Industrial History/Education/Preservation/Art/Cultural Events 
05/28/2020
Century House Historical Society – Cementing history and the arts
The Century House Historical Society is located on the Snyder Estate, at 668 Rt. 213 in Rosendale, NY. The Society's mission is to promote the history of the Rosendale Cement district, and the role the Snyder family played in it. The Snyder Estate is known for the Widow Jane Mine, the only publicly accessible former cement mine in the district, the Society's Museum and carriage collection, and the trails around the estate. The estate is free for members to visit, and a small donation is requested for others.�
Normally, the Society opens up the museum on Sundays during the summer and holds events in the mine that benefit the Society. Those activities have been put on hold this year. Nevertheless, the Estate was open earlier this year for responsible hiking and visits to the mine.
��As other outdoor sites in the area grew more restricted, we saw an increase in site visits and trail usage. Unfortunately, along with this increase were a few outliers who were not behaving responsibly. Graffiti appeared, and people were using the society's parking lot while they went off the property. In one tragic case, a dog died and another was severely injured after falling in mines adjacent to the estate. The Society Board decided to close the site immediately to address these safety issues.
��While the site has been closed, new fencing has been put up by our neighbors, Iron Mountain at Rosendale, that clearly demarcates the border between our two properties. New signage has been put up, making it clearer where the borders and trails are on the estate. Coronavirus related reminders have also been posted. ��
A new self guided tour map should be available soon as well. We're also taking this time to put up new safety fencing in areas that were newly cleared earlier this year. ��When these projects are complete, we will be reopening the site again for hiking. The Museum, official opening, and mine related events are still on hold. �Watch social media and our official website, https://www.centuryhouse.org, for details on reopening.
�The Society, like other parks around New York, is waiting for state and local guidance on how best to operate for the rest of the year. Some events may be reconfigured to operate virtually without audiences, and there may be some small lectures from the museum as well. ��Other society projects, such as site maintenance and repairs, archive organization, and carriage research are being carried on in a cautious manner. We'd like to thank our members, partners, and sponsors for supporting us while our usual sources of income, tours and concerts, are not possible right now. �
-- Henry Lowengard, President, CHHS Board of Trustees
