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Monday 11am - 2pm Thursday 11am - 2pm

Hastings Historical Society

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Hastings Historical Society

Documenting the history of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York since 1971. hastingshistoricalsociety.org/

Hastings Historical Society's latest home, the Observatory Cottage at Draper Park in Hastings, has a long and colorful history. In 1997, when the Historical Society was preparing to move into its new home from its previous quarters at 41 Washington Avenue, The Hastings Historian ran a four-page history of the building, which can be seen here http://hastingshistorical.org/cottagehistory.shtml

08/31/2026

🍂 The Cottage is open in September! Come visit us:
🗓️ This Saturday, Sept 5 from 2 to 4pm�🗓️ Mondays, Sept 14, 21 & 28 / 11am to 2pm�🗓️ Thursdays, Sept 3, 10, 17 & 24 / 11am to 2pm

While you’re planning your visit, have you read our latest blog post?

Meet Edward Wilkes Henry: newspaper publisher, gas station owner, and a man of very big dreams. He campaigned for a bridge across the Hudson decades before the Tappan Zee, tried to bring Admiral Farragut’s Civil War flagship to Hastings, and even pitched his ideas to his friend FDR, who once stopped by his Broadway gas station to fill up. ⛽📰

Swipe to the last slide for a fun find from our archives: a 1982 letter to the editor from Coral Jander Brown, recalling a letter her father-in-law Hugh Brown wrote to the paper 50 years earlier that mentions Edward Wilkes Henry.

👉Read the full blog post here: https://hastingshistoricalsociety.org/2026/07/06/the-big-dreams-of-edward-wilkes-henry/

08/03/2026

It’s a rainy Monday! We are open until 2pm, come see our exhibit on Hastings in the 1960s.

08/01/2026

📍 Visit us this August! 🏡

The Cottage is open Mondays & Thursdays, 11am–2pm:
🗓️ Mondays: Aug 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31
🗓️ Thursdays: Aug 6, 13, 20 & 27

Stop by to explore local history — we’d love to see you!

07/19/2026

Before Hastings built the pool at Hillside in 1965, now known as the Chemka Pool, residents had to find other ways to cool off from the summer heat. Big draws were the Hudson River and the Saw Mill River. Another option was the Duck Pond, a natural swimming hole fed by a stream running from the top of Hillside near present-day Sugar Pond. It sat where the pool’s parking lot is today, until the county condemned it in 1951.

In September 1931, seven-year-old Catherine Fediw of 8 Dock Street was playing with friends on the wharf of the Hastings Lumber Company when she fell into the Hudson.

Her companions’ screams drew the attention of John Heuss, a 14-year-old drug store messenger from 26 Main Street who was fishing nearby; he dived in and brought the child ashore. As reported in the New York Times, September 7, 1931

Everyday heroes.

07/17/2026

When the Hastings Youth Center opened in 1949, it made headlines 📰 the New York Times noted it was the first municipal clubhouse in Westchester built specially designed for teenagers.

Built into a hillside, the modern building rose one story at the front but held three full floors in back, with windows overlooking a valley and brook. Inside: recreation rooms, meeting spaces, a library, and a kitchen; a world away from the old center’s cramped rented rooms at 8 Dock Street (now Southside Avenue) by the railroad tracks.

None of it would have happened without Martin Lowenfish, who worked side by side with the Village and local kids throughout the three-year project. The town dedicated the building to him in 1950. Though it was later replaced by the larger brick building we know today, his drive and generosity remain the lasting legacy of the project.

The SouthSide Social Athletic Club occupies now what was 8 Dock Street.

07/14/2026

Poolside perfection has a plus-one. 😎🌴

Spotted at Chemka Pool: our sturdy, bucket-bottom 14”x14” canvas tote featuring original art by local fine artist .art Mallol. Big enough for your towel, sunscreen, and snacks — cute enough to steal the spotlight. 💦🎨

And yes, it’s in stock, online or at the cottage. 🛍️

07/08/2026

Learn about 🤔The Big Dreams of Edward Wilkes Henry — a 76-year-old newspaper publisher who pumped gas for FDR, tried to enlist in WWII, campaigned for a Hudson River bridge decades before the Tappan Zee, and fought to bring the USS Hartford (Admiral Farragut’s Civil War flagship) home to Hastings.

✨ Enjoy the latest blog post from writer Kimberly Janeway, trustee of the Hastings Historical Society.

👉 https://hastingshistoricalsociety.org/2026/07/06/the-big-dreams-of-edward-wilkes-henry/

07/03/2026

Q. What’s black and white and red all over?!

A. The Hastings Record, Hastings Half Moon, The Hastings News, The Hastings Press, Westchester County Press, the Hastings Independent, the Hastings Enterprise, the Rivertowns Enterprise and now, the 👏👏👏

Enjoy learning about them all in the latest edition of the Hastings Historian 📰 Thank you for inspiring this article!

Address

407 Broadway. The Observatory Cottage In Draper Park
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
10706

Opening Hours

Monday	11am - 2pm
Thursday	11am - 2pm

Website

https://hastingshistoricalsociety.org/

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