Our 2017 Quarterly Programs are scheduled for the following Sundays at 2:00pm:
February 19th:
“History & Design of the NEW Austerlitz Town Hall”
NOTE: This presentation will take place in the current TOWN HALL located in Spencertown (NOT at the Old Austerlitz site)
2:00pm-4:00pm
The historical & architectural significance of an iconic building! The “NEW” Austerlitz Town Hall has a fascinating historical and architectural past – and present! Join us for this special presentation in the Harvey House at Old Austerlitz.
Town Historian TOM MORELAND will speak about the historical transitions of our “new” Town Hall — from Church to Grange to Antique Shop to Town Hall, and PHIL PERSINGER will discuss the architectural details of its latest transformation.
May 7th:
“In the Shadow of Death: Illness and Health-Seeking in Early 19th Century New York & New England”
Professor Elisabeth Gitter
In the Harvey House at Old Austerlitz
2:00pm-4:00pm
Professor Gitter’s talk focuses on the devastating epidemic diseases that afflicted Americans in the first half of the 19th Century, and which later fueled the growth of the Shaker herb industry, the Tilden Pharmaceutical Company, and the spa at Lebanon Springs.
August 20th: Annual Meeting
“Butter: A Rich History”
A delicious presentation by award-winning food writer and chef, Elaine Khosrova
In the Morey-Devereaux Barn at Old Austerlitz
2:00pm-4:00pm
“The delicious kitchen staple we so often take for granted is not merely a stick tucked into our refrigerator door. It’s a culinary catalyst, an agent of change, a gastronomic rock star. From its accidental invention in a long-ago herder’s pouch to its ubiquitous presence in the world’s most fabulous cuisines, butter is boss. Now, it finally gets its due.”
November 19th UPDATE
The Quarterly Meeting will now be part of our Holiday Gathering on December 3rd
In the Morey-Devereaux House at Old Austerlitz
2:00pm-5:00pm
“Eat, Drink & Be Merry!
Join us at the Morey-Devereaux House on Sunday, December 3rd from 2 to 5 pm for a holiday gathering to celebrate the contributions of our wonderful members and volunteers.
Each quarter, we present a program or speaker that is designed to inform or educate the public on a variety of topics. Some of our past programs have been on schoolhouses across America; quilting; the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society; the notorious Austerlitz cannibal, Oscar Beckwith; barns of New York State; Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman; the “Hidden History of Columbia County;” the Dutch influence on the American kitchen; and, housing styles of homes found in Columbia County.
These gatherings on the grounds of Old Austerlitz are free and everyone is welcome. Mark your calendars. Before the program, there is a brief business meeting. Refreshments are served at the end of the program.