Holland Land Office Museum

From the Holland Land Office Museum:

Eight days of history-oriented fun awaits young participants in the Holland Land Office Museum's History Heroes Summer Program. This year it begins on July 15 and ends July 26, running eight days Tuesday through Friday for two weeks.

It's for children 7 through 12 and begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.

The deadline to register is June 22.

The Underground Railroad will be highlighted. The children see firsthand some of the homes that were safe homes for fugitive slaves.

They will also visit the wonderful Le Roy House and the Jell-O Museum on Jell-O Day.

The program is divided into eight days. On the first day, the children will be introduced to a play that will culminate into a production for parents/ grandparents families on the last day. It will have some historical significance to this area.

The HLOM is also happy to announce that there will be a certified music teacher that will help with the songs for the play, a certified art teacher to entice the children to choose a home or a scene from Batavia to draw. There is also a retired college professor that taught photography at Brockport State College to take individual pictures of the children in various period clothes.

The History Heroes Summer program was established in 2011. It came about when a retired school teacher dream was to immerse children in their local history. Over the past three years the program has evolved into a history playground for young people.

Previously, the children learned how to knit with a 4-nailed loom. Last year the children were taught how to knit on a knitting loom, which could produce a scarf. This year they will learn how to weave.

Children are to bring a packed lunch; snacks and bottled water will be provided daily. They will receive a History Heroes T-shirt, too. Please check out the Holland Land office Web site and Facebook for more information.

The coordinator and teacher for the summer program is Anne Marie Starowitz, a retired school teacher from Robert Morris School.

The cost for EACH program is $22 for HLOM Members, and $25 for non-members.

July 16 -- Introduction to the Underground Railroad Day

July 17 -- Music Day / Play Parts         

July 18 -- Field Trip to Le Roy House / Jell-O Museum

July 19 -- Textile Day / Weaving & Knitting

July 23 -- Cooking Day / Costumes & Photographs

July 24 -- Art Lesson Day / Historical Photographs

July 25 -- Performing Arts Day / Play & Practice Music

July 26 -- Celebration Day / Play & Picnic                

Mrs. Richmond hosted a tea party at the Holland Land Office Museum today and dozens of local women attended.

Awards were given for the best hats.

Above, Dona LaValle, who won the award for best hat and ensemble.

Below, Anne Barone, most original, and Maryanne Arena, most elegant.

Jeff Donahue, director of the Holland Land Office Museum, stands with a big flag that once flew on the flagship of Rear Admiral Ralph Chandler, who was born in Batavia in 1829 and died in Hong Kong in 1889.

Chandler, a ship commander in the Civil War, was Asiatic Squadron commander from 1886 until his death.

The flag is on loan to the museum by Ralph Chandler Parker III. It measures 13' 11" on the hoist and 25' on the fly.

To fit it in the case, four people wearing archival gloves spread it out on sheets on the floor and then folded it, and folded it, and folded it, until it fit.

"It would have been beautiful if we could have displayed it at its full dimensions," Donahue said. "Unfortunately, we just don't have the space to do that."

Chandler was married to Cornelia Redfield and they had five children together.

The Holland Land Office Museum invited children in today from throughout Genesee County to participate in the annual snowman making contest and a chance to learn about the Civil War through a group of reenactors.

Above, contest winner Meyah Woods-Richardson, 5, a student at Jackson. Second, was Hunter Gaylord, 7, of Byron-Bergen.

CORRECTION: While held at HLOM, the event was sponsored and hosted by the Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden.

Santa had a busy day in Genesee County today and I did my best to keep up with him. 

I first found him at the Holland Land Office Museum, where his appearance coincided with the annual Children's Gala. Children made cookies, watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, ate pizza and let Santa in on what presents they'll be dreaming about on Christmas Eve.

Next, I found Santa at Alli's Cones and Dogs in Oakfield. At Alli's, both children and adults whispered in Santa's ear.

Finally, Santa promised the Genesee Sno Packers at their annual open house that their Christmas wish for snow will be granted. He also added all the good children who came to visit him to his long list of boys and girls who will find their desired gifts on Christmas morning.

More photos in the slide show. Parents who wish to purchase prints should click on the "visit gallery" link in the slide show.

Friday was the gala opening of the annual Wonderland of Trees at the Holland Land Office Museum.

The event features trees decorated in themes selected by their sponsors, which are local businesses, government agencies and charities.

The Wonderland Of Trees will be open at HLOM through the holiday season.

As I was out and about this morning, I kept seeing this group of youngsters in bright red shirts, walking this way and that, hither and yon, and going all about town.

While I was at city hall about 1 p.m., here they came again.

Ann Marie Starowitz was leading the group.

It turns out the 19 students are part of the Holland Land Office Museum Summer History Camp. Today was their first day and they went to the Batavia Cemetery and the Richmond Memorial Library to get a start on their study of local historical figures.

What started as an effort to organize and examine all of the old articles of clothing in the Holland Land Office Museum has turned into a new exhibit displaying the history of WNY wedding dresses.

More than 30 dresses -- most of them owned by HLOM, but some from local residents -- are on display and the show officially opens with a reception at 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 31.

The collection includes Civil War era dresses up through more modern gowns, including a 1940 plain satin gown and train, a 1920s-era lace gown with bolero jacket, a flapper gown of the same era and a 1870s two-piece wedding suit.

Charles Men's Shop is supplying a modern tux for display and Stella's Wedding Boutique is displaying a new wedding dress.

Treats from Sweet Ecstasy Bakery in Stafford will be served at the opening reception Saturday, and there will also be door prizes.

Maddie, 8, on the left, with Maranda, 9, and Tess, 9, decorate cookies this afternoon at the Holland Land Office Museum.

The Valentine's-themed event was put together by Tonisha Price, owner of Sweet Ecstasy Baker in Stafford.

Children were invited to HLOM throughout the afternoon to decorate heart-shaped cookies.

Below, Tess with her cookie.

As part of the summer program at the Holland Land Office Museum, students who were members of the program participated in making a quilt. Each student drew a picture of their favorite item in the museum and then the picture was scanned into a computer and printed on a piece of cloth. The Museum Quilt Guild then sewed the pieces together. 

The quilt was presented to the museum today and will be placed on display.

Pictured are some members of the guild (not all guild members were present, and not all pictured participated in the quilt's creation). In the picture are, from left, Cheryl Doody, Jeff Donahue (executive director of HLOM), Jean Butzer, Ethyl Sojda, Dodie Morrison, Ann Gouinlock, Christine Hansen and Anne Marie Starowitz.

Starowitz was leader of the summer program and said the quilt was the highlight project of the summer.

There are more trees this year, and more people showed up Friday for the Wonderland of Trees gala at the Holland Land Office Museum, according to Board President Bob Turk.

The display of trees decorated by local groups and businesses runs through Jan. 3, with a children's gala set for noon to 4 p.m. on Dec. 17.

Ann Reid, representing the Genesee Symphony Orchestra, accepts a plaque to be placed on a new display of historical items and pictures donated to the Holland Land Office Museum commemorating the orchestra's long history in Genesee County.