Holland Land Office Museum (HLOM), in honor of Constitution Week (September 17 to 23), has scheduled the museum’s monthly trivia game topic on the U.S. Constitution.
The HLOM, with support from the Anna Ingalsbe Lovell Chapter NSDAR, is providing the 1st and 2nd place prizes. The chapter has again contributed information for the Robert Morris display which documents Genesee County's connection to the nation’s founding.
Constitution week began in 1956 at the request of the NSDAR to Congress and was enacted by President Eisenhower. September 17 is always the opening day of Constitution week’s celebrations.
For more information on joining the NSDAR or Constitution Week please go to www.dar.org.
Trivia is set for September 12 at 7 p.m., light refreshments will be served. There is a $5 admission fee that covers the Trivia game.
The Holland Land Office Museum is extending its hours every first Wednesday of the month until 8 p.m.! Come on in on Wednesday, September 4 from 5 - 8 p.m. and you will get personal tours from staff and volunteers, meaning you will get a more in-depth history of Batavia and Genesee County! You also may be able to go upstairs, if you are able and want to! General museum admission applies.
Join the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night at the Museum on Thursday, September 12 at 7 p.m. In honor of Constitution Week, we are collaborating with the Anna Ingaslbe Lovell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to put together trivia on the US Constitution to win prizes and enjoy refreshments. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
On Saturday, September 14 at 11 a.m., come hear from our Executive Director, Ryan Duffy as he presents, & The Holland Land Company & the Development of WNY! The history of the land of Western New York is cobbled together through many purchases and development groups, the Holland Land Company being the most profound. Its desire to sell the land west of the Genesee River created the foundations of the area to this day. Admission is $5 for non-members and $3 for members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
On Wednesday, September 18, at 7 p.m., come for a presentation by Patrick F Ryan, the Cultural Curator at The Richardson Olmsted Campus and the Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo! “The Richardson Olmsted Campus: Past, Present, & Future,” This lecture covers the complicated history of the former Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, now the Richardson Olmsted Campus. Learn how three of the 19th century's finest minds, Thomas Story Kirkbride, Frederick Law Olmsted, and Henry Hobson Richardson came together to create one of the nation's most famous architectural treasures. The program will examine mental health treatment, architecture, landscape design, and current-day rehabilitation efforts. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
"This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
On Friday, September 20 at 7 p.m. at the Holland Land Office Museum, come listen to the Batavia famous Strummerz band, playing all the hits from the 1950s, 60s, and & 70s! Please get in contact with the museum if you are planning on attending! Either email us at hollandlandofficemuseum@gmail.com or call us at (585) 343 – 4727. Admission is $5 for non-members and $4 for members.
"This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for our Java with Joe E. morning presentation series on Thursday, September 26 at 9 a.m. Bergen Town Historian, Tom Tiefel, will be presenting, “Lt. Thomas J. Dean, Letters Home: The ‘Soldier Boy’ of North Bergen.” “From farmer to fighter of the 8th NY Heavy Artillery. The Civil War in his own words and his life beyond the Crater. Accounts, artifacts and the life of Thomas J. Dean.” Admission is free with coffee and cookies. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend. Thank you to Pub Hub Coffee for sponsoring Java with Joe E. for 2024.
Bring the kids by the Holland Land Office Museum for our new History Story time for Fall 2024. On Saturday, September 28 at 11 a.m. Anne Marie Starowitz will return to her favorite place to oversee a children’s Story Hour. On a Saturday morning every month, she will engage kids in learning about local history and creating a seasonal art project. Admission is $5 or $3 or museum members. If you would like to sign up please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
Correction: October 2 will be the Westside and October 17 will be for the Downtown stories.
On October 4 and 18, the Holland Land Office Museum will be conducting Downtown Ghost Walks. The walks begin at GO Art! to then venture through various streets! Listening to ghoulish and spooky stories from Batavia's Downtown past! The walk will be about two miles starting and ending at GO Art!, parking is in the parking lot across the street! Tickets will be $15 for non-members and $10 for members! You can find the link to purchase tickets on the museum website at www.hollandlandoffice.com. Better to be safe than sorry! Spots will fill fast like plots in a cemetery, so ensure you get a good one!
On October 11 and 25, join us at the Holland Land Office Museum to begin our West Side Batavia Ghost tour through various streets! Listening to ghoulish and spooky stories from Batavia's Westside past! The walk will be about two miles starting and ending at the museum! Tickets will be $15 for non-members and $10 for members! You can find the link to purchase tickets on the museum website at www.hollandlandoffice.com. Better to be safe than sorry! Spots will fill fast like plots in a cemetery, so ensure you get a good one!
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum on Wednesday, October 2 or Thursday, October 17 at 7 p.m., as Connie Boyd shares the spooky, sinister, and weird documented stories from the Westside. Come and listen to tales of murder, ghosts, body-snatching hangings, and abandoned cemeteries. This presentation is the same as our Westside Ghost Walk, perfect for those who don't want to or cannot go on our guided Ghost Walks. Tickets are $5/$3 for museum members. If you would like to attend please contact the museum at 585-343-4727.
“This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!”
Holland Land Office Museum announces that it is one of 71 institutions in the United States selected to participate in the Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program.
CAP helps museums improve the care of their collections by providing support for a general conservation assessment of the museum’s collections and buildings. The museum will work with a team of preservation professionals to identify preventive conservation priorities. The final assessment report will help the museum prioritize its collections care efforts in the coming years.
The CAP program will allow the museum to care and preserve the collections it holds in a greater condition than ever before! We are so excited to dive into this program and get to work at preserving and storing history more than ever before – Tyler Angora, Curator at the Holland Land Office Museum.
The CAP program is administered by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its latest exhibit, “Don Carmichael: Ink in History.” The exhibit will open on Tuesday, August 13 and will be on display through December. “Don Carmichael: Inked in History” features over 50 pieces of artwork from Don Carmichael in various mediums from throughout his life. The works come from the museum’s collections alongside others loaned from Carmichael’s friends and family.
The exhibit can be seen during the museum’s normal operating hours of Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Don Carmichael (1926-2005) was one of the most iconic artists from Genesee County in the 20th century and continues to grace the walls of homes and businesses across the County. Locally known for his famous pen-and-ink sketches, called “Memories of Historic Batavia.”
Don Carmichael captured the historic essence Batavia and Genesee County offered, and many have loved them ever since and have proudly displayed them in their homes and offices. Luckily, Carmichael sketched dozens of the landmark structures before Urban Renewal tore them down in the 1970s, or he captured the structures through old photographs. Carmichael stated, “I’m fond of Batavia and Batavia history, it’s rapidly disappearing, so I decided to record it for posterity.” Before his iconic pen-and-ink drawings, Carmichael played a major role in the community by being the Director of advertising at The Daily News, Where he worked for over 30 years.
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for a special edition of our Java with Joe E. morning presentation series on Friday, August 30 at 9 a.m.
Bob Bialkowski will present on the history and restoration process of Batavia’s Rocket Car, those who were responsible for saving the car, and how it ended up at the Pierce Arrow Museum in Buffalo.
Admission is free with coffee and cookies. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend. Thank you to Pub Hub Coffee for sponsoring Java with Joe E. for 2024.
The Holland Land Office Museum is extending its hours every first Wednesday of the month until 8 p.m.! You will get personal tours from staff and volunteers, meaning you will get a more in-depth history of Batavia and Genesee County! You also may be able to go upstairs, if you are able and want to! Admission is $5 for non-members and $3 for members! Call the museum or email us if you wish to attend! (585) 343-4727 or hollandlandofficemuseum@gmail.com.
Join the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night at the Museum on Thursday, August 8 at 7 p.m. This month trivia will be held at GO Art! located at 201 E. Main St. in Batavia. You can even get a drink at their Tavern 2.o.1. In honor of the Woodstock Music Festival, our topic is the Swinging Sixties. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
Due to popular demand for varying times in our presentation/program times! HLOM staff with be giving presentations every second Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Saturday, August 10! Our curator, Tyler Angora, will be presenting on "19th-Century Weddings," which he did a few months ago to kick off the wedding exhibit! However, due to many requests, he will be doing it again! You will learn about 19th-century wedding customs, clothing, and so much more! Admission $5 for non-members and $3 for members! You may let us know if you are planning on attending by either calling the museum at (585)343-4727 or emailing us at hollandlandofficemuseum@gmail.com.
Bring the kids by the Holland Land Office Museum for our new History Story time for Summer 2024. On Saturday, August 17 at 11 a.m. Joyce Thompson-Hovey will be sharing the fun topic of Civil War Mascots & Pets. For this presentation the speaker comes in Civil War Union uniform and explains what the average soldier wore and carried with them. This program shows how many regiments had strange and unusual pets. These pets went to war and lived in camps with their soldier owners. These are their unusual stories. Admission is $5 or $3 or museum members. If you would like to sign up please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
Come and learn the first steps to create a Family Tree from 2 - 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 17. In partnership with the Genesee Area Genealogists, this is the first part of a two-part program to learn how to begin creating a family tree, which can be daunting if you do not know where to start! This workshop is worth bringing your kids to, it would be a fun activity for a family to do together! Admission is $5 for non-members and $3 for members!
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Java with Joe E. morning presentation series on Thursday, August 22 at 9 a.m. Erica Wanecski will be sharing how the world and Western New York changed throughout the decade of the 1980s. Admission is free with coffee and cookies. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend. Thank you to Pub Hub Coffee for sponsoring Java with Joe E. for 2024.
On August 24 at 11 a.m. Brandon Brooks, Curator of the John L. Wehle Gallery at Genesee Country Village & Museum, will be presenting “Redeeming the Irredeemable: The Diabolical Striped Garment,” The presentation will explore how the stripe and striped garments have been used by society to draw a line between those who are welcome and those who are not. From nefarious criminals, rebels, insurgents, and prisoners, to the middle-class masses, and those wishing to embrace seaside luxury; the history of stripes is full of colorful and conflicting implications. Extent pieces from the Bruce & Susan Greene Costume Collection will complement this discussion. Brooks has been the Curator of the John L. Wehle Gallery at Genesee Country Village & Museum since March 2020. Brooks works with over 400 years of European and American sporting and wildlife art, and over 300 years of fashion and textile material culture. Admission is $5 for non-members and $3 for members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
"This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series, presented by David Reilly. Since 2018 Dave Reilly has been writing stories for The Batavian about growing up in Batavia in the 1950s and ‘60s.
He combined 20 of these stories into a book called “Small Town Talk: Growing up in Batavia in the 1950s & 1960s”. On Friday, July 19 Dave will be doing a book talk at the HLOM from 2 - 3 p.m.
He will have books available at that time for $20 and will be happy to sign a copy for you. The following day will be the 60th reunion of Dave’s Notre Dame Class of 1964 so he especially invites any of his classmates who are in town and still “above the grass” to attend. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. If you would like to attend please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
“This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!”
The Holland Land Office welcomes back as its next presenter in its Guest Speaker Series on Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m., Joyce Thompson-Hovey. She will be presenting "The Baker Boys of Stafford," about the incredible lives of Colonel Lafayette Baker and his brother Captain Calvin Baker, who were both spies for the Union and heavily involved in the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth. The Bakers lived for a time in Stafford.
Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend.
"This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, July 11 at 7 p.m. In honor of the Fourth of July, our topic will be the document that started it all the Declaration of Independence. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum on Saturday, July 13 at 1 p.m. for a full screen presentation by New York City painter and sculptor Anthony Terrell on his two new murals. Anthony, a former resident of Batavia, will show off his latest large scale works, "Crossing the Atlantic in Chains and Shackles" and "She Has Beautiful Windows (Doesn't She)." There will also be an open discussion of the development of both murals along with sketches and drafts. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum if you plan on attending at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Java with Joe series on Thursday, July 25 at 10 a.m. Listen to our curator, Tyler Angora, talk about some of the most famous women who came out of the American Civil War. Women played a larger role in the American Civil War than what is often portrayed in American history. Come and hear about how women aided the war and willingly made their presence known or unknown! Admission is free with coffee and cookies. Thank you to Pub Hub Coffee for sponsoring Java with Joe for 2024.
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series, presented by David Reilly. Since 2018, Dave Reilly has been writing stories for The Batavian about growing up in Batavia in the 1950s and ‘60s. He combined 20 of these stories into a book called “Small Town Talk”. On Friday July 19 Dave will be doing a book talk at the HLOM at 2 p.m. He will have books available at that time for $20 and will be happy to sign a copy for you. The following day will be the 60th reunion of Dave’s Notre Dame Class of 1964 so he especially invites any of his classmates who are in town and still “above the grass” to attend. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. If you would like to attend please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
"This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
Every third Saturday at the museum come from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. to participate in a workshop to help you preserve, create, or research your history! On July 20, come and learn how to preserve and store your family’s photos and photo albums at home! Our curator Tyler Angora will teach you tips and tricks on how to store your beloved family photos for years, and how we store out photos here at the museum! Admission is $5 or $4 for museum members. If you would like to attend, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Guest Speaker Series. On Wednesday, July 24 at 7 p.m., the museum welcomes back Kevin Pawlak, who is the Historic Site Manager for the Prince William County Historic Preservation Division and works as a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Antietam National Battlefield. He will be presenting on Western New Yorkers at the battles of Bull Run. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
"This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Java with Joe series on Thursday, July 25 at 10 a.m. Listen to our curator, Tyler Angora, talk about some of the most famous women who came out of the American Civil War. Women played a larger role in the American Civil War than what is often portrayed in American history. Come and hear about how women aided the war and willingly made their presence known or unknown! Admission is free with coffee and cookies. Thank you to Pub Hub Coffee for sponsoring Java with Joe for 2024.
Bring the kids by the Holland Land Office Museum for our new History Storytime for Summer 2024. On Saturday, July 27 at 11 a.m. Joyce Thompson-Hovey will be sharing life in the "Early Schools of the 1800s." It covers not only the role of the student and teachers during this period but also what school was like both in the North and the South. There is lots of class participation because we run it like a typical school day back then. Admission is $5 or $3 or museum members. If you would like to sign up please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next presenter in our Guest Speaker Series on Wednesday, June 12 at 7 p.m. David Whitcombe is a member of the volunteer team at the Buffalo Maritime Center who has been working for years on a reproduction of the Seneca Chief packet boat in honor of the bicentennial of the Erie Canal in 2025. The boat is an exact replica of the one used by Governor DeWitt Clinton as he rode the canal at its opening. David will touch mainly on the construction of the boat itself as well as the historical, cultural and economic significance of the project. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. If you plan on attending, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
"This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, June 13 at 7 p.m. In honor of the beginning of the Korean War in 1950, our topic will be the 1950s or also known as "The Fabulous Fifties." Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
As part of New York State's Path Through History Weekend on Saturday, June 15, the Holland Land Office Museum will be hosting a Military Timeline and Encampment featuring reenactors from many different time periods and conflicts from the history of the United States and New York. The event features an outdoor encampment in addition to indoor displays featuring equipment, weapons, and other artifacts. Visitors can interact with soldiers and sailors from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, etc., and learn more about the life of a military man throughout time, their equipment, and the conflicts that they fought in. The museum itself will also be open as well, featuring exhibits relating to the local history of Genesee County. The event and museum will be open from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Museum admission is $5 for adults, $3 veterans/seniors/students, $1 for children, and $10 for a family of four.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Guest Speaker Series on Thursday, June 20 at 7 p.m. Daisy Nicosia, the Curator/Archivist of the Seneca Falls Historical Society, will be presenting "To the Men of Enterprise & Capital: The Settling of Early New York." Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend.
"When people do research, especially in the Central New York area, one question that they always ask is what are military land grants? How did settlers end up in Western New York state? “To Men of Enterprise and Capital” will go over the settling of early New York State, starting briefly with early colonists and indigenous tribes before expanding into the settlement of Western and Central New York." "This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Java with Joe E morning coffee series on Thursday, June 27 at 9 a.m. Our Director, Ryan Duffy, will be presenting on the "Agrarian Opposition to the Holland Land Company," which details the conventions established in the late 1810s through the 1830s across Western New York in opposition to the policies' perception of the Holland Land Company. Admission is free with coffee and cookies. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend. Thank you to Pub Hub Coffee for sponsoring Java with Joe for 2024.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Concert Series on Friday, June 28 at 7 p.m. Don Dwyer will be playing "The Music of the Women of the Civil War." The program includes songs either written or inspired by women in the 1850s and 1860s. Admission is $5 or $4 for museum members. If you plan to attend, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727. "This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
Tyler Angora, HLOM curator receives a check from DAR member Robin Ettinger in front of a Revolutionary War drum. Photo by Howard Owens.
The men from Genesee County who fought in the War of 1812, the Civil War, and the wars of the 20th Century are well represented in the Holland Land Office Museum.
The men who served the cause of freedom starting in 1776 are less well represented, and the HLOM, with the help of the Anna Ingalsbe Lovell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, hopes to provide visitors to the museum information on those men who fight for liberty and then helped settle Western New York.
On Saturday, DAR members presented Tyler Angora, HLOM curator, with a check for $700 -- a $500 grant from DAR and $200 from the local chapter -- to create a display honoring the patriots who settled present-day Genesee County and immediately contiguous towns.
"There are a lot of people buried here but why did they come here? What did they do to help found our county?" said DAR member Robin Ettinger. "This is what our project is about."
In the past, DAR members identified all the patriots who purchased property from the land office and those names are already listed in a book in the research room. There are also men who acquired land in the county before the Holland Land Office started selling plots.
Western New York was not part of the colonies at the start of the Revolution.
The Senecas did not cede control of Western New York until the Treaty of the Big Tree in 1797. In the treaty, the Senecas agreed to establish residences on reservations in the territory and receive $100,000 (about $1.8 million today) for 3.75 million acres of land.
The Holland Land Company participated in the negotiations after acquiring rights a portion of the territory from Robert Morris in 1792.
Joseph Ellicott started surveying the land in 1798. Two years after Ellicott completed the survey, new settlers were able to buy plots of land in Genesee County (then, all of Western New York).
The project involved creating a slideshow of names and background information on the patriots to display on a flat-screen TV in the War Room.
"Right now, the only Revolutionary War piece that we have is the drum (acquired by a prior, now defunct DAR chapter)," Angora said. "We do talk about it on tours and stuff, but people don't actually get to see the men; they don't get to see their history. Ryan (Duffy, HLOM director) and I don't personally have the time to do that (put the display together). We're running the entire museum. We've wanted to expand this because the rest of the War Room has all the veterans listed except this part."
He said the TV will show a slide show of the men sharing their stories and showing their connections to this county and how they built this county, Angora said.
"We've researched them and we found a lot of men who purchased large plots, multiple plots in certain sections," Angora said. "Once the land office was here, they started flooding into this area to start farming because it was wilderness and it was a good opportunity for those patriots to come and build their lives here."
DAR members concentrate a lot on history and geology because in order to become a member, you must document that you have an ancestor who was either a patriot or supported a patriot at home.
Most of the patriots were farmers, but they were also mill owners, tavern owners, and shopkeepers.
"There's a lot of farmers and they just came out this way and had to have that tenacity to -- especially the women -- to say let's go out there and build log cabin. So the whole focus is what these guys did, who they were in the war, and they came out here and settled our area."
Front entryway of the mansion looking into the front parlor, featuring the seven-foot-high pier glass now at the museum.
Batavia, like many other communities, has lost many buildings that were a reminder of the city's development. The possibly most glaring example is the Richmond Mansion, likely the most magnificent home built in Batavia.
It was best known as the home of Dean and Mary Richmond, who became one of the wealthiest families in the area. Their stunning home reflected their wealth and influence and was an artifact of their importance long after they were gone.
The central part of the stately house located on East Main Street in Batavia was built in 1838, not by the Richmond Family, but by Colonel William Davis.
Davis was a dry goods merchant who served the community in many capacities until his death in 1842. Davis was a member of the committee charged with investigating the disappearance of William Morgan, who was famous for revealing the secrets of the Masonic Order. Davis was also a member of the board of the first local banking institution and assisted in defending the Holland Land Office from near attack in 1836 during the “Land Office War.”
Judge Edgar Dibble purchased the home from Davis’ widow in 1846. Dibble was a leader of the Genesee County Agricultural Society and was the first Democrat elected to a county office since the Morgan affair in 1826. Dibble made extensive modifications to the house before it was sold to Dean and his wife, Mary Richmond, in 1854.
Dean Richmond was a railroad magnate, first for the Utica & Buffalo Railroad and then the New York Central. From 1864 to 1866, he was its president. Under the ownership of Dean and Mary, the home was continually renovated and enlarged. These modifications made the Greek revival style house to be the preeminent of the area.
The portico and columns, which became synonymous with the structure, were added by the Richmond, along with a building-wide balcony. Mary also created a series of beautiful gardens around the home with rare and imported plants and flowers. They were complete with a large greenhouse. A wrought iron fence, which still stands, and sunken Italian gardens fronted the structure.
The interior matched the exterior in terms of its lavishness. The rooms were decorated with rosewood and mahogany, as well as plastered moldings and ceiling medallions. This included the dining room, which was famous for its yellow-damsked wall and yellow velvet carpets. The master bathroom had solid silver fittings with Tiffany marks. The home was so large that entire horse-drawn carriages laden with supplies would be driven right into the basement. This access was also used to deliver the enormous amount of coal needed to fuel the three furnaces.
After Dean’s death in 1866, Mary continued to live in the home until her death in 1895. It then passed to their daughter, Adelaide, who left it to her niece, Adelaide, and finally to her brother Watts, who eventually sold the mansion.
In 1928, the building was sold to the Children’s Home Association and operated as the county Children’s Home until 1967, providing a home atmosphere for countless local children.
The Batavia City School District then purchased it for $75,000. The Richmond Mansion was demolished by the school district’s Board of Education after three years of disputes with the local Landmark Society over what should be done with the building. The plot where the mansion once stood is now a parking lot located between the Richmond Memorial Library, also built by Mary Richmond and St. Joseph’s Church.
Some pieces of furniture and other fixtures have survived and are a part of the Holland Land Office Museum’s collection, including an ornate gold hallway mirror, rosewood carved bookcases, and marble fireplace mantle. Besides these pieces, the only remnant left is the stretch of the original rod iron fence that remains in front of the mansion’s original location.
Smaller dining room within the mansion.
Pictured are rosewood cabinets and marble mantlepiece on display at the Holland Land Office Museum.
Music room of the mansion.
Bird's eye view of the geometric outlay of the gardens surrounding the mansion, designed by Mary Richmond.
Rose arbor in the gardens at the rear of the house.
View looking east from behind the mansion of the rose arbor and gardens.
Paula Savage, President and founder of the International Peace Garden Foundation, shares about Terry Anderson's involvement with the garden Saturday at the Holland Land Office Museum. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Terry Anderson, a former Batavia resident and distinguished journalist who gained local and international celebrity status when he was taken hostage by an Iranian terrorist group, made a long-lasting imprint, including right here in Batavia at the Peace Garden on West Main Street, International Peace Garden President Paula Savage says.
Savage and others gathered Saturday at the garden alongside the Holland Land Office Museum to remember and honor Anderson, who died on April 21 at the age of 76.
“Terry really is a person who has made a mark, an indelible mark on this world, actually, with sacrifices that he made, what he's been through. And the fact that he comes from Batavia is just, it's a gift for us to behold,” Savage said. “But the International Peace Garden Foundation and the Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden, we wouldn't exist without each other. And my organization representing 22 countries around the world, and Batavia is one of those peace gardens. And Terry took a very sincere interest in the work that we were doing with this beautiful garden here in Batavia and the world because of what he had been through, and he decided that he was going to come here and help us out and give us the boost that we needed in order to launch this amazing fundraising program to build this, and it just keeps going on and on and on.
So what you see is what you get, but there’s going to be a lot more coming down the road, so to speak, keep an eye on us, because we’re going strong and we appreciate the support that we get from the entire community.”
A citation was read on behalf of state Assemblyman Steve Hawley commemorating April 27, 2024, for the life and legacy of Terry Anderson at the Batavia Peace Garden. Anderson was a resident of Batavia during his high school days, later flourishing in a career as a correspondent for The Associated Press and becoming the longest-held American hostage in war-torn Lebanon, the citation states.
Anderson was held from March 16, 1985, until his release on Dec. 4, 1991.
“Now, therefore, it is resolved that as a duly elected member of the State Assembly of New York, I recognize that today we remember Terry Anderson, an exceptional person who is worthy of the esteem of not only to the community but to the entire a state of New York and the world,” it states.
Anderson was the Beirut bureau chief in 1985 for the Associated Press when he was kidnapped by armed men who dragged him from his car after he dropped off a tennis partner following a match. The pistol-wielding men yanked him from his car and pushed him into a Mercedes-Benz.
The terrorists were reportedly members of Hezbollah, an Islamic Jihad Organization in Lebanon. He was reportedly blindfolded and beaten and kept in chains and moved to 20 different hideaways in Beirut, South Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley.
His release came 2,454 days later following intense lobbying by his sister, Peggy Say.
Anderson didn’t forget his boyhood hometown upon his release, and his last public appearance in 2011 was memorable for many locals. He made the rounds, including to Genesee Community College, the History Department, and to dedicate the International Peace Garden.
One of America's most acclaimed and recognized journalists at the time, Anderson was invited to return to his former hometown to help raise funds for what was then a War of 1812 Peace Garden planned for a plot of land adjacent to the Holland Land Office Museum.
Co-founders Savage and Barb Toal said the project's paperwork began in 2010, and there were many hurdles to overcome to achieve the planned effort.
“We had the support of the Legislature at the time, and we still do, and we worked with them. When we first came here, we had the DEC, the EPA, the DOT, the city of Batavia, the town of Batavia, the county of Genesee, and the state of New York. All these things we had to overcome, the Army Corps of Engineers, with a creek next door,” she said. “So I mean, if it wasn't the ability to bring peace to all those organizations to prove to them what we were trying to establish, this could have never happened.”
And they broke ground a year later and were up and running by 2012, she said. The goal was to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 bicentennial.
Former county manager Jay Gsell spoke about the importance of placement and said that this garden's location in Batavia means something.
“So it’s been placed between Buffalo and Rochester, which has made it, I think, why what you guys have pulled off here, not only significant but also there’s a kismet about it because it’s all about location, location, location,” he said. I think it also puts us on the map. Nothing wrong with that, that’s what the Chamber of Commerce is about. And by the same token, it’s because of you guys’ unfailing energy and commitment to doing this. And so congratulations, thank you and keep doing the great work that you do because that’s what this community is about.”
Having the support of Anderson, who returned “without malice” after his horrendous ordeal and physical and mental suffering, means a great deal to garden volunteers, Savage said.
“Especially after what he had been through. I mean, for someone to take up a project like this and to have him suffer the way he did. I think he just felt a sense of calm when he found out that this garden was going to be built and that we were going to promote peace around the world,” she said. “And you know, this guy, that’s what he became all about. He became a strong advocate in his own right.”
During that last visit to this area, Anderson was asked why he was part of the garden dedication and fundraising efforts.
"Why would I miss a chance to dedicate a peace garden?” he said. “It may be on a smaller scale, but why wouldn't I support it?"
Barbara Toal, President of the Batavia Peace Garden. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Members of Friends of Batavia Peace Garden. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Come by the Holland Land Office Museum and check out our new mini-exhibit, "St. Joesph's Drum Core: 53 Years Later!"
From April to the end of September, view photographs, uniforms, and other artifacts relating to the nationally ranked local drum corps from the twentieth century!
Beginning in 1931 under the direction of Rev. T. Bernard Kelly, pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Batavia, the St. Joseph's Drum Corps was created and went on to be nationally ranked. Winning 8 New York State American Legion titles and other national titles! The drum crops were active until 1971. However, they have a reunion corps called the "Mighty St. Joe's" in Le Roy.
The exhibit includes uniforms, photographs, instruments, and much more of members of alumni of the Drum Corps.
The mini-exhibit is available during regular museum hours, Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. with regular admission. Come and check it out on your next visit to the Holland Land Office Museum.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Guest Speaker Series. On Wednesday, May 1 at 7 p.m., we welcome Buffalo author John Zach as he shares his latest book, "Built to Burn: The Cleveland Hill School Fire." Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend.
“Built to Burn,” tells the story of the tragic 1954 Cleveland Hill school fire in Cheektowaga, the worst school fire in New York State History. Fifteen children died, sixteen were burned, many critically. Three adults were also injured, one with life-threatening injuries. The cause of the flash fire was never officially blamed on one particular person. The book, however, suggests and tells otherwise. The narrative captures the lives of many of the survivors including one youngster who would later rub elbows with Elvis Presley, Paul Simon, and Art Garfunkel and be inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame. The release of my book coincides with 70 years marking the fire, on March 31."
"This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Concert Series on Friday, May 3 at 7 p.m. Bart Dentino will be playing an acoustic selection of music that will include original compositions and songs by such artists as James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, The Beatles, and others. Bart was twice selected Best Performer and Best Vocalist of the Year by Freetime Magazine. It was the first time in the magazine’s history an artist was selected in two individual categories. Admission is $5 or $4 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
"This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m. In honor of the end of World War II in Europe, our topic will be the 1940s sometimes called "The Flying Forties." Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to present the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series. On Wednesday, May 15 at 6 p.m., the museum welcomes Derrick Pratt of the Erie Canal Museum. We will be presenting "The Center of It All: Baseball on the Erie Canal."
"Discover the Erie Canal’s many connections to the earliest days of professional baseball, told through the stories of some of the game’s biggest stars and others long forgotten." Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
"This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Java with Joe E. series on Thursday, May 23 at 9 a.m. We welcome back Genesee County Historian Michael Eula as he shares snippets from his new book on the history of Genesee County "Historic Chronicles of Genesee County." Copies of the book will be available for $24.99, and Michael will be signing copies. Admission is free with coffee and pastries.
"The dramatic events of American history have left an indelible mark on the life and culture of New York's Genesee County. The Cold War threat of nuclear destruction led to local preparedness drills in the 1950s, and Genesee classrooms and homes were not spared. Social movements, the Great Depression and New Deal-era policies reshaped how residents viewed the role of government in county life. Genesee women led the charge for women's suffrage in the twentieth century and helped forge new opportunities for female roles in work and public life. Historian Michael J. Eula presents a variety of historical essays from throughout Genesee County's past and shows how the nation's story unfolded from Batavia to Bergen."
Java with Joe E. is sponsored by Pub Hub Coffee for 2024.
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m. In honor of the birthday of J. Robert Oppenheimer, our topic will be the Manhattan Project. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series. On Thursday, April 18 at 7 p.m. we welcome avid bike rider and cycling historian Karen Lankeshofer, as she presents on Elsa Von Blumen, who first became a professional “race walker” in 1879 and was soon enticed to try high-wheel bicycle riding by bicycle manufacturer Albert Pope. She was a prominent figure on the bicycle-racing scene in the 1880s and competed throughout the Eastern United States ( including in Batavia). Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
"This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
The Holland Land Office is proud to announce the next edition of our Java with Joe E. On Thursday, April 25 at 9 a.m., Don Burkel will be presenting, “Who Was Philemon (Phil) Tracy & What Is He Doing Here?” With the use of personal letters and photographs, a PowerPoint program will provide an in-depth look into Philemon Tracy and his family. Philemon Tracy was a Major in the Confederate Army from Georgia who is buried in the Historic Batavia Cemetery. Admission is free with coffee and pastries. Java with Joe E. is sponsored by Pub Hub Coffee for 2024.
A trolley car with conductors that ran the length of Main Street from 1903-1927. Submitted photo.
Much of Batavia’s growth in the nineteenth and early twentieth century can be attributed to its location as a hub of major transportation systems. This was particularly evident with the passage through the Batavia of several major railway lines.
However, another form of rail transportation through the heart of Batavia, though it existed only for two dozen years, left an impact upon first the village and then the city. The trolley line that ran the extent of Main Street was built as a precursor to Batavia's continued growth and to connect it further to the rapidly growing cities of Buffalo and Rochester at the dawn of the twentieth century.
The trolley line in Batavia was completed in 1903, though it was originally just a small piece of a much larger line.
The Buffalo and Williamsville Company, who built the line, had plans for a line running from Williamsville and Depew to Rochester. They even had talks with investors of further expansion to Medina or Horseshoe Lake, and eventually across New York State. However, the Batavia Main Street line is all that would come to pass.
The trolley was a single track that ran a mile and a half from Clinton Street to the intersection of West Main Street and Lewiston Road. A turnout was also built near Bank Street to allow the trolley cars to pass each other. It officially opened on September 2, 1903, with many of the village aldermen as its first riders. It quickly became the latest marvel in Batavia, and people flocked to ride the trolley, with reports of 3,300 people to board at some point during the first week.
The trolley line's local patrons would soon have issues with its builder, the Buffalo and Williamsville Company.
Though the line had a large number of riders, very little was done to improve the equipment or the quality of the ride.
In 1911, East Main Street residents complained about the noise of the trolley cars, and many riders were less than thrilled with the uncomfortable seats on board. By this point, no effort had been made to add a second line. When some expansion began in 1912, the village aldermen asked the company to pave Main Street, which was never resurfaced after the line was finished. The village officials believed that this was the company’s responsibility.
The disagreement over the paving of Main Street became increasingly hostile. When pressured, the company hinted that they would just close the line altogether. The company would attempt to make good on their threat by applying for a permit to close the trolley line. In response, a commission of local men, including George Wiard and K.B. Mathes, sought out other entities to run it. In 1914, they found a potential buyer in the Storage Battery Company of New York City, but it was deemed soon after that it would be more beneficial if the line was owned and operated by a local company.
A year later, the Batavia Traction Company was created to undertake such a venture. Though the trolleys still ran for another twelve years, there were never funds to make the necessary improvements.
By 1927, the company was losing money, and the whole line was deteriorating beyond repair.
Trolleys were becoming obsolete, replaced by buses, and there was little outside interest in keeping the cable cars going. By the end of the year, the trolley line on Main Street ceased to take Batavians to and from.
Some of the tracks were dug up during the scrap drives in 1943; another part was covered by blacktop in 1947, while the tracks along East Main Street were still there until Route 5 was rebuilt in the 1960s.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its Garth Swanson Memorial Scholarship for 2024. This scholarship was created in honor of Garth Swanson, who was the Stafford Town Historian, a History professor at Genesee Community College, and a former board member and officer of the museum.
This $500 scholarship is open to any graduating senior in Genesee County planning on attending Genesee Community College, or current student attending Genesee Community College, and has expressed interest in history, or plans on working in the history field in the future.
Completed applications should be mailed or emailed no later than May 1. They can be emailed to Ryan Duffy at duffyhollandlandoffice@gmail.com. Or Mailed to Ryan Duffy, Executive Director, Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W. Main St., Batavia.
The application is available on both the museum’s website and Facebook page. You can also contact the museum for the application or further information.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series on Tuesday, March 12, at 7 p.m. We welcome Michael McBride, who will share his personal journey as he unravels his research into the fascinating story of his great uncle: internationally known Irish freedom fighter and Buffalo's forgotten human rights crusade, John Joseph "Exile" McBride. "Exile" McBride left Ireland, joining the Fenian Movement, but eventually came to dine with Presidents and Prime Ministers and was even present at the Holland Land Office dedication in 1894. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.
"This project is a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
Join us at Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night at the Museum on Thursday, March 14 at 7 p.m. In honor of Women's History Month, our topic is Famous Women of History. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to welcome back No Blarney for our St. Patrick's Day tradition, as they play all your favorite Irish music tunes from throughout the years. The concert will be Friday, March 15, from 7-9 p.m. Admission is $5 or $4 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com. Seating is limited to reserve your spot early.
"This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Guest Speaker Series on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. We welcome Buffalo author and historian Julianna Woite, who shares her most recent work, a historical novel, "Our Invisible String: a year-long journey through the stages of forbidden love," set in Buffalo in 1957. It follows the teenage love affair of 16-year-old Josie Johnson and her "test of character and her ability to find beauty between the lines." Copies of the book are available for sale for $15. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you want to attend.
"This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Java with Joe E. morning coffee series on Thursday, March 28 at 9 a.m. Our Curator, Tyler Angora, will be sharing the history of bridal fashion throughout the eras of the 19th century. The presentation will also feature examples from the museum collection. Admission is free with pastries and coffee. Reservations are required; please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com to reserve your spot. We want to thank Pub Coffee Hub for sponsoring Java with Joe E. for 2024.
