Holland Land Office Museum

Holland Land Office Museum is hosting its 10th Annual Batavia Antique Show & Sale at Batavia Downs.

The event continues Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m..

Local musicians Rich Conroy and Don Bouchard, as "No Blarney," performed a show of new and traditional Irish music Friday evening at St. James as a fundraiser for the Holland Land Office Museum.

The Holland Land Office Museum opens a new exhibit at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, to commemorate 200th anniversary of the building it calls home.

The building was the third location built by Joseph Ellicott for the Holland Land Office, where Ellicott and his agents sold property to Western New York's first settlers.

That's why they call it the "Birthplace of Western New York."

Some of those first deeds, called indentures, will be on display in the new exhibit, along with surveying material as well as other items that made the land office a land office.

The exhibit will cover the entire period of land office history, including the War of 1812 and the impact of the Erie Canel on WNY trade.

Some of the exhibits will be affixed to panels covered with carpet (the better to hold Velcro) donated by Max Pies Furniture.

There's also information on how John Kennedy, the local educator and education reformer, saved the building for Batavia when Henry Ford tried to buy it and move it to his property in Michigan.

The exhibit kicks off a series of bicentennial events, including in May the burying of a time capsule. 

Fifth-graders from throughout Genesee County are being invited to write letters to their future selves to be buried in the time capsule.  

Any local resident can include a letter or other small item in the time capsule. Call the museum at (585) 343-4727 for more information.

The museum was first dedicated Oct. 13, 1894, and it will be rededicated Oct. 13 of this year.

Photo: Jeff Donahue, museum director, Jim Owen, museum board member, Phil Pies and Steve Pies of Max Pies Furniture.

Photos and write-up by Steve Ognibene.

The 13th annual Wonderland of Trees Gala of 2014 was tonight at the Holland Land Office Museum in Batavia. This year there were 38 trees from different area businesses including nonprofits.  Director Jeff Donahue, entering his fifth year at the helm, spoke about how they have had as many as 40 trees in previous years but it became to crowded so they like to keep it under 40. Jeff also spoke a little bit on the history. It originally was held at McCaully Hall (St. Jerome's building) on Main Street and started out small with only a few trees. After a few years, the event shifted locations to the HLOM. Friday's dinner was catered by D&R Depot. This year featured a choir, a local entertainer Don Bouchard on acoustic guitar, a silent auction, and a greater number of donated raffle baskets. The display will continue through Christmas and end just after New Year.

Julie Marino and Brianna Rindall of Batavia.

Amy Worthington of Amy's Fluffy Friends with her tree.

There was a silent auction and basket raffle.

Musical accompaniment by Don Bouchard.

Jim Owen and Marilyn Donahue

The Quaker Muller tree

The Girl Scout tree

Ben Landers

Sponsored Post: Donated to the Holland Land Office Museum by The Batavian.

The Holland Land Office Museum is hosting a Fall Family Festival tomorrow from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Willow Bend Inn on West Main Street Road, Batavia.

There will be live music from Red Creek (pictured) along with children's games, period dress, musket firing, basket raffle and food. Admission is $5 for adults. Children are free. 

Proceeds benefit HLOM.

Jane Read and Anne Marie Starowitz were at Holland Land Office Museum on Saturday morning setting up a new exhibition about the history of local shoemaker p.w. minor. 

The grand opening of the display is Oct. 2.

Employees and retirees of p.w. minor are invited to a preview at 3 p.m. The public is invited to a ribbon cutting at 6:30 p.m.

Many of the items in the display were provided on loan from The new p.w. minor.

If a flood came along big enough to wash away the Holland Land Office Museum, the county would have bigger problems than worrying about the loss of an historic structure.

The building is irreplaceable, which had Ray Cianfrini, chairman of the County Legislature, wondering during Wednesday's Ways and Means Committee meeting, whether the county should spend $8,457 a year on flood insurance (The policy also covers county offices at 15 Main St.).

"If you lose the building, you're not going to replace it," Cianfrini said. "It's a loss, but we don't own anything inside. Are we spending good money to go after something we don't need?"

County Attorney Chuck Zambito said it's entirely a policy decision for the Legislature to make, but flood insurance covers more than just a total wipeout of the building (The current structure isn't even the original land office building, which was destroyed by fire in the 19th Century).

A flood could do a lot of damage to the building without washing away the main structure.

"What's more likely to happen is you're going to have significant damage and you'll need to repair it rather than tear down the building," Zambito said.

Committee Chairman Bob Bausch agreed.

"One issue we should be aware of is that in my lifetime that building has flooded at least twice," Bausch said.

The policy through Wright National Flood Insurance in St. Petersburg, Fla., has a $10,000 deductible on the land office on a $1,000 deductible on the office at 15 Main.

The buildings are covered under a separate policy for casualty and liability and damage other than flood.

Another reason for the insurance policy, Zambito said, is that for the county to file a claim with FEMA in the event of a disaster, if a building is within a flood zone and it didn't have flood insurance, FEMA could deny the building owner any assistance.

At the end of the discussion, the committee unanimously approved a resolution recommending the Legislature authorize purchase of the insurance.

Press release:

The 2014 History Heroes Summer Program at the Holland Land Office Museum is going to be our best year yet! For just $25 per day ($22 for Museum members), your child will be immersed in local and national history through group activities, arts, crafts, music, field trips, guest speakers, and more, culminating in a theatrical performance and picnic celebration!

The theme for the 2014 History Heroes Summer Program is “Railroads and Immigration.” The program runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for two weeks,Tuesday through Friday, from July 8-11 and from July 15-18.

To provide necessary attention and instruction to each child, and ensure that your child can experience our History Heroes Summer Program, please register by June 30. You may choose what days you would like to attend.

Our expert staff includes retired elementary teacher and program coordinator Anne Marie Starowitz along with Museum Director Jeffrey Donahue, Assistant Director Jeffrey Fischer, and art teacher Cathy Loria.

Highlights of this year’s program include:

• Designing “passports” and experiencing life as an immigrant coming into Ellis Island;
• A performance of the musical “We Come From Everywhere,” in which children will act, sing, wear costumes, and build and paint set;
• A field trip to the Attica & Arcade Railroad to ride an authentic steam engine;
• Healthy snacks and water are provided daily for participants. Full lunches will be provided on Tuesday July 9th, Thursday July 17th, and Friday July 18th.
• A day of weaving and knitting;
• Walking field trips;
• Historical crafts, and more!

Any questions, please call the museum, 343-4727. They will help you with your questions and tell you how to register your child.