What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 1pm - 6pm Wednesday 1pm - 6pm

Arcade Historical Society

Name: Arcade Historical Society
Address: 15 Liberty Street, Arcade, NY, 14009, US
Telephone: (585) 492-0748
Price range: $

Home
United States
Arcade, NY
Arcade Historical Society

A place to travel through time. In 1970 the name was changed to more accurately reflect the Society’s mission.

The Society was originally formed in 1957 as the Arcade Sesquicentennial and Historical Society for the 150th anniversary of the settlement of the town. The AHS is a private, non-profit, educational organization dedicated to collecting and preserving objects, records, and other artifacts that illustrate the history of the Town of Arcade and the surrounding area. The Society collections include the

Gibby House period rooms showing aspects of Arcade life from 1865 to the present with an emphasis on the 1920s and ‘30s. Special exhibits of items in the collection or on loan are held throughout the year. The Gibby House, built in 1903, is the Society’s house museum and was willed to the Society in 1983 by a history-loving village resident, Vernon Gibby. The brick Fire Hall on Liberty Street was purchased by the Arcade Historical Society in 2009. This building was built in 1939 on the site of the first, wooden fire hall. The society renovated the building, outfitting it with an elevator for accessibility to all, and moved their office and research archives there in March 2020. The society uses the building for archival storage and research, exhibits, classes, and lectures.

06/18/2026

BASEBALL'S “HOWIE” KRIST IN WWII – Howard Krist’s career pitching for the Cardinals was interrupted by World War Two. As his wife Ellen [Persons] explained in an article from the Rochester Times-Union sports page (Sept. 1945), “Howie Krist thought he should be in the Army, so at the height of his career, having just made good with the Cardinals in 1943, he went out and enlisted. Then he simply told management what he had done.”

Howie was wounded in November 1944 and was assigned to the 19th General Hospital in Nancy France in the spring of 1945. He took over the coaching of the baseball team there and as his leg improved also began pitching and playing first base. The news clipping here is from the editor’s column in the Sept. 20, 1945 Arcade Herald.

This, and many other local veteran’s stories from World War Two are part of the “Our Soldiers of WWII” exhibit opening on June 30th at the Arcade Historical Society’s research center at 15 Liberty Street, in the Old Fire Hall. Also, that evening is a lecture titled “Heroes of the Holocaust” presented by Greg Kinal at 7pm. Funding for this presentation is provided by the NYS 250th Commemoration Commission & New York State Education Department.

06/15/2026

1962 PLAY BALL! This article appeared in the Arcade Herald June 7, 1962. Raise your hand if you knew this already, knew the Krists, or remember the Persons-Krist Furniture store in Delevan.

06/11/2026

THE REST OF THE ARCADE ELEMENTARY CLASSES VISITED THE GIBBY HOUSE on Thursday, June 4th. It's the end-of-year visit for grades UPK, kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd. This year the students learned about Revolutionary War veterans buried in the area and how our nation grew from 13 colonies all the way to 50 states today. Mr. Mason talked to the students about the early colonies, how the Arcade area was settled by Revolutionary War veterans who moved to our area and are buried in local cemeteries, and showed them a photograph of the longest living Revolutionary War veteran who is buried in Sandusky Cemetery. Volunteers Carole Jones and Diane Battaglia talked to the students about the flag and how it represents the growing nation, adding a star for each new state. Students enjoyed putting the national puzzle together, state by state.

06/04/2026

MORE ARCADE ELEMENTARY CLASSES VISIT THE GIBBY HOUSE - It's the end-of-year visit for grades UPK, kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Half of these classes visited on May 28th and the rest will visit June 4th. These students get a bit of a history lesson. This year the focus is on the nation's 250th anniversary. Mr. Mason talked to the students about the early colonies, how the Arcade area was settled after the Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War veterans who moved to our area and are buried in local cemeteries, and showed them a photograph of the longest living Revolutionary War veteran who is buried in Sandusky Cemetery. Volunteers Joanne Haskell and Jim Yansick talked to the students about the flag and how it represents the growing nation, adding on state by state from those original 13 colonies. Students enjoyed putting the national puzzle together, state by state.

06/01/2026

ARCADE ELEMENTARY 4TH GRADERS "GRADUATION TOUR" OF THE GIBBY HOUSE was last Monday. This is the tour all students ask about every time they pass the staircase - "can we go upstairs?" The 4th graders get to see three of the four floors of the house - starting at the basement with Mr. Gibby's photography dark room, up the stairs to the first floor which they know well after five years of visiting the house every December and June since UPK. Then up the formal front stairs to the 2nd floor touring the exhibit room, Witheril bedroom, past the bathroom and antique elevator and down the back stairs. Curious items that usually bring a grimace are the green woolen bathing suit and the chamber pot. Thanks go to volunteers Jeff Mason and Joanne Haskell for running these tours so smoothly.
This year's 4th graders had an extra bonus - they got to sign part of the 250th Anniversary Quilt made by Sandy Pirdy for the historical society. The public is welcome to become a part of history and add their "John Hancock" to the quilt at the Old Fire Hall too. Hours at the Old Fire Hall (15 Liberty Street) are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1-6pm, or at one of the History Speaks evening lectures.

05/28/2026

ACS FOOTBALL PLAYERS FITTED FOR MOUTH GUARDS – May 1962. Doctors Donald Watkins and George Evans volunteered to fit players with the newly required mouthguards as a public service. The protectors were mandated by a new law from the National Football Rules Committee in 1962. Any boy playing football had to wear a mouthguard. In the photo are Doctor Watkins, left, Doctor Evans, right. Seated are Craig Stone, left, and Ronnie Ashworth, right.

05/25/2026

HISTORY SPEAKS PROGRAMS BEGIN TOMORROW, TUESDAY, MAY 26

The Arcade Historical Society’s lecture series kicks off tomorrow, Tuesday, May 26th, at 7pm. Jane Oakes presents a new program on Clara Barton featuring the Red Cross founder’s never-before-revealed correspondence with friends in Dansville, NY. In addition to Barton’s story, a local soldier-in-hospital anecdote will be on display. First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln comforted East Arcade native and Union soldier James Agen while he was in a Washington, D.C. hospital and wrote his mother a note.

You are also invited to sign our 250th National Anniversary Quilt. This quilt has been designed, sewn and donated by Arcade’s well-known quilt authority, Sandy Pirdy. Autograph quilts have a long history and the society has several in their collection from 1858, 1920s, and the 1976 bicentennial. These quilts are a snapshot of their time. Come sign your name and become a part of history!

The program is approximately one hour in length and is held at the Arcade Historical Society’s Old Fire Hall, 15 Liberty Street. The hall is air conditioned and fully accessible with an entrance ramp and a lift to the second-floor lecture hall. The building will open half an hour before the program.

Funding for this program is provided by the NYS 250th Commemoration Commission & New York State Education Department.

05/24/2026

REMEMBERING THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

05/21/2026

CHANGE IN SCHEDULE AT THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOR ARCADE ELEMENTARY VISITS TO GIBBY HOUSE. The Old Fire Hall office and research center (15 Liberty Street) will be closed on Tuesday, May 26th during the day because we will be busy with the 4th graders graduation tour of the Gibby House. However, the History Speaks Clara Barton lecture will be held that evening, opening the building at 6:30pm
The Gibby House (331 W. Main) will also be closed to the public on the following two Thursdays while we host the rest of the elementary classes: May 28th and June 4th.

05/18/2026

HISTORY SPEAKS LECTURES START TUESDAY, MAY 26TH - This year, the Arcade Historical Society’s History Speaks series highlights several points in our 250 years as a nation along with local connections to that history. Kicking off the series on Tuesday, May 26th, at 7pm, Jane Oakes presents a new program on Clara Barton. During Barton's years in Dansville, New York, she founded the Red Cross. Barton maintained correspondence with her Dansville connections until her death. This never-before-revealed correspondence is part of Jane Oakes’ presentation.

In addition to the presentations, the society has a special 250th Anniversary quilt for people to sign at the lecture programs (pictured here). This 250th autograph quilt has been designed, sewn and donated by Arcade’s well-known quilt authority, Sandy Pirdy. Autograph quilts have a long history, and the society has several in their collection from 1858, 1920s, and from the 1976 bicentennial. These quilts are a snapshot of their time. Come sign your name and become a part of history!

Other programs to follow this summer include a World War Two exhibit opening on June 30th with a presentation on Heroes of the Holocaust; next, is Revolutionary War Battles of Lexington & Concord on July 28th; and on August 24th, “Vintage Tweets,” a program about the postcards and ads promoting women’s suffrage in the early 1900s. See the society website for more information.

Each program is approximately one hour in length. All programs will be held at the Arcade Historical Society’s Old Fire Hall 15 Liberty Street. The hall is fully accessible with an entrance ramp and a lift to the second-floor lecture hall. The building will open half an hour before the program.

Funding for these programs is provided by the NYS 250th Commemoration Commission & New York State Education Department. Donations gratefully accepted.

Address

15 Liberty Street
Arcade, NY
14009

Opening Hours

Tuesday	1pm - 6pm
Wednesday	1pm - 6pm

Telephone

(585) 492-0748

Website

http://www.arcadehistoricalsociety.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Arcade Historical Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Arcade Historical Society:

Shortcuts

Address
Telephone
Opening Hours
Alerts
Contact The Museum
Claim ownership or report listing

Want your museum to be the top-listed Museum in Arcade?