Piseco Lake Historical Society, Museum and Riley Tavern

10/07/2026

Piseco Lake Historical Society Fall Newsletter 2026

Greetings PLHS Members & Friends,

We wish to thank you all for your interest and support for the
Piseco Lake Historical Society again this year. The PLHS has
136 paid members for 2026, as well as many generous donations
that help maintain the buildings and grounds. We had 85+ individuals tour the Piseco Museum this summer (for many, their first visit exploring Piseco's unique history). Thanks to all those who volunteered their time to guide our guests at the Riley House and Riley Tavern on the weekends. We would also like to acknowledge Dee and Bud Christ for their dedicated care of the lovely flower pots and memorial brick walkways leading to each structure, and Bob Thomson for all his time and labor nurturing the lawn and the beautiful landscaping on the historical society property. We received numerous compliments regarding the appearance of the grounds and the welcoming effect it had on travelers to Piseco. Work completed on the museum this summer included Tavern touch-up painting and cedar roof preservative applied, deck repair and staining on the Riley House, tree trimming, and landscaping. Volunteers are vital to this organization. Please contact us if you are willing to lend a hand!
Our programs this summer provided most interesting topics, and we thank David Brooks for his informative presentation entitled, "15 Miles on the Sacandaga Canal? The Canal Craze".
Our speakers have been deeply impressed by our community's engagement, strong meeting attendance, and ongoing dedication to the historical society- the love of history is alive and well in Piseco! The Piseco Artistry show was also a great success, with more than 70 attendees to view various forms of Adirondack-inspired artwork. Our appreciation goes out to all the participating artists and exhibitors for this entertaining and informative night.

We are currently organizing our speaker series for 2027. Meetings are scheduled for the second Wednesday of July and August at 7pm at the Piseco Community Hall.

The current PLHS Board:
President: Fred Adcock
Vice President: Bill Hotaling
Treasurer: Bud Christ
Secretary: Cindy Adcock
Trustee: John Simons
Trustee: Dee Christ
Trustee: Bob Thomson
* Thank you very much to the board for volunteering your services to Piseco's historical society!

To renew or become a member of the Piseco Lake Historical Society, your $10 membership may be sent to the Piseco Lake Historical Society, P.O. Box 115, Piseco, NY 12139 between April 1 – September 1. Membership applications are available on our page (https://www.facebook.com/PisecoLakeHistoricalSociety/) or by request via mail or email ([email protected]).

Fundraising to maintain the Piseco Lake Historical Society's historic museum buildings (Riley House and Riley Tavern) continues by personal check via mail (see PLHS address listed above), and online through:
Paypal Giving Funds (no fee) ( https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1382998 ) and GoFundMe (charges a fee) ( https://gofund.me/6aa04f22 )

Once again, we, as well as our serving board members, wish to thank you for your kind support with our efforts to collect and preserve the special history of Piseco. We hope you all have a safe and healthy winter, and we look forward to seeing you in 2027!
Sincerely, Fred & Cindy Adcock, PLHS

08/16/2026

08/13/2026

PISECO LAKE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MINUTES FOR WEDNESDAY, 8/12/2026

The meeting was called to order at 7:10 pm in the Piseco Community Hall with 46 present.
Current Board Members:
President - Fred Adcock Vice President - Bill Hotaling
Treasurer - Bud Christ Secretary- Cindy Adcock
Trustee - Dee Christ Trustee - John Simons Trustee- Karen Risley

PRESIDENT'S REPORT (FRED ADCOCK)
- Fred welcomed and thanked those in attendance for supporting the PLHS.
- In July, maintenance on the museum buildings included:
- cleaning,
- painting the red Adirondack chairs and table on the Riley House porch,
- deck repair and staining,
- landscaping and lawn care (Bob Thomson),
- tree trimming,
- monitoring the basement foundation wall
- cedar roof preservative applied (Bob Thomson) to Tavern,
- tavern's gray exterior paint was touched up this summer
- A new display in the Riley House was developed from the donation of Ann Youman's 19th century calico dress, apron, and bonnet (she was an early settler of Piseco)
- Fred thanked the volunteers who worked the Museum in July (John Simons, Bill and Patti Hotaling, Karen and Ed Risley, Bud and Dee Christ, and Phyllis and Chris Koszewski). The Museum has been open to visitors every weekend since July 4 due to the kind support of these volunteers.

TREASURER’S REPORT (BUD CHRIST)
Bud read the details of the Treasurer’s Report. A motion to accept the Treasury Report was made by John Simons, and Judy Ford seconded the motion.

SECRETARY’S REPORT (CINDY ADCOCK)
- As of Aug 1, we have 117 paid members for 2026. See Bud Christ (Treasurer) if you would like to join or renew your membership or to purchase a memorial brick. (Membership applications are also available on our page or requested via email at [email protected]. The $10 membership fee may also be sent to the Piseco Lake Historical Society, P.O. Box 115, Piseco, NY 12139 between April 1–Sept 1, or by Paypal Giving Funds: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1382998.)
- Since the Secretary's Report for 7/8/2026 was previously distributed to members via email and also posted publicly on our page on 7/9/2026, and no changes were offered to those Minutes at tonight's meeting, a motion was made by Connie Danko to dispense with the reading of those Minutes and accept them as written and distributed, and Patsy Limpert seconded the motion.

NEW BUSINESS (FRED ADCOCK)
- Fred thanked all those who participated in and attended the Piseco Artistry Exhibit held on 7/8/26. The program was well received, and the array of artwork relating to Piseco's history was enjoyed by all.
- Recent donations to the Piseco Museum include a vintage Piseco Yacht Club buoy, Skip Haskell's Piseco Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Corps badges, and an Old Lobb copper spinner in its original box. The society plans to develop and expand displays in the museum with these artifacts.
- The large pine tree next to the bell rock by the Tavern may need to be removed next year since it is encroaching on the building.

ANNOUNCEMENTS (CINDY ADCOCK)
- Fred and Cindy attended a Zoom meeting today with the County and Town Historians and Historical Societies to provide updates on programs and activities. There is currently a county-wide contest in place for homes and businesses to show their patriotism to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the USA. Additional details will be provided on our page.
- Check our page at https://www.facebook.com/PisecoLakeHistoricalSociety/ for updates regarding museum hours, presentations, membership forms, and brick order forms.
- Please make sure we have your current email address if you would like to receive society emails and updates. Some emails have been bouncing back with errors.
- If you have any ideas or contacts for next year's summer programs, please feel free to share them with us.
- We hope you will come visit the Riley House and Riley Tavern this summer to view the exhibits in both buildings. The last day the Museum will be open for visitors for the season is projected to be Sunday, August 23 from 1-4.

Dee Christ made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Judy Ford.
Meeting adjourned at 7:25 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Cindy Adcock, PLHS Secretary

Fred Adcock introduced tonight's speaker, David Brooks, and his program, entitled "15 Miles on the Sacandaga Canal? The Canal Craze". The program explored the proposed development of a canal in the 1800s running from Adirondack Mountains down to the Mohawk Valley. David Brooks is the Historic Site Assistant and Education Director at the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site.

07/10/2026

PISECO LAKE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MINUTES FOR
WEDNESDAY, 7/8/2026

The meeting was called to order at 7:10pm pm in the Piseco Community Hall with 66 present.
Current Board Members:
President - Fred Adcock Vice President - Bill Hotaling
Treasurer - Bud Christ Secretary- Cindy Adcock
Trustee - Dee Christ Trustee - John Simons Trustee- Karen Risley

PRESIDENT'S REPORT (FRED ADCOCK)
- Fred welcomed and thanked those in attendance for supporting the PLHS and introduced our Board for 2026.
- Fred recognized Bob Thomson for his continual maintenance of the museum buildings and grounds including new landscaping near the Riley House and Tavern as well as the lawn care.
- Also, a thank you to Dee Christ for her continual efforts planting and maintaining the planters that adorn the property, and to Bud Christ for all the work he does on the memorial brick walkways. We truly appreciate all the hard work of our volunteers.
- As of July 1, we have 87 paid members for 2026. A thank you was made to the membership for the additional financial donations totaling over $2,000 so far this year. See Bud Christ if you would like to join or renew your membership or to purchase a memorial brick. (Membership applications are also available on our page or requested via email at [email protected]. The $10 membership fee may be sent to the Piseco Lake Historical Society, P.O. Box 115, Piseco, NY 12139 between April 1–Sept 1, or by Paypal Giving Funds: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1382998.)
- Please sign-up to work the museum this summer (open Saturdays and Sundays 1-4pm). Please let us know if you have never worked the museum in the past so we can arrange help.

TREASURER’S REPORT (BUD CHRIST)
Bud read the Treasurer’s Report. Motion to accept the Treasury Report: Karen Risley moved and John Simons seconded a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report. Motion passed.

NEW BUSINESS (FRED ADCOCK)
- 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of America's independence. To commemorate, the society purchased a banner to hang from the front porch rails of the Riley House Museum.
- The PLHS was highlighted in the Hamilton County 250th Newsletter in May, which included a history of the Riley House and Riley Tavern.
- Also, we supplied a written town history to be included in New York Association of Town's 250th Commemorative Anthology that showcases New York State towns and their stories. Marie Buanno stated the town has received one published book thus far, and expects to receive five more in the near future.

ANNOUNCEMENTS (CINDY ADCOCK)
- Check our page at https://www.facebook.com/PisecoLakeHistoricalSociety/ for updates regarding museum hours, presentations, membership forms, and brick order forms.
- Please make sure we have your current email address if you would like to receive society emails and updates. Some emails have been bouncing back to us.
- We hope you will come visit the Riley House and Riley Tavern this summer. The last day the Museum will be open for visitors for the season is projected to be Sunday, August 23.
- We have scheduled two interesting presentations for our meetings this summer. We welcome all the participants tonight displaying Piseco Artistry, and on Wednesday, August 12, David Brooks will present, "15 Miles on the Sacandaga Canal? The Canal Craze". The program will explore the proposed development of a canal in the 1800s running from Adirondack Mountains down to the Mohawk Valley.

Judith Ford made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Bill Hotaling. Meeting adjourned at 7:20pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Cindy Adcock, PLHS Secretary

Fred Adcock introduced tonight's program, entitled "Artistry of Piseco" showcasing artwork relating to the Piseco area and the Adirondacks, including a slideshow of local artistry and a photographic DVD from the PALS photo club. On display were paintings, photography, quilts, maps, folk art, poetry, fungus art, sketches, rustic furniture, dioramas, and postcards for the enjoyment and education of our members and guests. The exhibitors for the event were Amy Ball (exhibited her grandfather Schuyler Harrison's paintings), Connie Danko, Bob Erickson, Judith Hilton, Diane Holiat, John Jazeboski, Cynthia Jennings Field, Susan Read, and George Sherman. The Piseco Lake Historical Society also displayed the works of Bill Amadon, Pip Broughton, Bill Bush, J. Duncan Campbell, Martha Greenwood, Bill Hodge, Artha Nassiff, Steven Nassiff, Audrey Preston, Charlie Preston, Julia Burton Preston, Frank Rix, Joan Stuhlinger, and Ila Baker Simons Ploss (painting displayed by John Simons). Fred also acknowledged the works of the artists who are now passed away, and the program was dedicated to the late Dorothy Murphy (pictured in the photograph promoting tonight's artistry show).

07/06/2026

Greetings Piseco Lake Historical Society Members and Friends,

We hope you will attend the "Artistry of Piseco and Adirondacks" program on Wed. July 8 at the Piseco Community Hall at 7pm. The format we envision is having a short public business meeting of the PLHS at 7pm followed by a 15-minute DVD slideshow of the PALS Photo Club from 2007. Next, the Exhibitors will be introduced, and the audience will then have an opportunity to view the artwork on display and meet the artists/exhibitors, during which a second slideshow will be played.

Thank you for your support and we hope to see you at this special event of the Piseco Lake Historical Society starting at 7pm at the PCH on 7/8/26.

Fred and Cindy Adcock, PLHS

06/16/2026

Please join the Piseco Lake Historical Society's program on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 7pm at the Piseco Community Hall, where on display will be Artistry of Piseco and the Adirondacks!