Historic Red Hook

04/24/2025

Pack a lunch, find a sunny spot, and enjoy the great outdoors—bonus points if you bring an apple crate to sit on! Pictured: The Mead family enjoying a picnic on apple crates, July 4, 1924. How do you like to picnic? Blanket on the grass or a classic picnic table? Let us know!

You can now browse highlights from the collection at https://www.historicredhook.org/collections. The archives are currently open on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., as well as the first Saturday of every month from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. Drop in or make an appointment by emailing us at [email protected].

04/21/2025

We're open tomorrow! The StoryStudio, our archives space at 5 Cherry St., is open Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, as well as on the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Drop in or schedule an appointment by emailing [email protected].

04/20/2025

A glimpse of Easter Sunday, circa 1950-1952—Anna Teator with her daughters Elizabeth, Marion, Anna, Jane, and Leona, all dressed in their best hats, gloves, and handbags. A timeless look for a special day. Do you have favorite spring accessories? Share in the comments!

You can now browse highlights from the collection at www.historicredhook.org/collections. The archives are currently open on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., as well as the first Saturday of every month from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. Drop in or make an appointment by emailing us at [email protected].

04/18/2025

Got any plans this weekend? Now you do! Tomorrow, Saturday April 19 from 12 to 4 PM WKZE 98.1 FM is hosting a festive Community Day at their studio and the Elmendorph Green featuring music, spirit tastings, a kids’ Easter egg hunt, and a pet adoption event with the Ulster County SPCA.

While you’re enjoying the fun, stop in for a tour of the Elmendorph Inn and our Story Studio—we’ll be open and excited to welcome you!

Spring is in the air, and plans for our spring Community Day and Open House continue to develop!

Just added: guided tours of the Elmendorph Inn by Historic Red Hook, and donuts from Hardeman Orchards!

Stop by the Elmendorph Green from 12-4 on Saturday, April 19th to mingle with fellow KZE fans and community members, and say hi to new station owners Andy Gladding and Katie Berghorn. We're hosting an Easter egg hunt at 1pm, plus more kids' activities provided by Red Hook Community Center. For the grownups, we've got Berkshire Mountain Distillers offering spirit tastings and Catskill Mountain High sampling some of their favorite CBD products. Our pals at Salvatore's will be hooking us up with pizza (free while supplies last!); Ulster County SPCA will be on site with adoptable pups; and a live brass set at 2pm with Unicorn Brass Band!

04/16/2025

Host your next event at the historic Elmendorph Inn! Looking for a charming venue for your next gathering? The Elmendorph Inn is available to rent for private events! Perfect for baby showers, retirement parties, birthdays, anniversary celebrations, and more, our historic space offers a warm, inviting setting for your special occasion.

Learn more and reserve your date today: https://www.historicredhook.org/reserve-the-inn

04/10/2025

Local history being preserved and cataloged for future generations: a screenshot from the minutes of the very first annual meeting of the Friends of Elmendorph, Inc., in March of 1976 during the Bicentennial.

Our archives and records intern is currently sorting through and organizing the many boxes of documents and records regarding the founding of FOE and the preservation of the Elmendorph Inn. She is creating a finding aid so important documents can be easily located, then scanned and saved to our database.

This year, as we mark —the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution—we’re especially mindful of the importance of preserving local history for the next generation of Red Hook residents and researchers.

Do you enjoy local history? Let us know in the comments below!

You can now browse highlights from the collection at the link in bio or https://www.historicredhook.org/collections.
The archives are currently open on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., as well as the first Saturday of every month from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Drop in or make an appointment by emailing us at [email protected].

04/03/2025

Join us for a special Historic Tavern Trail as guest presenter Sarah K. Hermans shares the fascinating story of Madam Anna Bishop — a 19th-century opera star who traveled the world, captivated audiences, and is now buried in Red Hook… without a tombstone.

You’ll even hear selections of the songs she once made famous!

RSVP today at https://www.historicredhook.org/upcoming-events/tavern-trail-fosters-apr25

📅 Wednesday, April 9 | 6–7 PM
📍 Foster’s Coach House, Rhinebeck

04/03/2025

Come and say hi during WKZE's Community Day on April 19! The Elmendorph Inn will be open for tours from 12 to 4 pm.

Spring is in the air, and plans for our spring Community Day and Open House continue to develop!

Just added: guided tours of the Elmendorph Inn by Historic Red Hook, and donuts from Hardeman Orchards!

Stop by the Elmendorph Green from 12-4 on Saturday, April 19th to mingle with fellow KZE fans and community members, and say hi to new station owners Andy Gladding and Katie Berghorn. We're hosting an Easter egg hunt at 1pm, plus more kids' activities provided by Red Hook Community Center. For the grownups, we've got Berkshire Mountain Distillers offering spirit tastings and Catskill Mountain High sampling some of their favorite CBD products. Our pals at Salvatore's will be hooking us up with pizza (free while supplies last!); Ulster County SPCA will be on site with adoptable pups; and a live brass set at 2pm with Unicorn Brass Band!

03/04/2025

At the touch of a button, swipe of a credit card or online order, business transactions today are digital, delightfully quick, but contactless and impersonal. Other than for bookkeepers, accountants, and those storing them for tax purposes, paper invoices and receipts usually end up in the wastebasket.

To the history-minded, however, these small pieces of commerce offer a close-up of the person-to-person, everyday life of the past. In this regard, we are forever grateful to Clara (Weller) Losee (1917-1997), who first recognized the powerful glimpses of Red Hook to be seen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through business invoices and receipts. Her collections form part of the initial Egbert Benson Historical Society and now, Historic Red Hook’s expanding archives of local history.

When we were producing last year’s Then & Now festival, “Farms, Food & Families,” we drew from Losee’s file: “W. S. Teator Bills.” William Seward Teator (1860-1930) was a prominent Upper Red Hook apple grower and shipper (see Teator story on our website) who had stashed away more than 100 invoices and receipts…

Read more at www.historicredhook.org/blog or the link in bio

03/01/2025

Chili night is happening now at the Elmendorph Inn! We have some seat available at the seating now and later at 6:30, if you’d like to come by! Tickets are $20 at the door for chili, cornbread, salad and a beverage.