Hurley Heritage Society

08/21/2026

2026 Mum Sale

We are having our annual mum sale again this year. These beautiful mums are grown locally at Wallkill View Farms. They are big and hardy. The Fall colors are so vibrant you will definitely want to order more than one.

The date for pick up is Saturday, September 12th, 10am-1pm at the museum. The cost is $14.00 per mum. The order form is online at https://www.hurleyheritagesociety.org/mums-2026/.

We ask that all orders be received no later than September 6th. If you have any questions call Pat Findholt at 845-338-3137, Barbara Zell at 845-338-7686 or Flo Brandt at 845-331-8767.

Thank you for your support!

08/10/2026

It's going to be a busy Summer and Fall at the Hurley Heritage Society!!

August 22 AJ Schenkman and Erin von Holdt Gilbert will conduct Patriots and Spies focused tours followed by a book signing of A J’s book. Tours at 1PM, 2PM and 3PM, register on our website at https://www.hurleyheritagesociety.org

August 29 Free event at the Museum.
A discussion of Black history in Hurley and the Revolution
Tours of the exhibit. Refreshments will be served. (1-4 PM)

September 13 Herbal wreath making workshop at the Museum (1-4 PM) Register on our website, $10 donation at the door, limited to 14 so register early!

September 24 Zoom lecture
County Historian Ed Moran will discuss the Historic Huguenots (7PM)
Pre-registration is required at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UhNTFbAHTQOhrI8UdPzvAg #/registration

September Annual Fall Mum sale
Forms will be mailed in August; watch our website for details

September 19 Hurley Harvest Fest (10AM-3PM)
Rain date September 20 (11AM-3PM)
Harvest booth, Home décor tent, Spinning demos, Back Sale, and more!

October 10 Pathway Through History
Elmendorf Hand Spinners at the museum

October 17-25 Autumn Online Auction

October 18 Capital to Capital 5K Run Reception
On the final day of the Burning of Kingston, HHS sponsors an awards reception for the Cap2Cap 5K run, which finishes on Schoolhouse Lane at approximately 11AM.Museum will open at 10AM and we will have walking Tours of Main Street.

October 25 Museum Closing Day (1-4PM)

November 28-29 Holiday Boutique in the Museum, (Sat 10-4, Sun 11-4)

Walking Tours of Main Street, a National Historic Landmark, are offered on the 4th Sunday of each month. Tours begin at the HHS Museum, 52 Main Street, Hurley, at 2PM. For more information and to register please visit our HHS website at guided Walking Tour of Hurley's historic Main Street. Registration is required in advance to ensure a tour guide is scheduled. You will not be charged at the time of registration. Donations of $5 are payable at the door, children under 12 are free.

Visit our website frequently for the latest details on these and future events:

www.hurleyheritagesociety.org

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: From Europe to Nieuw Dorp: The French Families who Helped Found Hurley. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

07/16/2026

Due to the impending thunderstorms and the possibility of continued poor air quality this weekend, the Hurley Heritage Society and Hurley Library are canceling the planned colonial games event with Dawn Elliott. We plan on rescheduling this event on October 10 as part of the Pathway Through History weekend. Elmendorph Handspinners Guild will also be on hand that day.

The Heritage Society and the Hurley Library will post updates on our websites.

If you’re still looking for a family activity on Saturday, please stop by the museum, which is open from 1 to 4. Visit our new exhibit, Hurley in the Revolution; History Happened Here. Young and old alike will be sure to enjoy the Lego diorama of Main Street.

07/09/2026

This Friday

07/01/2026

NEXT HURLEY HERITAGE SOCIETY LECTURE
From Europe to Nieuw Dorp: The French Families who Helped Found Hurley
September 24th, 7pm

Description: Founded in 1662 by a small group of Dutch and French speaking families, Hurley—originally known as Nieuw Dorp, or “New Village”—was among the earliest colonial settlements in what is now Ulster County. In this one-hour presentation, Ulster County Historian Eddie Moran will explore the French speaking families who helped shape Hurley's early history, tracing their European roots, the forces that compelled them to leave their homeland, their journey to New Netherland, and the challenges and opportunities they encountered as they built new lives in this region.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED - to register:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UhNTFbAHTQOhrI8UdPzvAg #/registration

Illustration: Petrus Crispell House Image (attached). (I chose this house because it was built in 1720 and is named for a member of the Crispell family, one of the French families I’ll discuss.)

Bio: Eddie Moran currently serves as the appointed Historian for Ulster County, NY. Eddie graduated with a B.A. in history from SUNY New Paltz in the Spring of 2020, and began work as a tour guide at Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz while still a student in 2017. He managed historical interpretation full-time at Historic Huguenot Street beginning in 2022, and was appointed Ulster County Historian in September 2024. He is a lifelong resident of the Wallkill River Valley, and a descendant of the region’s Huguenot and Dutch colonizers.

06/11/2026

Step back in time and experience the fun and friendly competition of colonial America! Join the Hurley Library and Hurley Heritage Society in welcoming historical educator Dawn Elliott to guide us in a morning of traditional lawn games that entertained families and communities centuries ago. Participants of all ages will have the opportunity to learn and play classic games from the colonial era. Whether you're a history enthusiast or simply looking for a fun free summer activity, come discover how people entertained themselves long before televisions, smartphones, and video games.

Online registration is suggested to hold a spot for your child. Games will be held on Hurley Heritage Society Lawn, parking is available in the library lot. There will be 2 sessions to accommodate as many children as possible.

https://hurleylibrary.libcal.com/event/15969750

Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM or 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Step back in time and experience the fun and friendly competition of colonial America! Join the Hurley Library and Hurley Heritage Society in welcoming historical educator Dawn...

06/11/2026

On October 1777, over 2,000 Kingston refugees fled from Kingston to the nearby Town of Hurley as British soldiers burned their city to the ground. Like refugees of today, most were only able to save what they could carry, and had no idea what the future held for them. The British came close to burning Hurley down as well, coming within eyesight of its Main Street, and engaging the Colonial Militia in barrages of cannon and musket fire. Some cannon balls are still being found today around Hurley.

The Capital to Capital 5K Run/Walk pays tribute to those refugees, and all displaced due to conflict. This year's event - open to anyone with registration - is a timed run, but open to those seeking trace the path of history. The Run will be held on Sunday, October 18th with start time at 10am from Uptown Kingston to Hurley's Hurley Heritage Society Museum on Main Street. For more information and to register, visit:
https://www.kingstonnyrotary.org/page/captocap

05/15/2026

LECTURE - NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE:
Building the Old South Plantation in the Hudson River Valley: Middle-Class Idylls of Service and Status, 1875-1900
Presented by local historian, Reynolds “Rennie” Scott-Childress
Middle class Americans did a strange thing after destroying slavery in the Civil War. Instead of creating a national culture that celebrated the Union victory, they invented an "old South" plantation myth, replete with loyal mammies, benevolent masters, and banjo orchestras. This talk will describe the development of the myth in the Hudson River Valley and offer an explanation for its popularity.

This presentation discusses why this image is not a picture of a plantation mammy—and why that is important for understanding how Americans reframed their understanding of race in the post-Civil War decades.

Reynolds Scott-Childress teaches history at SUNY New Paltz and the Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia. His work focuses on the categories and practices of race and class in US history.

Building the Old South Plantation in the Hudson River Valley: Middle Class Idylls of Service and Status, 1875-1900, by Reynolds “Rennie” Scott-Childress.

05/14/2026

We are very sad to announce that this year's Hurley Heritage Day, scheduled for September 19th, must be cancelled. We are planning a scaled back event with a focus on History and Harvest on that date, so please watch this space for details.

Our chairperson had to step back from the event relatively late in the game, we had several unfilled sponsor and volunteer slots, and the newly announced construction work being performed at the former Hurley Library will be closing that site and part of the current Library parking lot, where we stage vendors and much of the event. Handicapped parking in front of the old library will also be unavailable.

Rest assured this is not something we ever anticipated having to do. We are working on a solution and hope to be better positioned to return with Hurley Heritage Day in 2027.

05/13/2026