be sure you don't miss anything? Attend the Preview Party and private shopping night on Friday evening, April 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. Your $30 ($25 members) Preview Party ticket gets you in for a first peek at the extensive collection of rare and unique pieces available for sale as well as hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer. The ticket also includes free admission to Saturday’s show. Tickets are available online.

Interested in becoming a supporter of the antique show? The annual Antiques Show & Sale provides funds critical in helping underwrite our educational programs and supporting the preservation of our historic collections.

Patrons of the event will be recognized in the Antiques Show & Sale program, receive complimentary tickets to the Preview Party. Please contact development@gcv.org for more information on becoming an antiques show patron.

Attending dealers:

Jack T. Ericson, Westfield NY

Fischer’s Antiques, Albion NY

Holly Cobbles Antiques, Fairport NY

Jane Langol Antiques, Medina OH

Antiques and Old Lace, Rochester NY

Sagamore Antiques, Rochester NY

Cathy Mortimer Antiques, Canandaigua NY

Kevin T. Ransom – Bookseller, Amherst NY

Semmel Antiques, Naples NY

Notable Antiques, Bath NY

Pastimes Antiques, Snyder NY

Sandra S. Willson Antiques, Churchville NY

Catchpenny Antiques, Rochester NY

Collection Agency Antiques, Seneca Falls NY

Lazeski Antiques, Lewiston NY

James & Wintjen, Lewisburg PA

Ron Colantonio, East Bethany NY

Moses Antiques, North Syracuse NY

Cavern View Antiques, Howes Caves NY

1880 Antiques, Canandaigua NY

West Branch Antiques, Delhi NY

J&M Antiques, East Amherst NY

Lowell Ling Antiques, Batavia NY

Neufeglise & Spiegle, Penfield NY

…and more!

Dealer Space is available but going fast, so reserve your booth today! If you are interested in showcasing your antiques and wares, please email events@gcv.org or call 585-538-6822 for more information.

Look for our ads in

cnyAntiques

Genesee Valley Penny Saver

I Love the Finger Lakes

Journal of Antiques and Collectibles

Maine Antique Digest

New York Pennsylvania Collector

Northeast Antiques Journal

Kids Out And About Features our Sap, Syrup & Sugar Program!

2011-03-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

We were excited last week when Kids Out and About visited us at the museum and did a little filming at out Sugar Camp for our Sap, Syrup & Sugar event! The program runs the rest of the weekends in March and includes activities at the GCV& M Nature Center, Historic Village and features a Pancake Breakfast with real New York State Maple Syrup!

Kids Out And About is an awesome resource for any and all activities in the Rochester area!!! They have an extensive website as well as a weekly newsletter! This week you can win a family four pack of tickets to our event and pancake breakfast!

Singers Welcome!!!

2011-03-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

Singers Welcome!

Do you enjoy singing? Do you sing with another choir or group? How about your spouse, family or friends? If this sounds like you, (or your spouse, family or friends) please consider joining the Genesee Harmonic Society this season.

The Harmonics invite singers to attend three free workshops on vocal techniques taught by Gian Carlo Cervone, the director of the Genesee Harmonic Society. Join us for some reminders, new ideas and practice to improve your singing, especially in a group. The workshops will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at GCV&M on March 23rd, March 30th and April 6th. The sessions in past years have been found to be both enjoyable and helpful by those who attended and many people have returned every year to participate. The exercises and activities are fun and the workshops are conducted in a low-pressure manner so that even singers with little experience are comfortable. The workshops this year will include techniques to improve personal singing skills (breathing, intonation, dynamics, sight-reading), as well as choral singing skills (blending with a section following a conductor, working with and without accompaniment, diction) and matters of musical interpretation (group phrasing and expression).

The Genesee Harmonic Society is a group of thirty volunteers and staff who practice weekly during the regular season. This year the Harmonics will perform five concerts at the museum – the first on Memorial Day and then four other Sundays throughout the season. The group sings choral music from all periods and of all types. New members are always welcome.

Contact Anne Rodgers for information on the workshops or joining the Genesee Harmonic Society at arodgers@gcv.org or 294-8275.

Registration required.

Sap, Sugar & Syrup-Our First Special Event of The 2011 Season!!

2011-03-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

Are you missing GCV& M yet?

We miss you!!!

About this time of year we've all recovered from the hustle & bustle that is our Yuletide in The Country Celebration and we're looking tword our new season. We have many interesting things planned in 2011, the first of which is our Maple Syrup Program, Sap, Sugar & Syrup!
This coming weekend, and for the rest of the weekends in March, the entire museum, including the GCV&M Nature Center will be alive with activites.

Journey back in time to our Sugar Camp where you'lll see 19th century style sugaring activities complete with log hewing, spile carving, tree tapping, sap collection and boiling down the sap to syrup and sugar, which will actually be used by our village cooks throughout the season.

Visit the cooper and tinsmith as they make buckets for collecting sap. Kids (and adults) can create a maple leaf tin ornament to take home ($). Along the way, collect puzzle pieces for your Maple Passport and search for the elusive Felicity with a scavenger hunt for kids.

You can also enjoy self guided walks to the sugar bush as well as syrup and food tasting demonstrations in our village kitchens! We're cooking up chili with our secret recipe and you'll love our maple ices as well as cotton candy made with REAL MAPLE SUGAR-A treat we dare you to try and find anywhere else!!!!

Start your day at the museum off with a Pancake and Sausage Breakfast 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Museum Meeting Center. ($8 for adults, $6 for youth and free for ages 3 and under) with real maple syrup! Then plan to take home a bit of the maple season with a visit to our museum shops. All of our maple syrup & products are from New York State Maple Syrup Producer, Sprague's Maple Farms.

Maple Baking Contest!!!!

Maple syrup isn’t just for pancakes, of course. It adds exquisite flavor to all sorts of foods, especially baked goods. Test how good your favorite maple recipe is in our Cooking with Maple Contest. The contest will take place March 12, the first Saturday of the program. The prize winners in each category get to spend a day in costume working in the historic village alongside one of our 19th-century cooks. Our cooks take great pride in what they do and this will be an experience the winner will not forget!!!

(Judges for this year's contest are: Dan Eaton of YNN’s Cooking @ Home, François Lachance, plant manager of Churchville’s Star of the West Milling Co.; Karen Miltner, staff food writer for the Democrat and Chronicle; and Sally Santora of the Livingston County News.)

For an entry form click here!

We encourage everyone to enter! There are 4 different categories and 3 different age groups for a total of 12 PRIZES!!!

Admission to Sap, Syrup & Sugar is adults $8/ $6 members; youth $6/$4 members. Children 3 and younger are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

Sugar, Suds & Duds-GCV&M Hosts Living History Conference

2011-02-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference

Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums
Thursday-Saturday, March 3-5

Genesee Country Village & Museum will play host to Sugar, Suds and Duds —a regional conference for professional historians on March 3-5. This conference is also open to the public.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference of ALHFAM (Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums) will draw professionals representing living history and agricultural museums from around the East Coast and Canada.

The museum will offer all-day seminars with hands-on activities ranging from maple sugaring and pewter casting to 19th-century brewing.
Shorter workshops will study historic clothing and textiles, pottery, education and interpretation, paint finishes, wall stenciling, among others.

There will also be talks focused on the business side of living history, including surveying visitors and members, and a discussion of deaccessioning programs. Additional sessions will be at the LeRoy Historical Society, a co-host of the event.

ALFHAM represents a diverse group of professionals, from administrators, curators and conservators to interpreters, farmers, guides and educators.

Since its founding in 1970, ALHFAM has been at the forefront of the growth and professionalization of the use of living history techniques in museum programs, providing professional training and support to traditional museums across North America and Europe that do hands-on programming.

Now, ALHFAM members and member institutions can be found across the United States and Canada as well as countries in Europe and Australia.

Cost for the conference, which includes lunch, a Saturday dinner and Sugaring-Off Dance, is $120/$90 ALHFAM members.

Friday only is $50; Saturday only is $75. (Some workshops have additional fees and limited size.
Deadline for registration is Feb. 18.

For more information contact Charles LeCount at (585) 294-8267 or clecount@gcv.org.

For conference details & registration packet click here.

Owl Moon at The Genesee Country Village & Museum's Nature Center!

2011-02-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

Looking for something to do on the weekends this February? During 3 Saturdays in February, the Genesee Country Village & Museum’s Nature Center will host Owl Moon.

Each night includes a live owl presentation on owls' behavior, habitat and lifestyle by naturalist and owl expert Ron Walker from Friends with Feathers, Inc.

Moonlit guided walks through the wintry woods to listen for screech owls and great-horned owls depart every half hour. There maybe even a “talk” with them. (Hooting lessons will be available!) The moon will be full on February 18, so perfect for these night walks at the Genesee Country Nature Center.

Later we’ll sit by a campfire roasting marshmallow and drinking hot cocoa and listen to the beautiful nature story, the Caldecott Medal-winning Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.

Tours start at 6 pm and leave every 30 minutes with the last tour departing at 8:30 pm. Tours last about 45 minutes. If on a later tour, please make sure to arrive earlier to experience the rest of the program, including the live owl presentation.

All ticket sales are final and non-refundable. Please make sure to dress for the winter weather and wear good boots for hiking through the trails. No strollers on the trails please.

Tickets are available by phone: 585-294-8218 or online at gcv.org. Each tour has a limit of 20 people and reservations are required.

You can also purchase tickets online.

Please Support Genesee Country Village & Museum

2010-12-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

We hope you and your family enjoyed the warmth and magic of a wonderful holiday season. As 2010 draws to a close, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to GCV&M to help sustain the magic of the Genesee Country Village & Museum experience.

Your year-end tax-deductible donation will directly support the Museum’s mission to “inspire excitement and curiosity about the past and an appreciation for its relevance today.”

All donations will fund the care and preservation of the many stories, objects and historic buildings that form a richly unique backdrop for the museum’s engaging and enjoyably immersive educational programming.

2010 brought exciting new interpretations—such as Grieve’s Brewery—to the Village. With your support now, GCV&M will continue to re-define the visitor experience in 2011 with even more active, hands-on experiences. Your donation now will help the museum as it prepares for the new year.

For your convenience, click here to donate, or go to our website at http://www.gcv.org/ to make your donation online. All donations received by midnight December 31, 2010 will be receipted for 2010 tax purposes.

Your support is warmly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Staff and Volunteers of Genesee Country Village & Museum

We hope to see you often in the 2011 season!

19th Century Origins of Our Modern Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

Today's post is a guest post by Charles LeCount, Senior Director of Programs and Collections at the Genesee Country Village & Museum

19th-Century Origins of Our Modern Day Thanksgiving

The story, or myth (depending upon who you talk to) of the First Thanksgiving is well know to most. And many of us are aware that other locations than Plymouth, Massachusetts have valid claims to actually hosting the first “thanksgiving” in North America. However, once we get beyond the “origination” stories, few of us are familiar with how the holiday actually gained accepted into the pantheon of American holidays. And many of us are unaware that much of the "customization" of the holiday into the celebration that we know today, took place in the 19th century.

America in the early 19^th century was a country with little history and virtually no shared customs. Divisions were everywhere. Americans saw themselves first as a Virginian or a New Yorker, or as a New Englander, Westerner or Southerner before they considered themselves American. The country was full of immigrants from Ireland, Germany and England. Foreign languages, accents and strange regional and ethnic customs localized Americans. Americans were divided by politics. Democrats favored little government; whereas the more conservative Whigs wanted more. They were divided over the questions of slavery, western expansion and the place of religion in the community and in government. Politically, the states guarded their rights and powers jealously. So inherently localized were Americans that most referred to the country in the plural sense, as in “these United States” as opposed to “the United States”.

The infancy and parochial nature of early 19^th century America was also reflected in the fact that the country had few common holidays: civic, cultural or religious. Aside from Independence Day (July 4^th) and Washington’s Birthday (February 22), there were no civic holidays universally regarded or celebrated among Americans. And arguably these days were not celebrated by the country’s many enslaved African Americans or its Indian inhabitants. And while the country had already engaged in several wars, no Memorial Day or Veterans Day yet existed. And there was no Labor Day or Martin Luther King Day either.

New Years Day was recognized by many people but it was hardly celebrated as we think of it today. Folk cultural holidays abounded among the nation’s many ethnic groups but most had limited appeal. How many of us still celebrate Guy Fawkes Day or Fast Day for example though they had their followings in early America? And forget about Halloween. While originally a pagan observance taken over by the Catholic Church it’s a largely a modern holiday with few roots in early America.

Religious based holidays in early 19^th century America were even more rare. As the United States was a largely Protestant nation, the many Catholic saints or holy days (including Easter) were ignored by the masses. To Protestant Americans, who believed the word of the Bible, only Sunday—the Sabbath, need be observed. Thus, while Christmas was recognized by some Americans, those who did observe it mostly celebrated the day through a potpourri of secular or folk customs. In fact Christmas was often a rowdy, street festival in many cities.

Many Americans were happy with this. Government pretty much stayed out of the holiday making business and no governmentally supported church mandated observances. True, Presidents Washington, Adams and Madison (Jefferson did not) declared days of Thanksgiving during their presidencies. But the days differed from year to year and were not declared annually.

Other Americans lamented the country’s lack of unifying holidays. They felt the nation needed holidays that were morally edifying as opposed to rowdy public festivals that often got out of hand. They wanted holidays that would focus on the family and home. Sarah Hale, the New England-bred editor of Gody’s, was a tireless promoter of Thanksgiving as a holiday to satisfy this need. For her, the holiday would promote a happy, loving Christian oasis at home: “…when the noise and tumult of worldliness may be exchanged for the laughter of happy children, the glad greetings of family reunion, and the humble gratitude of Christian heart.” Hale observed that America had only “two national holidays, Washington’s birthday, and Independence day” and that they were set by circumstances in mid-summer and mid-winter. What the country needed was a “third festival, hallowed by custom or by statue, for autumn….” She recommended the last Thursday of November as a day “best suited when the people…might sit down together…and enjoy in national union their feast of gladness, rendering thanks to Almighty God for the blessings of the year.” She didn’t mention honoring the Pilgrims.

Despite Hale’s and others efforts, early political attempts to make Thanksgiving a national holiday failed. In a country deeply divided by regional and political interests, Thanksgiving was too “Yankee”, too New England to be accepted by others outside the tiny region. A Pennsylvania newspaper editor ridiculed Thanksgiving as “Yankee importations which had no real reason for existing on Pennsylvania soil.” For many, the holiday smacked of Puritanism and for others it illustrated the self-importance of New Englanders and their political power. If Congress declared what had heretofore been a regional holiday a national one, what next?

Declaring what seemed to be a religious observance a national holiday also struck many as unconstitutional. A South Carolina congressman objected to making Thanksgiving a national holiday as it was a “religious matter” and not “the business of Congress.” Even some New Englanders were uncomfortable with the government getting involved. “The appointment…of a thanksgiving by a civil officer, is strictly a union of Church and State,” wrote abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison in 1835.


One of GCV's Bronze Sculptures

Some folks discomfort with elevating the holiday to national levels for morality’s sake stemmed from the primary mode of celebrating the day—eating. For a day that was supposed to promote praise and thanksgiving to the Almighty to be spent on gluttony was bothersome. Ironically though, the focus on eating probably made the acceptance of the holiday more acceptable to those outside of New England.

Our own New York was one of the leaders in recognizing Thanksgiving governmentally. The governor of New York in 1817 declared it a holiday and in 1830 the state sanctioned it officially. By the 1840s many northern states had declared thanksgiving holidays of their own. Texas was the first Southern state to declare Thanksgiving a holiday in 1848. By the Civil War five southern states, and most northern states and all the western territories had done so.

Charles Francis Adams, the grandson of President John Adams, wrote that the holiday was “gradually making its way as a festival into States which have but a very small infusion of the Puritans, and setting up a sort of independent existence against its more ancient form.”

Of course it would have to wait till 1863 for President Abraham Lincoln to set the holiday on the fourth Thursday of November each year and to make it a national holiday.

Yuletide in The Country-Our Premier Holiday Event!

2010-11-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

It's time to start thinking about your holiday plans! Join us this year for one of our merriest events of the season, our Yuletide In the Country celebration which runs Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, December 3-5, 10-12 & 17-19. This is the event that everyone waits all year for and it usually sells out early!

The historic village will be all aglow with festively decorated homes for its traditional Yuletide in the Country the first three weekends in December.

Enjoy reenactments of Yuletides past in each building on the tour; sing along to joyful holiday songs; delight in merry instrumental music; catch the lingering aroma of wood smoke in the crisp, sparkling air; savor a refreshing drink and perhaps step to a lively tune, all the while discovering a little about the roots of our many favorite Christmas customs.

Again this year is the special historic village Gingerbread House Competition that will be on display in the Meeting Center lounge. All of the houses in the competition are modled after village buildings!

Tours last approximately 1½ hours and cost: adults $22/$18 members; youth $15/$12 members, and run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 3-5, 10-12 and 17-19.

Tour-goers will delight in a new style light buffet supper. It features festive savory dishes, plus a sumptuous spread of mouth-watering desserts, cakes and sweet delights created to satisfy the most demanding sweet tooth.

Cost for the buffet is just $15 adults/ $10 youth ages 4-10. Children 3 and under are free. Reservations required for tour. Call (585) 538-6822 or purchase tickets online!

If you are part of a large group (10 or more) please call (585) 538-6822 for a special discount.

And if you're looking for that special gift for the holidays, stop in the Genesee Country Gift Shop, open 10 a.m.- 10 p.m. each day during Yuletide.

REFUNDS: Since the severity of weather conditions varies from place to place, ticket sales are non-refundable unless the authorities close the roads or the museum cancels the program based on conditions on-site. Please check our website for severe weather updates.

Crafts at Christmas Event This Weekend at Genesee Country Village & Museum

2010-11-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

Want to kick off your holiday season 19th-Century style? Join us this weekend for our Crafts at Christmas Program.

On Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 13 and 14, families may create any—or all—of a half dozen different 19th-century crafts, turning tin, fabric, paper, even cinnamon sticks into unique holiday ornaments. Kids will delight in discovering the history of the craft from a museum artisan while they work.

This year's selection includes the perennial favorite tin-punched ornament—choose from any of a dozen different designs—along with a tea cup quilt, peanuts on a string, apple-and-spice sachet, glorious paper roses and some fun cinnamon stick snowmen and Santas.

The weekend program is a family affair, with crafts for adults and children of all skills. Each craft is $4. A combination ticket for all six crafts is $20. The event runs 10 a.m.-3 p.m. each day in the museum's Meeting Center dining room.

Pre-registration is not necessary, but appreciated. Call (585) 538-6822 or click the button below to purchase tickets online!

The Potter's Fire-Featuring Master Potter Mark Presher

2010-11-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Have you seen The Potter's Fire, the documentaty featuring Genesee Country Village & Museum Master Potter Mark Presher?

This well-done DVD tells the story of salt-glazed pottery in the 19th Century and how it is currently made on site at the Genesee Country Village & Museum. From hand-throwing to wood-firing the pieces Mark produces are as close to 19th-century pottery as can be.

Click below for a short clip!

You can purchase the full documentary on our website.

Genesee Country Village & Museum Online Store is Up & Running for The Holidays!

2010-10-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the holidays, the Genesee Country Village & Museum is proud and excited to announce that once again, all of our specialty pottery is avaliable in our online store and is able to be shipped to your home!

Used throughout the village, our Salt Glazed Stoneware, Redware and Albany slip Pottery are all entirely handmade in the village by Master Potter Mark Presher. Each piece is hand throw on the potter's wheel, each handle, hand shaped. Mark does not use molds in any way and his pieces have a sincerity and authenticity not found elsewhere.

The styles and designs he produces are based on historic research of 19th century potteries in this area. The Salt glazed stoneware is fired in our wood fired kiln, the only wood-fired kiln in a Museum in the country. That, combined with their historical accuracy, means that the pieces produced in the village are as close to 19th century pottery as can be. Mark's craftsmanship is unmatched. If you've been to the village, you've see his work in almost all of the village buildings and of course, in each village kitchen!

This is a great way to bring a little of the authenticity of the museum into your home and any of the pieces in our shop would be a fine gift for the museum lover on your list!

We also have artisan products from our Tinsmiths and broom makers online. And starting next week, we'll have The Official Fat Ox Ale Glassware and Stoneware Mugs! Over the next few weeks we'll have more children's items, books and replicas of our village made by The Cat's Meow!

All orders ship within 3 business days!

And, as always, all of these pieces in our online store are also avaliable for sale in our gift shop!

Mark is showcased in the documentary, The Potters Fire, also avaliable online.

Filling The Root Cellar Fall 2010

2010-10-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

This past Monday, our Pioneers filled their root cellar with vegetables to store until spring. We could hardly believe that it was time already, as it seems like they just opened it, opening weekend of the season this past May.

The Cellar.

Our cellar has evolved over time from just a hole in the ground, to the current design which includes framed in sides and a french drain.

It's fairly deep.

Crating the vegetables for the winter.
We keep our vegetables in separate crates and insulate them with straw.

This year's store includes giant turnips, potatoes & carrots.
All of these vegetables were grown at the museum this season.

Packing the cellar with the crates of vegetables.

After the crates are in, the entire cellar is stuffed with straw for insulation.

All the way to the top!

A heavy tight fitting cover is put on top of it.
Notice how the cellar is slanted to let water run easily off of it.

And our vegetables are snug until spring!

Spirits Of The Past Tour: A Spooky Evening of 19th Century Superstition and Local Lore

2010-10-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

Looking for a new twist on the same old Halloween tour?

On Oct. 15-16, Oct. 22-23 and Oct. 29-30, We'll be will host an all-new Spirits of the Past Tour.

Unlike typical seasonal tours, this one has an historic component and uses the19th-century historic village as its canvas, to explore local legends and 19th-century superstitions. It is a truly unique experience.

Picture the scene. It’s dark, long past sunset. There’s something disquieting in the air. The old buildings, even the trees, their dry leaves rustling, seem to be whispering dark, sinister secrets. Stories of unnatural happenings, even a scalping, abound. The poor woman who would give anything, ANYTHING, to get her wish. And here, body parts. Could that be murder?

Our region is awash in tales of wandering spirits, murder and the unexplained. Can these tales be true? Or are they just legends?

Guides, whose garments are reminiscent of the fearsome Dementors, will lead guests through the darker recesses of the village to discover these seldom-told tales. From cellars to cupolas, no quarter that offers a forbidding venue for these true tales and folklore is ignored. Some of the buildings themselves have a dark history, and eerie happenings still occur there, if you listen to those who frequent the buildings.

Tours depart every 10 minutes each night between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Cost is $12/$10 members. Reservations are required. Call (585) 538-6822.

The program is not recommended for children under 12 because of the adult themes involved. With the uneven walk areas and sometimes steep stairways, walking shoes are a must!

Tickets are available at the museum’s gift shop, by phone: 585-538-6822. Reservations are required.

The Greene Collection-Men's Coats

2010-10-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

This week, or selections from the Greene Collection features men's clothing for the first time.

It's important to note that one of the reasons that the collection is so important is because it includes a wide variety of mens clothing items from the 19th century. Typically, mens clothes are harder to find than women's, with work clothing, being particularly scarce. We'll highlight some typical work clothing in the near future.

Today, however, we are focusing on some beautiful men's coats.

Our first piece is from 1845-1855 and is made of a fine black broadcloth. It is double-breasted, has very wide notched lapels and is entirely hand stitched. The skirt and side back are lined with greenish wool or mohair brocade. The front and sides are padded and there are no pockets except for 2 hidden in the back. The buttons are cut velvet covered and the sleeve vents have 3 small satin covered buttons,, underarm seam.

Our second coat, from 1820-1825 is entirely hand stitched in a blue/white diamond twill check cotton. It is double breasted with a fairly narrow high-standing collar. There are 4 buttons on each side, round tails with self buttons at each side. It has pockets toward back. It has a relatively wide back and long, narrow sleeves with slight fullness near top. It also has a deep faux cuff with two small self buttons.

This coat, cuts a particularly fine silhouette for a gentleman.

Agricultural Fair & Antique Show This Weekend!

2010-09-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Agricultural Society Exhibition & Fair Oct. 2-3 is an authentic,19th-century country fair with something for everyone.

Youth compete in 60 different aged categories, from penmanship and pottery to photography and pumpkin pie.

Among the competitions are those for the largest pumpkin, one for weight and a second for size. The competitions are open to museum members and the public alike, and most have both 19th-century and 21st-century categories.

Eye-catching 19th-century vegetables, many of them unfamiliar to modern gardeners, will also be found in a special vegetable and floral tent.

Prize-winning sheep, oxen, cows, horses and goats will be on display, in addition to a poultry show, sponsored by the Rochester Poultry Assn.

The popular produce tent features specialty vendors offering smoked meats, cheeses, baked goods, maple products, spices, honey, cider, apples and other specialty items.

There will also be live entertainment, including 19th-century musicians , a 2 p.m. Sunday Festival of Favorites concert by the Harmonics in Brooks Grove Church and Punch & Judy and magic shows.

And, as was common at 19th-century fairs, museum vintage base ball teams will square off for the Mayor’s Cup Championship Trophy.

The consolation game will be played Saturday and the championship game on Sunday. Both games are played at Silver Base Ball Park, the first replica 1800s base ball park in the nation

ALSO FEATURED THIS YEAR…the museum’s 12th Annual Antique Show & Sale with 30 select dealers from across the Mid-Atlantic region to show and sell their exceptional antiques. Furniture, paintings, books, jewelry, porcelain and glassware should be plentiful all weekend. (Antique-Show-Only admission: $5)

Friendly Creatures of The Night & Dummy Hoy Classic This Weekend!

2010-09-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Looking for something to do this weekend? We've got things for everyone!

Friendly Creatures Of The Night

Friday & Saturday, September 24-25 6-9 p.m.

Bring the whole family for this guided woodland tour to meet some talking nocturnal “animals” as they dispel some of the myths and misperceptions surrounding them.
Enjoy storytelling around the campfire, children’s activities, refreshments and more. Registration and payment must be received in advance.
Fee: adults $8/$6 members; youth (4-16) $6/$4 members; children 3 and younger free. Call for reservations.

Dummy Hoy Classic

Saturday September 25, 2010

William “Dummy” Hoy, a deaf player who began his professional base ball career in 1886, is largely credited with creating hand signs—including “strike,” “ball”, “safe” and “out”—still used by umpires in the game today.

The William "Dummy" Hoy Classic on Saturday, Sept. 25, honors Hoy as the first deaf player in Major League Baseball with two vintage games at the museum’s Silver Base Ball Park, featuring all-deaf teams, and a special history presentation.

A five-inning women’s game will be played at 11 a.m.; the men’s game will start at 2:30 p.m. The men will play at least seven innings. All teams will be outfitted in 19th-century uniforms and play according to 1864 rules.

The history presentation will follow the women’s game at 1 p.m. and will focus on the technology of 19th-century clothing.

The event is sponsored by the Rochester Recreation Club for the Deaf and is part of Deaf Awareness Week Sept. 19-25.

Meet Tom & Mike

2010-09-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

If you've been to the museum before, you've probably met (or have at least seen!) our oxen, Tom & Mike. Since they are a fixture around the village and we get a lot of questions, we thought we would tell you a little more about them!

What are oxen?

Oxen (plural of ox) are cattle trained as draft animals. Often they are adult, castrated males. Usually an ox is more than four years old because it takes that long for them to learn their jobs and to grow to full size.

The museum currently has one pair of oxen. Tom and Mike are Ayrshires. The Ayrshire is a medium-sized animal frequently seen in New England and easily recognized by its long horns. This breed tends to be a little more active than many of the other breeds. Ayrshires carry a little more flesh and muscle than other dairy breeds, and their size makes them a good choice as an all-around farm or woods team. A mature Ayrshire ox weighs about 2,000 pounds. The average life expectancy is 20 years. Tom and Mike were born in the spring of 2003 and are from the same herd.

An ox is not a unique breed of bovine. An ox is simply a mature bovine with a four-year education. The animals learn to respond to their names and to obey commands, both individually and as a team. At Genesee Country Village & Museum, the driver uses the following commands:

Hitch up- stand in place to get yoked

Step up- move forward

Go gee- turn to the right

Come haw- turn to the left

Step gee side- step to the right

Step haw side- step to the left

Back -step backward

Step in-move closer to each other

Step out- move away from each other

Stand -stand still

Whoa -stop

Oxen are most often used in teams of two. At the museum, Tom and Mike are a team. They are always hitched in the same order, and the driver always walks on the left side. According to their driver, Tom is the “near ox” on the left, and Mike is the “off ox” on the right.

Oxen must be trained from a young age. Their driver must make or buy as many as a dozen yokes of different sizes as the animals grow. A wooden yoke is fastened about the neck of each pair so that the force of draft is distributed across their shoulders. Oxen must have horns because the horns hold the yoke in place when the oxen lower their heads, back up, or slow down.

Oxen can pull harder and longer than horses. Although they are not as fast as horses, they are less prone to injury because they are more sure-footed and do not try to jerk the load. Many people throughout the world use oxen today, and they are quite common in developing nations. Recently at the museum, we had our team hauling large logs for use in the village.

Oxen can be proud of their contributions to the history of the United States. They pulled out tree stumps to clear land, moved covered wagons across the prairies, and hauled cannons in battle.

Bovine Vocabulary

Bull: A bovine male, usually denoting animals past puberty.

Bullock: A young bull, typically younger than 20 months of age.

Calf: A young male or female bovine animal younger than 1 year of age.

Dairy Steer: A neutered male of any of the dairy cattle breeds. The "dairy steers" are raised for meat production and usually managed like beef cattle.

Dam: A mother or female parent in a pedigree.

Heifer: A bovine female younger than three years of age that has not borne a calf. Young cows that have had their first calves are often called first-calf heifers.

Herd: A group of animals (especially cattle), collectively considered as a unit.

Polled: A breed that naturally does not grow horns. Cattle can damage each other with their horns.

Registered Cow (Purebred): A cow that has a pedigree and is registered in the herdbook of a breed association. Today, the six major dairy breeds are the Holstein, Jersey, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey and Milking Shorthorn. Major beef breeds are the Angus (Black and Red), Charolais, Hereford (Horned and Polled), Limousin, and Simmental.

Steer: A male bovine that has been castrated (testicles removed) prior to puberty.

What about All of Those Brightly Painted Things in the Village

2010-09-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

Recently we were sent a blog comment that went something like:

“What’s with the ugly bright painted items out there”

And because the answer is long, and actually pretty interesting, we thought it would make a great blog post for our readers rather than to just bury the answer in our comments section.

So what is with the brightly painted furniture out there?

Our mission being that we are a Living History Museum, is to immerse you in the time-period. And this demands as much accuracy as we can muster.

Those bright colors that you have seen in some of the building this season are, in fact, accurate for the time periods that they represent. Just like the painting of Foster-Tufts this year as well as the bright green shutters you may have seen making their way into the village square, these colors are based in reality and have been chosen for the village via our historic paint expert as well from what we know about furniture styles and finishes of the time period.

Please be aware that we evaluated the museum's furniture collection prior to this project and some of the "antiques" on exhibit, were found to be marriages of styles, old reproductions and probably outright frauds. Rather than just discard these pieces, it gave us the perfect opportunity to use the pieces in a more meaningful way to tell an accurate story of 19^th Century life.

Another reason for painting the objects, beyond the historical accuracy of it, is the clear indication it gives you that these items are for use and not on exhibit. This means you can touch them, sit on them and pretty much participate in some of the buildings in a way that was not possible before.

It is not our intent to change all buildings or spaces in this manner, just in places where it makes sense.

Sometimes styles popular in bygone eras don't do much for our 21st century tastes and sensibilities. Whether it’s the bright and exuberant “fancy” styles popular between 1800 and 1850 or the taste for plaids, avocado green and plush carpet of the 1970s there is no arguing that people’s tastes change. And it’s our job as an educational institution to be as faithful to those tastes as possible whether or not we like them personally. Otherwise, we are simply decorating to our taste. If you find that the pieces are difficult to get used to in a place you love, try and think of them as reminders of the days when work and life were often harsher and people did what they could to "brighten" up their surroundings with up cheerfully painted objects, bright walls, colorful carpets and floor cloths, as well as fanciful carpet and wallpaper designs.

New At The Foster-Tufts House, Our Final Stages of Life Exhibit

2010-09-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

This past week we've completed the final installation in our stages of life exhibit at the Foster-Tufts house this year.

Our last exhibit focuses on death and depicts an 1830's country rural mourning scene. This is direct in contrast to the high mourning of the Victorian era that is often depicted at the museum.

In the exhibit, set in the home’s dining room, you’ll find coffin draped with black cloths and bundles of herbs as well as covered mirrors, mourning pictures and a table set for visitors coming to pay their respects to the family.

You can engage in conversation about the signifigance of the shape of the coffin, herbs used and 19th century burial techniques. Our interpreters know why the mirrors are covered and can contrast this scene with other aspects of mourning that can be seen around the village. This is the first time we've done this exhibit and are excited to share it with you.

We hope that you've had the chance to visit all three installations at Foster-Tufts this season and hope you found them interesting and informative!

5 Fun Facts About The Museum Featured on gozaic.com!

2010-09-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the nice piece gozaic.com did on the museum for it's 5 Fun Facts Series!

5 Fun Facts From Genesee Country Village & Museum

A Letter From Our President & CEO Peter Arnold, in regard to our Fireworks Extravaganza

2010-09-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

We deeply apologize for the disappointment and inconvenience caused by the equipment failure at last night’s Fireworks Extravaganza.

As explained by the representative from Young Explosives, the malfunction made it impossible to detonate the fireworks using their computerized system. The part that failed simply could not be repaired or replaced in time for the show and it was far too dangerous to fire the big shells manually.

This was especially disappointing since, as you are all too well aware, we rescheduled from Saturday because high winds exceeded the safety parameters for launching fireworks.

In order to rectify the situation, museum staff is currently working on a solution that will equitably compensate all ticket holders for their loss. Letters will be going out September 9 to all guests who attended the event, outlining what options are avaliable to them.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding and please accept our most sincere apologies

Peter Arnold

President & CEO

Genesee Country Village & Museum

FAQ's

Here are answers to some of the questions you may have regarding this event.

Frequently asked Questions:

1. What happened with the fireworks show? Why was it cancelled?

Our unique fireworks program is synchronized with music and narration and therefore completely computerized. The firing mechanism used in conjunction with the computer system failed shortly before the show was to begin making it impossible to ignite the fireworks program. The equipment failure could not be repaired or replaced in time for the show.

Although the set pieces could be safely fired manually, the aerial and ground level fireworks were too dangerous to be fired individually by the fireworks personnel.

2. Why didn’t Young Explosives have a backup?

It’s a good question and we don’t have the answer at this time – it will be one of the issues we discuss with them in the coming days.

3. How will the Museum rectify the situation?

In order to rectify the situation, museum staff is currently working on a solution that will equitably compensate all ticket holders for their loss. It will include a refund option as well as some other options.

4. When will the decision be made?

We will reach a decision in this regard, and subsequently be in touch with everyone, by Wednesday (9/8/10). Please watch our web-site, but feel free to contact us as well.

5. What if I bought my tickets the night of the show with a credit card? Will I be charged?

No, we will not process your credit card.

6. What if I bought my tickets at Wegmans?

Each person will be compensated regardless of how the ticket was purchased. If you purchased your tickets from Wegmans please call the Museum directly at (585) 538-6822.

7. Will the Fireworks Extravaganza be rescheduled?

Due to the Museum’s schedule and the unpredictable weather conditions during this time of year, the show will not be rescheduled in 2010.

8. Will the Fireworks Extravaganza be held next year?

The Museum plans to hold the Fireworks Extravaganza again in 2011.

Important Date Change For Fireworks Extravaganza/Beatlemagic Show

2010-09-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

Please Note, the date of our Fireworks Extravaganza/ Beatlemagic Show has been changed from Saturday September 4 to Monday September 6 because of weather and saftey considerations. All previously purchased tickets will be honored.

Because of the forecasted rain, cold, wind and saftey considerations, our Fireworks Extravaganza/Beatlemagic Show has been changed from Saturday September 4th to Monday September 6th. This will insure that we are able to put the show on as well as provide the most comfortable, safest and enjoyable experience for our guest!

All of the things we have scheduled for this special event, including Beatlemagic, food and drink vendors and 19th century crafts and games will take place on Monday the 6th as well!

You will be able to make reservations for this event through Sunday Septermber 5th . Tickets will be avaliable at the door on Monday, however, reservations are still encouraged for this event as it is one of our biggest and most popular events.

Tickets are also avaliable online until Monday morning.

The Greene Collection-A Child's Dress

2010-08-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Hello all! This blogger is back from vacation with a child's dress from the Greene Collection. While you may imagine that this lovely piece is for a young girl, you would be wrong! The actual dress is a little boy's dress, which was common at the time.

This dress is entirely hand stitched and made with a black and red spot pattern fabric. The bodice is gathered generously into the wide bound neckline which was intended to fit off the shoulder. The sleeves are short and flare slightly. The short skirt is gathered at the waistband and there is a drawstring in the back. There are 2 china hobnail buttons on waistband in back, and 4 more on bodice. Thes sleeves are edged with a dense, white hand made lace.

It came with an attached penciled note that reads: “Dress worn by Wm J. Dyer born Feb 16th -1850 June 1910”
and is from the family of Elisha Dyer, b 1811. Married Anna Jones Hoppin in 1833 and was the Governor of RI 1857-1859. His son Elisha Jr. was also the governor of RI from 1897-1900. Elisha Jr.'s son, William Jones Dyer b 1850 (original owner of the dress) married Lillian Pitman Greene. Their daughter, Anna Jones Dyer wrote some of the notes that accompanied the piece when it was aquired by the museum.

And We Have a Winner!

2010-08-31T17:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Sandra Stahlman our winner for this month's Fireworks giveaway! Sandra will receive 2 complimentary tickets and a parking pass to our Fireworks Extravaganza and Beatle Magic concert this Saturday, September 4th!

Sandra we will contact you by email but you can also contact us at blog@gcv.org

Didn't win tickets and still want to attend? You can purchase tickets online, at the box office, or at Wegmans.

Fireworks Extravaganza Giveaway

2010-08-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

For the rest of August we are hosting an end of the Summer Giveaway! We are giving away 2 Free Tickets (and a parking pass) to our Fireworks Extravaganza, September 4, 2010!

If you haven't been to our fireworks before then you've never seen fireworks like this. Only one of two of it's kind in the entire country the show features brilliant ground displays as well as aerial fireworks, all set to dramatic music and inspiring narration.

This year’s annual theme “Let’s Play Ball! American Sports History,” which will showcase the history of nine of America’s sports.

Set pieces are large pictures displayed by fireworks. The aerial fireworks and set pieces are all controlled and fired electronically by Young Explosives using state-of-the-art computer technology. This gives the spectator the utmost quality fireworks show as opposed to shows that are manually fired. This is a visual experience not to be missed!

Prior to the start of the show, there will be music, face painting, 19th-century games and crafts, plus festival food and drink stations with hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, fried dough, cotton candy, popcorn and Abbott’s ice cream available for purchase.

This year, for the first time ever in this area, Beatle Magic, a fantastic Beatles tribute band will play at 5:30 p.m. before the fireworks. Boasting the high visibility of strong vocals, music and a commitment to the accurate reproduction of the Beatles, this is the band to see if you want to know what it might have been like had the Beatles toured today!

You can enter between August 17-31 2010 at 9am EDT. The winner will be announced August 31st.

There are THREE ways you can enter. You can do 1 or all 3. Doing all 3 will get you three entries! Open to adults over 18.

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Old-Time Fiddlers' Fair-This Weekend!

2010-08-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

If you love fiddle music, then rosin up your bow and head out to the museum this weekend for our Old Time Fiddler's Fair featuring hundreds of musicians on three stages with non-stop entertainment. Music will flow continuously with performances from more than 100 musicians, drawn from around the state and ranging from polished professional to the youngest beginner. Plan to join us once again at…

STAGE #1 The Rising Generation Stage ~ hosted by Fiddlesticks

This venue offers two full days of performance opportunities for our younger and/or newer fiddlers. Noted teacher Carol Monaco will again serve as Mistress of Ceremonies while her band, Fiddlesticks, provides back-up music for the performers. Stage #1 will offer a supportive environment for students, new performers and fiddlers who seek to enhance their skills. We will also be offering some special “Meet the Fiddler” presentations that will teach more about the fiddling tradition in New York State.

STAGE #2 The Exhibition Hall ~ hosted by Fiddlers of the Genesee

The museum’s spacious Exhibition Hall will again be the setting for expanded performances by fiddler- or dulcimer-oriented music clubs and bands. The Fiddlers of the Genesee will host two full days of music and fun.

STAGE #3 The Main Stage ~ hosted by The Flint Hill Folk Our traditional open stage is for fiddlers ages 12 and over and their accompanists. Noted regional fiddlers will kick-off each hour while, as always, other performance times are scheduled on a first-come-first-served basis.

Special Features of the Fiddlers’ Fair include

o The Fox Den will host a pick-in parlor in the Freight House both days of the fair as a place to perform and hear more country style songs and instrumentals

o Friday Night Jam Session on the Freight House deck from 7pm to 9pm

o Gospel Hour on Sunday morning from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Main Stage

o Square Dancing featured each afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at the Main Stage

o Hammered Dulcimer performances and play-along hosted by Mitzie Collins and Striking Strings both days of the fair

o Various jamming areas will be available around campus

o concert by the Genesee Harmonic Society Sunday at 2 p.m.

FREE ADMISSION FOR PERFORMERS

All fiddlers and their accompanists are admitted for FREE to this event. Please have your instrument IN HAND at the admissions gate in order to receive your pass for the day (pianists may simply identify themselves). Please accept the free admission only if you plan (or have already been booked) to play on one of the stages. All fiddlers under the age of 18 are entitled to free admission for themselves and one parent or guardian.

PERFORMERS: BOOKING YOUR TIME SLOT

Fiddlers can sign up for performance times on Stage 1 and Stage 3 at each stage on the day of the event. Some time slots are reserved for key regional performers and presentations of traditional artists. If your group is interested in performing on Stage 2, of if you would like to discuss pre-scheduling a performance on another stage, please contact the Special Events Department at (585) 538-6822 or mneth@gcv.org.

The Old-Time Fiddlers' Fair is made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

You Can Live Like a Pioneer & Local Bloggers Write About The Museum

2010-08-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

Our Laura Ingalls Wilder Days event was a big a hit. We had families enjoying pioneer life all over the village this past weekend!

Did you know that you can come and live like pioneers at the museum for an entire weekend? You'll live in the Pioneer Homestead, (this includes sleeping!) make your meals over an open hearth, tend to the animals, haul your own water, pick your own vegetables and experience life like a 19th century pioneer, complete with period costume. If you've seen the PBS show, Frontier House, you'll be doing something similar (hopefully without all of the drama!)

Check out this blog post by a family who took part in our Pioneer House Program!

For more information on the Pioneer House you can click here. For an application, you can click here.

Local Folks Enjoying The Museum!

For more blog posts featuring the museum, check out the links below!

Scott Pitoniak talks about our Vintage Baseball League-Note, even though he references the tournament this past weekend, we have ball games going in through the end of the season!

A local family talks about their recent visit to the museum!

Another local blogger whose daughter volunteers at the museum wrote posts about our Civil War Reenactment & Meeting Dean Butler!

National Silver Ball Tournament This Weekend!

2010-08-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend, along with our Laura Ingalls Wilder event we are also hosting the National Silver Ball Tournament. All players play by vintage 1865 rules and wear period uniforms. It's baseball like you've never seen it before! We also have the first replica 1860's ball field in the nation!! The cost of tickets covers both the Laura Ingalls Wilder event as well as the Silver Ball Tournament! This will really be a weekend that your whole family will enjoy!

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, August 6-8

Teams from across the East, Northeast, Midwest and Canada clash during this eighth annual National Silver Ball Tournament, featuring 23 vintage base ball games over three days.The matches will be played round robin style on three fields, including the museum’s Silver Base Ball Park — the first replica 1800s base ball park in the nation.

All teams play according to 1865 rules.

In addition, the museum's own Brooks Grove Belles and Miss Porter's Ladies Base Ball Club will play an exhibition game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The game will be played on the Great Meadow.

Beginning Friday at 3:30 p.m., the teams will play continuously, with the championship game at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Games begin on Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m.

The teams scheduled to appear include:

Brooks Grove Belles, Mumford, NY

Cleveland Blues BBC, Cleveland, Ohio

Flemington Neshanock BBC, Flemington, NJ

Flower City BBC, Mumford, NY

Kent BBC, Grand Rapids, MI

Knickerbockers BBC, Mumford, NY

Live Oak BBC, Mumford, NY

Meddowe BBC, Springfield, MA

Melrose Pondfeilders BBC, Melrose, MA

Miss Porter’s Ladies BBC, Mumford, NY

Rochesters BBC, Mumford, NY

Talbot Fair Play BBC, Talbot, MD

Woodstock Actives BBC, Woodstock, Ontario

All games are free with museum admission.

Major Event Admission rates: $16 adult; $10 youths 4-16, $13 seniors 62+ or students with ID, children under 3 admitted free.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Days Program Schedule

2010-08-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Just today I received a request for the speaking schedule for Dean Butler and William Anderson for this weekend's Laura Ingalls Wilder event! Here it is! At the bottom I have also attached a link to the activity schedule for both days as well!

Laura Ingalls Wilder Days
Program Schedule

Saturday August 7, 2010

9 a.m. Museum Opens
10 a.m. William Anderson Book Signing, author of Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura Ingalls
Wilder (Romulus Female Seminary)
11 a.m. Dean Butler Presentation, actor who portrayed Almanzo Wilder (Laura’s husband) on
the TV Show Little House on the Prairie (Village Square)
Noon William Anderson Presentation (Brooks Grove Church)
Noon–12:30p.m. Children’s Fashion Promenade – Join in the fun and show off your prairie outfit! “Best
costume” awards for the portrayals of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Almanzo Wilder and
Miscellaneous Ensemble (including Laura’s sisters). (Village Square)
1 p.m. Dean Butler Book Signing (Village Square) – limited to 100 autographs ($5/$10 charge
per autograph to help cover Butler’s appearance fee.)
2 p.m. William Anderson Book Signing author of Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura Ingalls
Wilder (Romulus Female Seminary)
3 p.m. Dean Butler Presentation (Village Square)
4 p.m. Dean Butler Book Signing (Village Square) – unlimited autograph session ($5/$10
charge per autograph to help cover Butler’s appearance fee.)

Sunday August 8, 2010

9 a.m. Museum Opens
10 a.m. William Anderson Book Signing, author of Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura Ingalls
Wilder” (Romulus Female Seminary)
11 a.m. Dean Butler Presentation, actor who portrayed Almanzo Wilder (Laura’s husband) on
the TV Show Little House on the Prairie (Village Square)
Noon William Anderson Presentation (Brooks Grove Church)
Noon–12:30p.m. Children’s Fashion Promenade – Join in the fun and show off your prairie outfit! “Best
costume” awards for the portrayals of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Almanzo Wilder, and
Miscellaneous Ensemble (including Laura’s sisters). (Village Square)
1 p.m. Dean Butler Book Signing (Village Square) – limited to 100 autographs ($5/$10 charge
per autograph to help cover Butler’s appearance fee.)
2 p.m. Book Signing with William Anderson, author of Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura
Ingalls Wilder (Romulus Female Seminary)
3 p.m. Dean Butler Presentation (Village Square)
4 p.m. Dean Butler Book Signing (Village Square) – unlimited autograph session ($5/$10
charge per autograph to help cover Butler’s appearance fee.)

Activity Schedule!

Interview With Dean Butler, aka Almanzo Wilder

2010-08-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Dean Butler, the actor who played Almanzo Wilder, husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the TV show, Little House On The Prairie. Butler will be at the museum both Saturday & Sunday as part of our Laura Ingalls Wilder Days event. Since leaving Little House, he has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies. In addition to that, he has his own production company, Legacy Documentaries, where he has produced among other films, a documentary about the real Almanzo Wilder, entitled, Life Before Laura, which details Almanzo's younger years in Burke New York. He also has a documentary about Laura slated to be out by the end of this year.

Since this blogger grew up reading The Little House Books and watching the TV show, this interview was a real thrill for me and I hope you are excited about Dean's visit after reading the interview!

GCV Blogger: We know that you played Almanzo Wilder, the husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder on the TV Show Little House On The Prairie. However, you took it one step further, and made a documentary about the real Almanzo Wilder, and now another one about Laura herself. What was so compelling about them that moved you to do this?

Dean Butler: I choose to do the documentaries because I've always wanted to stay connected to Laura material. They are beautiful stories and as an actor I respond very much to visual media. It was a natural thing for me. The documentaries do not concern the TV show. The Almanzo documentary chronicles Farmer Boy, which, of course, was not shown in the TV series. The Laura documentary is really about her journey as a writer. I have found that people who loved the books and the series have a desire to see and learn more about Laura and Almanzo.

GCV Blogger: I think I just heard that Little House On The Prairie plays in 100 countries every day. Is that true?

Dean Butler: It actually plays in over 100 countries a day. The show has never been off the air since it premiered in 1974.

GCV Blogger: Why do you think the show has such staying power?

Dean Butler: Little House was never a hip thing. It was old when it was new but it had a sincerity factor that continues to resonate with people. It's not sophisticated but it was never meant to be. It's timeless & beautiful. I think that everyone who was involved in it is enormously grateful that we were a part of something like this. There is currently a little house musical which just finished it's first tour and will probably be back for a second season. People continue to respond to this material.

It is a highly romantic view of the American experience. Certainly the real experience was different and harsh and the Ingalls family did not have an easy time. But what Laura Ingalls Wilder was able to do was spin her families tragedies in a way that leaves you hopeful that tomorrow could be a better day. They never quit. Even at the moment that Pa shakes his first in the air in despair during The Long Winter, the moment passes and they find their way out of it. Today we have so much coming at us, that the the simplicity of that life, the grounding of it, makes you feel like it's going to be ok.

GCV Blogger: What can we expect from your presentation?

Dean Butler: I tend to be pretty free from with these. I'll probably talk for about 20-25 minutes about joining the series and then open it up for questions. Depending on the questions these things can be really intriguing, funny and even touching. Everyone usually ends up having a lot of fun.

GCV Blogger: What question would be the most interesting to ask you?

Dean Butler: People always ask about working with Michael Landon & Melissa Gilbert which is always interesting but an intriguing question would be the similarities between Michael Landon and Laura Ingalls. At first glance they may not seem very similar but they were both story tellers in their own right, and fearless and tenacious in their own ways.

GCV Blogger: Bill Anderson, Laura Ingalls Wilder historian will also be presenting. You've done a lot of events haven't you?

Dean Butler: Yes! Bill is a great contrast because he's seen maybe 3 Little House Episodes. So you get someone who can really talk about the show and someone who can really talk about the books.

GCV Blogger: Now I'm going to ask you my own LHOTP question! What was your favorite storyline that you go to play as Almanzo?

Dean Butler: Well there are 3 that really come to mind.

The first is a romantic one. The one that really gave us the Almanzo character. It's the Sweet 16 episode, which is based on These Happy Golden Years, where Laura becomes a school teacher and Almanzo starts to see her differently, and they fall in love. That episode was played multiple times the first season that it ran which is unheard of.

GCV Blogger: Well I think that's probably because not only did Almanzo see her differently, but we as viewers saw her differently as well.

Dean Butler: Exactly! Melissa even talks about this. It was a real evolution point for the series and a real turning point for her. It also really marked the beginning of Michael Landon's exit as an actor. When a show is about a father's love for his family, and the little girl grows up and falls in love, there is no more sitting in Pa's lap and telling him about school that day. There is no going back.

The next episode is Sunshine and Shadows which is really the book The First Four Years made into 2 episodes for TV. Laura and Almanzo did not have an easy time of it when they first married, and faced so many difficult things together. As an actor, it was great being able to play that out.

My third favorite episode has a comedic twist. It's called The Nephews and is about Royal, Amanzo's brother's boys coming to visit and they are just terrors. It was the kind of comedy that Michael was so good at writing. Those boys had Almanzo's number and there was a lot of upset and hi-jinks. It was really fun to play and watch!

Got your own questions for Dean Butler? Don't miss our Laura Ingalls Wilder Days this coming weekend where Dean will be speaking twice per day and providing ample time for your questions as well as signing autographs. You will also be able to purchase a copy of his Farmer Boy DVD, the trailer of which, you can see below.

And stayed tuned Little House fans because on Thursday I'll be sharing an interview with Laura Ingalls Scholar William Anderson!

A 9 Year Old Writes About Laura Ingalls Wilder Days

2010-08-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Olivia Mullins

Today's post is by guest blogger, 9 year old Olivia Mullins, who has been to both of our previous Laura Ingalls Wilder Days and is looking forward to attending this year! This is an awesome event that truly is something your children will remember for a long timer to come!

My favorite thing to do during summer vacation is go to Laura Ingalls Wilder Day at the Genesee Country Village & Museum! There are so many fun things to do there!

If you want to, you can come in a costume and enter in the Pageant. There are different categories. You can dress up as Laura, one of her sisters, Almanzo, or Nellie! Last year, my sister won First prize in the Sister category. She won as Carrie, and got a gift card to the museum gift shop.

My favorite part of Laura Day is going to make the crafts there and churn butter or wash clothes.

With "Ma Ingalls" Karen Grassle

Every year I enjoy meeting the character from the “Little House” show. First, it was Alison Angrim, then Karen Grassle, and now Dean Butler (I hope Mary comes next!). My sister and I have the Little House books, so we pick out the book that most suits the character and we ask them to sign the books.

My family and friends make an old fashioned lunch and we dress up. We go into the big field where people play old fashioned baseball and we sit down and eat our lunch. I help my family by telling someone what they should make, by listing it out of my Laura Books. We have brought cheese, bread, hard-boiled eggs, sugar cookies, corn muffins, and apples. Last year we brought delicious fried chicken!

Sister MacKenzie Washing Clothes

There are tons of things to do and there is something for everyone! I think Laura Ingalls Day is awesome because you get to go back in time and experience the things people did in the 1800's! I love history, and if you love history like I do, then you should go to Laura Ingalls Day at the Genesee Country Village! Maybe I'll see you there!

This year's Laura Ingalls Wilder Days will be held August 7th & 8th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets, are available at the museum’s gift shop, by phone: 585-538-6822, online, and at Wegmans

Admission: adults $16, youth (4-16) $10, seniors 62+ & students with ID $13, children under 3 admitted free.

You can also click on the link below to purchase tickets!

Dresses & Bonnetts-The Greene Collection

2010-07-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

In honor of our upcoming Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder event, we have decided to showcase some items from the Greene Collection that little girls from Laura's time period would have worn.

The first dress is a machine made pale blue cotton pinstripe from 1885. It has a princess-lined in front and is double breasted with large mother-of-peal buttons. It has a 2-piece belt around the back and sides where the skirt is pleated and is edged with white braid. It has elbow length sleeves with turnback cuffs and a small sailor collar that are each edged with white embroidered edging and white braid. It is for about an 8-year old sized child.

The second dress is a more fancy (Nellie Olsen anyone? ) girl’s dress from 1875-1876. It is a two piece princess dress of light blue and tan ‘ikat’ spot-printed silk taffeta. The top or bodice has 3/4 sleeves with ruched band above self-frilled end, finished with machine lace edging. It has a small collar and bodice hem edged with the same lace.

The skirt is made of two horizontal ruched rows of blue ribbon printed with chine roses, heading a frill of same blue silk as bodice. The bottom frill is box pleated. It is meant to be worn with hoops. This dress is from a private family with origins in Massachusetts.

Next we have a simple girl's sunbonnet from 1850-1880 It is a yellow cotton print with tiny yellow-orange sprigs on buff. It is entirely hand stitched and has a narrow hem on the 6” bavolet. The brim lining was brought around to finish the front edge. It has drawstring in rear casing. The crown is gathered at top and the brim is made of 2” sections filled with cardboard strips.

And finally, another girl's sunbonnet from 1865-1880. It is white cotton with tiny black sprig stripe. There are machine stitched rows in the brim, through a papery interlining. It has a long cape, narrow hand stitched hem, and is front edged with narrow hand stitched self frill. There is a bow on top back and the ties hand hemmed.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Days

2010-07-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

Join us August 7th and 8th as we host our third and what will be our best to date, Laura Ingalls Wilder Days.

Everyone will enjoy kneading bread, making soap and corn husk dolls or tin ornaments at this event designed for the whole family. You also can try your hand at two-man sawing and rail splitting, compete in sack and three-legged races or enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride, among many other activities.

Children are invited to dress as their favorite "Little House" character and join in a pioneer Fashion Promenade.

Included in the festivities will be Dean Butler, who portrayed “Almanzo Wilder,” Laura’s husband, on the popular television series “Little House on the Prairie.” Butler’s presentations will include Q&A and autograph sessions.

Also appearing for Q & A and autograph sessions will be William Anderson, well known historian, lecturer, Wilder biographer and author of more than a dozen books on Laura and her family, including Pioneer Girl, the biography Laura Ingalls Wilder, A Little House Sampler and The Story of the Wilders.

A special exhibit of more than 25 Laura Ingalls Wilder artifacts will be in the museum's Meeting Center on display for the public. Included are rare ambrotypes of Ma and Pa Ingalls, a book "Pa" Charles read to Laura and her sisters as children and a handwritten letter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. There will also be first editions of her books, signed illustrations by Little House illustrator Garth Williams and other Ingalls memorabilia.

Tickets, are available at the museum’s gift shop, by phone: 585-538-6822, online, and at Wegmans

Admission: adults $16, youth (4-16) $10, seniors 62+ & students with ID $13, children under 3 admitted free.

You can also click on the link below to purchase tickets!

MidsumerFest! This Weekend!

2010-07-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

And The Item is A.....

2010-07-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how they find cobblestones the same size to make a dwelling with?

They use a cobblestone gauge!

The measuring instrument can be found over at our Made to Measure Exhibit in the Davis Opera House.

The first person guessed correctly but everyone had some interesting answers. I especially liked the 19th Century Bubble Wand guess over on Facebook!

Check back again as we'll make this a regular feature!

Genesee Country Village Museum 2010 | American Civil War Videos

2010-07-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

Check out this wonderful video made by one of the Civil War Reenactors this past weekend!

Genesee Country Village Museum 2010 American Civil War Videos

What is it?

2010-07-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Once in a while we thought we would try and stump our readers with a curious object from the 19th Century. I'm not sure this is a hard one or an easy one but I do know that I didn't know what it was when I first saw it!

Anyone care to take a guess?

Come back tomorrow to find out!

One hint-This item can be found in one of the museum's new exhibits this year!

Museum Employees-No fair telling if you already know!

MidsummerFest This Coming Saturday Evening July 24th!

2010-07-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

Now that the War Between The States is over it's time to relax and have a good time at the museum this coming Saturday night at our MidsummerFest.

This swinging event will be held after-hours at the museum and will feature over 35 different local foods, custom brewed Rochester beers and local wines. You can stroll our beautiful grounds listening to the smooth blues sounds of Steve Grills and the Roadmasters at the brewery, the spirited beat of Street-Wise at the Garden Pavilion and the suave, contemporary music of the Rochester Rat Pack on the Village Green.

You can also tour our brand new W. Grieve Brewery as well as taste our signature 1803 Fat Ox Ale.

There's nothing like enjoying excellent food, delightful music and a fine glass of wine as the sun sets on a warm summer's evening knowing you don’t have to clean up after this party!

Tickets, which are all inclusive, are $30 and are available at the museum’s gift shop, by phone: 585-538-6822, ext 218, or via email: info@gcv.org.; or at Wegmans. Must be 21 years or older to attend this rain-or-shine event and reservations are recommended, though not required.

Vendors Include

Vendors include:

Abbott's Custard
Allens Hill Farm
Andy's Candies
Arbor Hill Grapery
Bath Packing Company Inc.
Brighton Restaurant
Brusters
Custom BrewCrafters
D&R Depot
Deer Run Winery
DiBella's Old Fashioned Submarines
Evening Star Coffee Roasters
Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese (Bronson Hill Cheesery)
Freight House Pub
Genesee Brewing Company
Genesee Country Inn
Grieve's Brewery
Hartmann's Sausage
Healthy Sisters Soup and Bean Works
Hedonist Artisan Chocolates
Hunt Country Vineyards
Imagine Moore Winery
Kiki's Baklava
Knapp Farm
Kutters Cheese House
Leonard Oakes Estate Winery
Niagara Landing Wine Cellars, Inc.
Oliver's Candy
Pepsi Beverages Company
Red Tail Ridge Winery
Rohrbach Brewing Company
Sage Maple Products
Starbucks
The Red Osier
Young Sommer Winery
Zweigle's

Democrat and Chronicle Journalism Camp Profiles GCV Earth Camp! Check out the Video!

2010-07-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

Recently the Democrat & Chronicle did a fantastic article and video about the Genesee Country Village & Museum Earth Camp as part of their journalism camp! Click the links below to view the video and accompanying article!!

Click for the Video

Click for the Article

We still have spots avaliable in both our Earth Camp and Summer Sampler Camps! For questions or to register, you may contact Maria Neale at (585) 538-6822 ext 216.

Read All About It-All Around The Village

2010-07-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

We have so much going on around the village this week/weekend I thought I would give you a quick news brief!

Everyone is gearing up for the civil war reenactment this weekend. As I walked around the village today I saw a few soldiers scoping out the battle terrain. Our historic foodways cooks were baking up 800 Rosewater Currant Cakes. These will be available for $1 donation at the Altay store this weekend. Don’t let the number fool you-These are sure to sell out so make your way over there early! I had one, they are delicious.

Our Gardens are bursting with new produce and this Friday (the 16th) we will be making pickles at the Jones farm with our bumper crop of cucumbers. We’re closely watching our elberberries as they are almost perfect and I saw one of our gardeners sneaking a bite out of a peach that was almost ripe today. Because of the warm weather and rain all of our vegetables and flowers are earlier than usual. The Jones Farm and Pioneer Gardens look like they may have record harvests this year!

We’ve stepped up our brewing at the W. Grieve Brewery even more and now you can see different aspects of brewing on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday.

Over at Foster-Tufts we’re ending the birth portion of our “Stages of Life” exhibit and we will begin the marriage portion. It will run until September. It's as interesting as the birth program so make sure you check it out!

It's supposed to be a beautiful weekend for the War Between The States! We have 2 battles per day-One in the village and one in an open field. It's an event not to be missed!

Join Us This Weekend For Our Annual Civil War Reenactment

2010-07-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

Calling all Civil War buffs!

This coming weekend, the village will be transformed into a small Virginia town in 1863 as the Civil War explodes around the village during our annual Civil War Reenactment.

You'll be able to watch as battles rage in the village square and in our open field. There will be cannon fire and mounted cavalry units in battle and military exercises. Soldiers will commandeer the village square and station both Union and Confederate troops in village homes. You can visit both Confederate and Union Camps and experience how daily life in a 19th century village was impacted when armies moved through villages taking over people’s homes and confiscating supplies.

Our re-enactment is the largest of its kind in New York State with over 1000 reenactors, both military, civilian and a cavalry charge.

There will be period music concerts, period clothing demonstrations and depictions of all aspects of daily life in a time of war in many locations around the village as well as specialty shopping.

“We strive to set high standards for our reenactment events,” says Director of Special Events, Melanie Neth “All units are vetted and attend by invitation only to give our event the highest level of quality and authenticity.”

Battles to win the War Between the States will be fought daily at noon and 2 pm.

Cool Off This Summer with 19th Century Beverages

2010-07-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

Since it's been so hot the past few weeks we thought you might want to cool off 19th century style with a few old fashioned thirst quenchers!

A COOLING CINNAMON WATER IN HOT WEATHER
Recipe By: The House Servant's Directory By Robert Roberts, 1827
Servings: 128

1 gallon water
12 whole cloves
2 ounces cinnamon sticks

Boil one gallon of water, pour it into a gallon demijohn, set this before the fire, then put into it twelve cloves, two ounces of whole cinnamon, then stop up your bottle and put it in a cool place; when you want to mix your liquor, put half a pint into two quarts of water, with one quarter of a pound of sugar; cool it in ice before you serve it, and it is a most wholesome and delicious drink as you can take in hot weather.

The above can be cut down as follows for modern-sized families: ;-)

Amounts to use for making 1 quart of concentrate:
1 quart water
3 whole cloves
1/2 ounce cinnamon sticks

Follow above directions, except no fire is required. Just boil your water and add the above ingredients. Stop up the bottle and store it in a cool place. You can dilute the whole quart of concentrate to serve by adding 2 gallons cold water and 1 pound sugar according to the directions above, or follow the directions below to mix up just a quart at a time.

For 1 quart diluted:

Put 1/2 cup of cinnamon-clove water and a rounded 1/4 cup of sugar into 1 quart of water. Chill on ice before serving. Alternately, add spice water and sugar to 2 cups water, and add ice to make 1 quart.

NOTE: Each 1 cup of this concentrate makes 8, 1 cup servings diluted.

*********************************

Raspberry Shrub
Recipe By: The Frugal Housewife, by Lydia Maria Child, pub. 1830

"Raspberry shrub mixed with water is a pure delicious drink for summer; and good in a country where raspberries are abundant. It is good economy to make it answer instead of Port and Catalonia wine. Put raspberries in a pan and scarcely cover them with strong vinegar. Let sit to draw out the juice for 24-48 hours; strain. Add a pint of sugar to a pint of [strained] juice; (of this you can judge by first trying your pan to see how much it holds) scald it, skim it, and bottle it when cold."

*********************************

Sumac Lemonade; Indian or Pink Lemonade

8 clusters rosy-red sumac heads
2 quarts cold water
sugar to taste

To make one pitcher, use six to eight clusters of rosy-red sumac heads. Empty the heads into a large container of water and mash them soundly with a beetle; or you may lightly bruise the seed heads and let them soak in the water, now and again gently stirring. Strain the liquid through a muslin or several layers of cheesecloth, then add sugar to taste and you will end up with a drink that is very pleasant to the palate.

It is important to harvest the seed heads at the right time, just when the heads turn a nice rosy-red color. Any darker and the results will be slightly bitter. Always use cold water. Hot water will leach out the tannin. The natural tartness is partly sue to ascorbic acid, vitamin C.

NOTE: It is important to harvest the seed heads at the right time, just when the heads turn the rosy-red color. Any darker and the results will be slightly bitter. Always use cold water. Hot water will leach out the tannin. The natural tartness is due to ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in the berries.

Raining Outside? Consider a Visit to GCV!

2010-07-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

As I sit here in my kitchen watching the rain come down outside I'm thinking I might be a nice time to visit the museum. My husband and I are big museum goers (GCV and otherwise) and often find that the nicest times we've had occur at time that other people don't consider visiting.

Don't believe me? Here are but a few reasons to visit in the rain:

1)The village is operational even when it rains.

2) Although the GCV is considered an open air museum, one thing to remember is that all of our exhibits are buildings. That you can go in to.

3) The museum is relatively uncrowded in the rain. If you've never been to the museum with few people in it, it's a different experience that when it is bustling with visitors. Both scenarios are fun but a rainy day provides you a chance to see the village in a quieter moment and appreciate it's beauty and stillness.

4) Because of #3, our interperters see very few people on rainy days. They are just waiting for the chance to see and speak with people-You'll have them all to yourselves for as many questions as you want. Your kids can churn butter and pound corn all day if they want to.

5) Ever thought about how cosy it is to come out of the rain into one of our buildings that has a nice fire going?

6) Our "roads" are gravel covered so you aren't likely to get very dirty, even in the rain.

7) It was not always sunny and bright in the 19th century. A visit on a rainy day gives you one more way to envision life in the 19th century.

Have I convinced you yet? The next time you're looking for something to do on a rainy day, don't rule out the museum-grab an umbrella or a raincoat and head on over!

June Giveaway Winner

2010-07-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to AprilOconnor a follower of this blog who was the lucky winnerof our June giveaway. April gets her choice of a new stoneware 1803 Fat Ox Ale mug or 2 free admission passes to the museum!

Question & Answer Column- A Reader Asks About Infant Care in the 19th Century

2010-07-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

As part of our blog contest last month we invited readers to submit their questions to us about the museum or life in the 19th Century. We will take some time this month to answer each of them.

Our first question deals with infant care.

Nell Asks: My question is about infant care in 19th century America. What did they eat? What were the norms around breastfeeding? Who cared for babies and very young children? What did they wear?

Answer: Breast feeding was the norm for infants up to 18 months of age. Sometimes less if a mothers was not particularly productive. In these cases wet nurses were available for hire.

Mothers cared for babies and young children unless of course the mother died in child birth which was not infrequent. In that case, a wet nurse was hired and siblings or female relatives cared for the child.

Babies wore cloth diapers, a diaper cover, a gown, and a piece of flannel wrapped around the mid section plus various caps, flannel for winter and cool weather cotton and linen for warmer weather.

As part of our Stages of Life Program at The Foster-Tufts House this year, we have a hand made baby layette available for you to see & touch.

Have a question? drop us a line through the email link or via our comments. We will answer all that we receive!

Who Is Cutting The Grass In The 19th Century?

2010-07-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

Pioneer Farmstead

As it turns out, hardly anyone.

Recently we were sent a comment regarding the upkeep around some of the village properties that we thought deserved a detailed explanation regarding our vision for the grounds of the museum.

This year, in order to provide a more accurate and educational representation of 19th century life, we have altered the way in which the grounds are taken care of around many of the village buildings.

The pioneer farmstead has the least manicured lawn, in fact, it is interpreted to have a yard rather than a lawn as a pioneer would not typically have "planted" anything like lawn and would not have had the time or the inclination to cut, weed and water it.

Field For Haying

The space between the Pioneer Farmstead and Kieffer's Place has been left uncut deliberately as we will be haying this for our animals, as would have been done in the 19th century.

The Jones Farm has a more of a lawn would have been part of a more established farm. Even though the grass has been cut more than at the Pioneer Farmstead, you might see growth around fences as a 19th century farmer would still have been very busy and not likely to do yardwork as we do today.

Jones Farm Fence Post

Contrast this with the manicured lawns & gardens of The Hyde House, The Hamilton House and The Livingston-Backus House and you can see the difference in styles of gardens at the time as well as the difference that money and leisure time have on upkeep of grounds and gardens.

Formal Garden At Livingston-Backus

We hope that this change in direction is one that provides yet another layer of understanding of 19th century life for our visitors.