The Historical Society of Woodstock

HSW: WHO WE ARE 

Founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens, The Historical Society of Woodstock (HSW) is committed to supporting the collection and preserving the history and traditions of Woodstock.  In addition to the exhibition space, located at the historic Eames House, HSW has an extensive permanent collection of works of art, books and manuscripts, correspondence, film and sound recordings, antique tools and other objects.

The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions and public programs as well as research projects.  HSW has organized outstanding exhibitions on local themes, as well as children’s programs, lectures, oral history collections and publications.  HSW has been the recipient of a series of grants dedicated to enhancing its preservation efforts

BRIEF WOODSTOCK TIMELINE

·       1787 – Created as a Township.  Elias Hasbrouck first Supervisor.   Farming, logging and trapping were  the primary industries

        ·       1809 – First  glass factory at Bristol, now Shady

        ·       1816 - Tanneries opened due to plentiful water supply and hemlock trees for tannic acid

·       1840 – Bluestone quarries opened.  Served as a major industry until the turn of the century

·       1844 – Down rent wars: Tenant farmers protested leases held by wealthy landowners

        ·       1871 – First Overlook Mountain House opened to visitors.  Destroyed by fire in 1875, rebuilt in 1878

        ·       1902 – Ralph Whitehead, Hervey White and Bolton Brown established  the Byrdcliffe Art Colony 

·       1905 – Hervey White founded the Maverick Art Colony

·       1906 – Art Students League Summer School established. In 1947 moved to a site built by the National Youth Administration, now home of the Woodstock School of Art

·       1911 – Construction of the house and outbuildings on the Eames Estate, later owned by the Comeau family and then purchased in 1979 by the Town of Woodstock for its Town Offices

        ·       1913 – The Woodstock Club started the Woodstock Library.

·       1916 -  First Sunday afternoon chamber music concert was held in the Concert Hall at the Maverick. Concerts are ongoing during the summers

·       1919 – Woodstock Artist Association formed

        ·       1929 – Historical Society of Woodstock founded. Chartered by the State of NY in 1931

·       1929 – First Production at Woodstock yhouse.  Destroyed by fire in 1988, rebuilding is ongoing

·       1939 – Woodstock Guild of Craftsmen founded

 ·       1949 – Rotron Manufacturing began operations

·       1969 – The Woodstock Music Festival , organized by Woodstockers, held in Bethel, NY

·       1995 – First Bird-on-a-Cliff Shakespeare Festival performance

·       1999 – First Woodstock Film Festival

·       2000 – First Woodstock Poetry Festival

·       2007 – HSW leased Eames House

The Historical Society of Woodstock:  A Brief History.

The late 1920’s saw the culmination  of Woodstock moving from being a purely agricultural community to being an internationally recognized art colony. Many locals, looking back at the change that had occurred in just one generation, sought to protect the history and character of the town.

One of these was Martin Schutze, artist and close friend of Ralph Whitehead, founder of the Byrdcliffe art Colony and Hervey White, founder of the Maverick.  On September 20, 1929, Schutze founded the Historical Society of Woodstock, with the goals of publishing a town history, collecting historical materials and creating a museum.

Since 1929, HSW has continued these goals by collecting, protecting and making available to all, the history of  Woodstock, New York.

HSW welcomes and encourages the donation of appropriate materials related to Woodstock. Please contact  HSW  If you are interested in donating an item.