Holland Land Office Museum

People kept asking Barb Toal what Batavia Peace Garden was all about, and it was too great a concept for her to explain, so there was only one thing for her to do.

Write a book about it.

“The story is too big to tell, you know, it’s too hard to explain to people what it’s all about in five minutes,” said Toal, co-founder of the garden nestled around Holland Land Office Museum on West Main Street in Batavia. “And lots of people were asking me to tell them a little bit here, a little bit there. And I finally said, you know, if we don’t start documenting this, nobody’s gonna know what this is all about.”

And the "Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden" was born. There will be a book signing event, with light refreshments served, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at GO Art!, 201 E. Main St., Batavia.

The garden’s evolution began with Toal’s idea and the vision being outlined in paperwork in 2010. “We had to build the integrity of our organization,” Toal said, and earn the respect of the community, as those early members forged ahead with their plans to be on and in the grounds of the museum.

“And without this community, we could have never been in there,” she said. “This community is incredible. The people, the donations, and how they care about the families who care about the community are just amazing. Because every cent that has ever gone into that garden is from this community.

“All these years later, 13 years later, we got our first grant tool to enroll … to do the mural on the water tank, and the path to the second phase of the garden, because the first phase is completed and full. And the second one has partially started, and the third has been designed.”

Whoa, hold on there Barb Toal. Folks need to know much more about the beginning phase. After all, that’s why the book was written. They wanted to know what this Peace Garden stuff was all about, right?

It originated after Toal visited International Peace Garden founder Paula Savage at her home. Toal was watching footage of peace gardens on a laptop and saw one in Italy and then one in Ireland. As it happened, she had seen both of them in person during prior trips. 

“I thought it was meant to be,” Toal said. “I bought into it. I wanted to get this garden put where it is, I fought like the devil. I wanted to get people to the museum. I was born and raised in Batavia and I wanted to show it off.”

Savage is also from Batavia, and “we both love our community” Toal said. She felt that Savage, with her International Peace Garden clout, could literally bring the idea home. 

Savage came up with the idea for a garden in 1990 as a way to honor the United States and Canada as the only two countries in the world that shared the longest undefended border for more than 200 years, and her vision was accepted and installed in Washington, D.C. in 1991.

Gardens were then presented worldwide, first to Poland, and then Germany, and Hungary, and one by one, 20 countries honored one another by choosing the next one in line for an international peace garden as a token of goodwill and, of course, world peace.

There was the eventual development of a trail of peace gardens for the bicentennial commemoration activities for the War of 1812 along Lake Ontario and the U.S. and Canadian border, aptly named the Bicentennial Peace Garden Trail.  

Toal had just retired, and Savage asked her to carry out a dream to create a memorial garden to honor their community. They both knew it would take “a large amount of creativity to connect world peace to our very own small hometown community,” Toal said.

An initial planning design phase began with a committee and volunteers, as they began to work toward their goals. Batavia became a site for an honorary International Peace Garden as part of the 400-mile War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden trail from Buffalo to Plattsburgh. 

There was a garden groundbreaking in 2011. The book captures much of the progress before and since then with lots of photographs of volunteers and people who were integral to it all coming to fruition. There were those first three paying members. A cool metal globe crafted and installed by local businesses. Dignitaries, a drum and bugle corps. Scenes of digging up the earth and planting future growth. Painting benches and placing bricks. Flying flags, hands in cement, and solemn ceremonies. The Statue of Liberty. Smiles and celebrations. Re-enactment demonstrations, tours, and lessons. Fundraisers, and hotdog sales. A new shed, and longtime old friends.

Now that the first phase has been completed, which includes a painted mural on the water tank, Phase II of a soon-to-be installed arbor at the entrance, along with flags for more countries joining in spreading world peace are in the works. The second phase will also include interpretive panels that members are planning to dedicate some time next June, she said.

A third phase not quite so mapped out as of yet, is to potentially connect the ongoing garden trail to the city’s plans to develop Creek Park property behind the ice arena, she said. 

But for now, the book is on a shelf to tell the story that Toal wished to tell. 

“Because everybody goes, ‘I know the flags are there, what are they there for?’ They don’t know. But each one of those countries has an actual Peace Garden in it. And then, you know, so every year or two, or however the board chooses, another garden is added,” Toal said. “So that’s why when we designed this, to begin with, we knew that the first garden would be full of the flags we had to start with. So for the next stage of the second phase … there are flags on hold to go in there. But we can’t do anything until we get all the permissions from everybody. And then we’d add a flag each year to add more countries of the world trying to make peace, the countries that are trying to work peacefully together.” 

And rest assured, that garden members will continue to raise money to keep the effort going, from bricks and T-shirts to a seasonal hotdog stand, pins, and local flags. Even when they have a holiday get-together, board members pay their own way, she said, so as not to take money away from what’s to be spent on essentials for the garden. 

“When you love what you do it makes life so much easier; it’s a labor of love, more than a chore,” Toal said. “And we take pride in the garden.”

Proceeds from the book will go to Batavia Peace Garden. They may be purchased at GO Art!, Oliver’s Candies, and Holland Land Office Museum in Batavia. 

Press Release:

Come to the Holland Land Office Museum to see the first in a series of mini-exhibits focusing on materials and objects of our collection that have suffered from neglect and time. The Decomposing Past series will begin with textiles from Tuesday, Oct. 3 until Tuesday, Oct. 31. 

The objective of this multipart exhibit series is to bring awareness to the importance of museum work and the preservation of the physical past. The first installment focuses on textiles and clothing across 180 years (1750-1930)!

Admission to the exhibit is included in regular museum admission. Along with the exhibit, our curator will be hosting a textile workshop on Oct. 21, discussing various preservation methods and various items housed in the HLOM Clothing Collection!

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the first in our new series of "Decomposing Past" Workshops. The first will be on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m.

This workshop will focus on antique textiles, and discuss various preservation methods of items within the museum collection. Our Curator Tyler Angora will share these methods in the hope that you can use them and understand the textile conservation practices on your own pieces. 

Admission is $10 or $5 for museum members. This series of workshops is in conjunction with The Decomposing Past mini-exhibits at the museum.

Press Release:

Have you ever wondered how Genesee County came to be? What was the Holland Land Purchase? What is a Gibbet? How did Batavia get its name? If any of these questions peak your curiosity among many others, then volunteering at the Holland Land Office might be perfect for you. 

The museum is reaching out to anyone with an interest in local history who would like to volunteer. Any amount of time that can be given is welcome, even an hour a week can make a great difference. 

Volunteers can work in many different areas, and interests and strengths will be used to the most optimum effect. Areas of need include cleaning, gift shop, docent/tour guide, documenting of artifacts, exhibits and displays, landscaping, etc. 

Volunteer hours would be during the normal hours of operation of the museum are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is also looking for volunteers for our various committees including, Marketing Committee, Collections Committee, Membership Committee, Wonderland of Trees Committee, etc.

If you have an interest in volunteering with the Holland Land Office Museum, please contact Director Ryan Duffy at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com. Information can also be found on the museum’s website at www.hollandlandoffice.com.

Press Release:

On Saturday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Batavia Country Club, the Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the return of the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater with WNY Improv. This time they will be putting on "A Murderous Affair: The Truish Murder Mystery of Johnston L. Lynch".

Once a sanctuary of opulence and decorum, the Batavia Country Club becomes the eerie backdrop to the murder of Johnston L. Lynch, a lawyer whose gruesome end shattered the peace of this tight-knit community. 

"A Murderous Affair" isn't just another murder mystery—it's an immersive experience, an investigation into the shadows of Batavia's history, and a labyrinth of mysteries waiting to be solved. Put on your detective hat and be a part of this unforgettable event at the Batavia Country Club. Discover what truly happened in the enigmatic world of Johnston L. Lynch and make your own conclusion in this enthralling real-life whodunit.

Tickets are $75 per person. Museum members receive early sign-up. Choose from 4 different entrée options- Prime Rib, Chicken French, Crab Stuffed Fish, Pasta Primavera. Meal includes salad, roll, potato, vegetable, and beverage. A cash bar will be available.

Seats are limited. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com to reserve a spot. Please have your food preference ready with the reservation.

Press Release:

Western New York author Rob Thompson, after nearly two years of painstaking research has completed, what he declares as his most difficult of projects. 

The Sullivan Expedition is considered by many to be the most significant military campaign of the American Revolution. The expedition was seen by George Washington as a necessity for ridding the colonial frontier of the Indian threat, and from the assaults by the infamous Butler’s Rangers. Washington’s controversial method was to clear western New York of the Indians by destroying their crops and villages forcing thousands of Native Americans to seek refuge from the British at Fort Niagara. 

Under the leadership of Maj. Gen. John Sullivan and aided by Gens. Clinton, Maxwell, and Hand, nearly 5,000 men crossed the western Finger Lakes destroying over fifty Indian settlements and burning thousands of acres of crops, The most well-known event of Sullivan’s Expedition occurred near Conesus Lake: the capturing and horrific torture of two men Lt. Thomas Boyd and Sgt. Michael Parker. 

Chapters include the founding of the Iroquois Confederacy (the Huedensee), the life of Mary Jemison, the “White Woman of the Genesee,” the headaches endured by George Washington caused not only by Sullivan but others within the structure of the Army, and the controversial topic of genocide.

“Regrading genocide, I present the facts of the expedition, and though I express my personal view I encourage the reader to make their own determination based upon the facts I present. If one thing is learned it’s that at one time in all of human history regardless of race, ethnicity or religion all men have been victims of and perpetrators of hate.”

This compilation of archived material is greatly enhanced by in-depth research is a fine, easy-to-read book and one that will certainly encourage further study by all who read it. One point of enjoyment is the introduction of numerous historical tid-bits such as the life of riflemen Timothy Murphy, the legend behind the run of Adam Helmer, Daniel Shays of the Shays Rebellion (buried in Conesus New York) and the myth behind the lost cannon.

On Saturday, September 23, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holland Land Office Museum there will be a signing of Behold and Blush-The Sullivan Expedition, The Linden Murders Solved, Twisted Tree Final Word on the Linden Murders, and Candles in the Rain (the story of the 1997 Genesee County Janet Rippel cold case).

Press Release:

Join us on Friday, September 29, and Thursday, October 19 at 7 p.m. as Connie Boyd shares the spooky, sinister, and weird documented stories from the West Side of Batavia's past. Come and listen to tales of murder, ghosts, body-snatching hangings, and abandoned cemeteries. 

This presentation is the same as our Ghost Walk, perfect for those who don't want to or aren't able to 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!”

Please join the Holland Land Office Museum for a West Side Ghost Walk on Fridays in October. The walks led by Connie Boyd will take place on October 6, 13, 20, and 27 at 7 p.m. We will also be adding second walks beginning at 7:30 on October 6, 13, and 20.

Take a walk on the west side and hear tales of murders, hangings, grave robbing, ghosts, and other eerie happenings from Batavia's past. Hear stories of Joseph Ellicott, E. N. Rowell, and other famous and infamous Batavians.

Admission is $15.00 or $10.00 for museum members and reservations are required with purchase. Tours are limited to 20 people each. The tour begins and ends at the museum and is approximately 1 1/2 to two hours in length.

For tickets or more information, please call (585) 343-4727, email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com, or stop by at 131 W. Main St. Batavia.

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. GCC professor, author, and historian Derek Maxfield will be sharing his presentation "Victorian Deathways" on the many customs surrounding mourning and death in Victorian era culture. "In light of the 200th anniversary of the great and historic Batavia Cemetery, it seems fitting to examine American attitudes towards death. This may seem morbid to some, but how a society observes death - like other milestones – tells us much about their culture and values. The Victorians, in particular, created a number of fascinating ways of observing death – from redesigning cemeteries to the language we use to talk about it. This talk will focus mainly on antebellum Victorian culture, roughly 1835 to the outbreak of the Civil War." 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!”

Genesee County will soon be graced with two fantastic celestial events and Dan Schneiderman of the Rochester Museum of Science Center is heading our way to tell us everything we need to know! Join Dan for a FREE public talk being held at the Holland Land Office Museum on Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. as he discusses the science & history of solar eclipses and how to prepare for this extraordinary astronomical opportunity. Reserve your seat by September 7 by phone or email at 585-343-4727; hollandlandoffice@gmail.comThis is a free event (Donations are always accepted for Holland Land Office Programming.) To learn more about how Genesee County is planning to celebrate these events please visit GeneSEEtheEclipse.com. “Genny the Cow” Genesee County’s eclipse mascot will also be on site for photo ops! 

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, Sept.14 at 7 p.m. This month's topic is the ship of the pilgrims, The Mayflower. 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, September 21 at 7 p.m. We welcome local presenter and researcher Joseph Van Remmen, as he shares his well-researched theory of how the city of Buffalo got its name. There are a number of theories thrown around, but Mr. Van Remmen's is one you might not have heard of until now. Admission is $5/$3 for museum 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!”

Come to the Holland Land Office Museum on Saturday, September 23 from 1 - 4  p.m. as local author Rob Thompson will be signing copies of all of his works. Rob lives in Attica and is most known for his books on the Linden Murders, but he has also just written a new book on the Sullivan Campaign of the Revolutionary War, "Behold & Blush: The Sullivan Expedition", which was waged against the Seneca in the Genesee Valley. He will also have copies of other works including Candles in the Rain and Swinging in the Rain. Copies of each of his books will be available. Prices range from $10-$15. 

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Java with Joe E. morning presentation series on Thursday, September 28 at 9 a.m. The museum welcomes the Town of Batavia Historian, Bernida Scoins, as she shares the life and works of Batavia native author John Gardner. Bernida will also have artifacts and items related to Gardner for display. Admission is free with coffee and donuts. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

Press Release: 

"Tea and Spirits" at the Holland Land Office Museum(HLOM) was visited by Dean Richmond, Mary Richmond, and Eli Fish, famous residents of the Historic Batavia Cemetery. They entertained the crowd at a 200th-anniversary tea party on Sunday, August 20. Tales of their lives, accomplishments, and local, state, and national influence were told and enjoyed by all in attendance. 

One more "Tea and Spirits" with sweet treats and savory bites is scheduled for September 17 at 2 p.m. Famous Civil War General John Martindale, Fouierist and social reformer Albert Brisbane, and poet Reverend John Yates will be in attendance. Reservations are required, tickets may be obtained by calling the museum at 343-4727. Tickets are $20 for HLOM members and $25 for non-members. Hurry, space is limited!

Press Release:

Three famous residents of the Historic Batavia Cemetery attended a 200th-anniversary tea party at The Holland Land Office Museum on Sunday, July 23. Joseph Ellicott, his sister Rachel Ellicott Evans, and the infamous William Morgan regaled the crowd with stories of their fortunes and misfortunes in the early nineteenth century.

The Ellicotts were thrilled to be visited by their descendant cousins, David Ellicott and his daughter, Rachel Ellicott, who came from Poughkeepsie and Brooklyn to attend the tea.

Two more teas with sweet treats and savory bites are scheduled. Dean and Mary Richmond and Eli Fish will visit on August 20, and General John Martindale, Albert Brisbane, and Reverend John Yates will appear on September 17th at 2 p.m. Reservations are required and tickets, which are $25, $20 for HLOM members, may be obtained by calling the museum at 343-4727. Space is limited! 

Submitted photos

A 41-page building conditions study for Holland Land Office Museum was released to The Batavian Wednesday after the county attorney gave it a thorough review, per county Manager Matt Landers' request.

Landers and the Public Service Committee discussed the study during Monday's meeting; however, Landers said he didn't feel comfortable releasing the document without passing it through proper channels to ensure it didn't contain anything of a confidential nature. 

Also titled an “opinion of probable construction cost,” the report pinpoints the various needs — from structural, electrical and mechanical to cosmetic, sanitary and customer service focused —of the historic site at 131 West Main St., Batavia.

"When you tally it up, you’re in the ballpark of $1.2 million. That’s our target,” County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens said after Monday’s Public Service meeting. “The cost was $1.5 million for the stonework at the jail, and this isn’t as extensive, but once you start looking at a project … we will probably put out an RFP and come back with a recommendation by September.”

Just as with any kind of home improvement project, costs can add up really quickly, he said, which is why they’re trying to cap it at $1.2 million. There are items on the list that will never get done, such as a new sprinkler system, he said.

Tasks were categorized by necessity, with top priority going to the very critical: fire alarm system upgrades, a new addressable system, cleanup of existing wiring, updating the grounding system, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance adjustments to the bathroom. 

The next level is critical, which would include exterior work on the museum’s columns, stone base, and wood canopy, replacing windows, exterior stone facade, patching and regrouting the full exterior of 2,500 square feet, lap siding with patch and paint at three to five locations, and paint the entire 3,000 square feet; repair the roof, including 530 square feet of flashing.

Considered “less critical,” at the bottom of the list are a number of incidentals, including the removal and replacement of concrete sidewalks and the asphalt parking lot, a stormwater treatment system, replacing a shed, clearing and grubbing the fence line, pest removal; and interior work of wood floor refinishing on the first and second floors; carpet replacement; piping work to allow replacement of sanitary and storm systems; insulation; mechanical cleanup; and an energy recovery unit.

While the first two categories fall within life safety, protection and building shell stabilization justifications, the less critical items are considered landscape upgrades, repairs, interior finishes and means for comfort. 

“Now you talk about rehabbing the columns on the front of the building or replacing the electrical system in the building or the fire alarm system, you start getting, you know, as you start working in old buildings, sometimes you crawl in and find things you didn't realize existed. So if we are going to move ahead on fixing this building and maintaining this building, we want to keep in mind the inflationary factor of municipal bidding and prevailing wage and all the things that come with it,” he said to the group of legislators. “So what we would like to do is basically find out what your pain tolerance is in terms of how much money you would like to spend on the building. I would say my recommendation to you is to try to nail the very critical things in an immediate sense. And then try to knock off as many of the critical items as you think you can afford. Again, the timing and placement of some of the critical items in terms of windows and painting and columns. 

“You know, some of that stuff, if you're going to choose to do one, I think you almost end up doing all because if you were going to paint the building, you wouldn't want to come in after the fact and replace the windows. If you were going to do the stone porch, you have to do the columns at the same time. So there's a lot of things that you kind of would have to progress at the same time,” Hens said. “I think you could easily spend — if you were to knock off the red and the orange the critical and the very critical — we could probably spend upwards of $1.2 to $1.3 million to try to knock all those items off. What we'd like to do from an approach is engage with a historically appropriate architect like we did with the stonework building, have them develop basically a concept, and then run that through a third-party cost estimator to get a really accurate number, which is what we did on the stonework project, I think that was very beneficial to us from a planning and budgeting standpoint. 

“So if that sounds acceptable, I'd like to come back to committee either August or September based on the timing with a proposal from a consultant, establish a capital project for at least for the design portion of it,” he said. “And then, based on what we get back from our construction estimator, figure out how much we want to chew off and potentially use capital funds to progress on a construction project in 2024.”

Legislator Gary Maha has held onto the same stance for these types of renovations, he said.

“My position has always been, this building is owned by the county, who should take care of it, just like you can take care of your home, you know, and unfortunately, the museum over the years hasn't been taken care of, there's money issues or whatever," he said. "But if you do need to move ahead and do something with our building, we're gonna keep it, we need to keep it up to par.” 

There are several funding opportunities identified in the report, such as environmental protection fund grants, State Council on the Arts funding, an Empire State Development Market program, and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Legacy Fund for Community Assets. 

Hens is cautious about historic preservation grants, which “are nice, but have so many strings attached,” he said. Sometimes, once contractors are aware that such a grant is involved, their proposals increase to match the prospective funding. And the red tape involved can delay a project, adding even more cost due to inflation.

“I would rather get a good contractor and get it done,” he said. 

The 200-year history of the Historic Batavia Cemetery is on display at the Holland Land Office Museum in a show curated by HLOM Director Ryan Duffy and Cemetery Association President Sharon Burkel.

The display opened on Wednesday.

"All the people who founded this community are buried in there," Burkel said. "These people came from Connecticut, Massachusetts, in the late 1700s, early 1800s. They came in wagons, probably drawn by oxen and horses. I always ask people, would you do that? Would you leave your home in those areas and come this far, make your way through Indian Territory and everything else to establish a city? A lot of them were very influential nationally, like Dean Richmond. These people held a great deal of power. (The cemetery is) Also important when you look at all the streets in the city. All the names on the streets are all the people that are buried in that cemetery. And the reason that it's on the state national register -- because most of their homes and businesses are gone. And that was one of the main reasons we got designated."

Burkel said the city's first cemetery was on South Lyon Street, by the Tonawanda Creek, but when there were floods, bodies washed away, so they moved it over to what is now known as Harvester Avenue but was originally Cemetery Street. It was owned by the Presbyterian Church and the Episcopal Church.

In 1823, the Batavia Cemetery Association was formed and that not-for-profit organization took over ownership and still owns it today. 

Duffy said HLOM had some artifacts related to the cemetery, but the association loaned to the museum much of what is on display. 

"It was about creating a new space, but also shining light on another local hidden gem that people tend to forget about sometimes," Duffy said.

Preparing the display was an interesting task at times. He had to research what organizations some metal grave markers represented, and some of the artifacts the museum already had in its inventory hadn't necessarily been connected to the cemetery before. 

"There was a little bit of detective work going into some of this, which always makes it a little more exciting," Duffy said. "Going through things that are here in the museum, we didn't necessarily know they were connected to people in the cemetery because we hadn't really taken a deep look into them. So it uncovered a lot of things that we didn't even know we had."

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum's History Heroes Summer Program is back for 2023 from Tuesday, July 25 through Saturday, July 29. The program is for children ages 7-12. 

This year's theme is "I Survived the Civil War" and features lessons about various groups and their lives during the Civil War. This includes not only soldiers but also women and children and even President Abraham Lincoln. Each day runs from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. and includes crafts, games, music, presenters, historic food, and more. 

The price is $40 per day or $30 for museum members. Please contact the museum to sign up or for more information. Registration forms and information can also be found at the museum website, www.hollandlandoffice.com.

Press Release:

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, July 13, at 7 p.m. This month's topic is the Battle of Gettysburg, as it is the 160th anniversary of the battle this year. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 if you would like to attend.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Guest Speaker Series on Wednesday, July 19 at 7 p.m. Local reenactors Ed Brodbeck and David Kreutz will be portraying General Ulysses S. Grant and President Abraham Lincoln, in a dramatic retelling of the relationship the two leaders had during the Civil War. 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!

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Java with Joe E. morning presentation series on Thursday, July 27 at 9 a.m. The museum welcomes Genesee County Historian, Michael Eula, as he shares his new book "The National is Local: Genesee County, NY, 1802-Present" on the history of our county and the connection to national events. Admission is free with coffee and donuts. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the opening of its next exhibit, “Memento Mori: The Historic Batavia Cemetery, 200 Years, 1823-2023”. The exhibit will be on display from Wednesday, July 5 through Saturday, November 4. 

The exhibit details the 200-year history of the cemetery, the lives of some of the famous Batavians who are buried there, cemetery artifacts, as well as examples of how people have mourned the loss of their love through the past 200 years. The exhibit is done in collaboration with the Historic Batavia Cemetery Association.

There will be an opening night event for the exhibit on Wednesday, July 12 from 7 - 9 p.m. All are welcome to come and see this interesting exhibit on loss and commemoration in our community. Visitors can also see the rest of the museum after going through the new exhibit. Donations will be accepted by both organizations.

Press Release: 

As part of New York State's Path Through History, the Holland Land Office Museum will be hosting a War of 1812 Encampment on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The event features re-enactors, encampments, and other displays both inside and outside of the museum. The re-enactors are from the local Genesee Militia, which was stationed in Batavia.

Batavia was the location that U.S. forces and refugees from Buffalo retreated to after the village of Buffalo was burned in December 1813. 

The event is included with regular admission to the museum. You can find other great events happening during the Path Through History Weekend by following the link below https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/path-through-history/.

A 20-year property lease will provide the assurance for Holland Purchase Historical Society to move forward with plans for Holland Land Office Museum’s eventual restoration and expansion on the west side, Executive Director Ryan Duffy says.

The nonprofit’s board has been pursuing a capital project and related survey; however, nailing down an agreement that the Society would retain rights to the property throughout the project was an integral part of the process before moving forward, Duffy said after approval by the Human Services Committee on Monday.

“So this is an important piece to allow us to pursue funding for the dream of the addition, as we have to be able to show extended occupancy,” he said. “So having this lease allows us to do that and allows us to go after bigger grants.

“We’re going to have to get major funding through grants in order to pursue this project," he said. "So that’s why this lease agreement was very important.”

He couldn’t — or wouldn’t — disclose any other details about the project and a related timeline for grant funding, restoration and potential construction of a welcome center.

Last year county legislators approved the bid of $43,324 from consultant Wendel of Williamsville to conduct a restoration study of each nook and cranny of Holland Land Office Museum to determine what its future needs might be. The consultants were going to assess “functionality issues” of the West Main Street, Batavia, site, according to county Highway Superintendent Tim Hens.

“It’s a full, comprehensive look at the building,” Hens had said at the time. “And it should give us a road map of what we need.”

The Batavian checked back in with Hens this April to find out how that study was progressing, and he said it was still ongoing. County Attorney James Wujcik has also been working with the Historical Society’s board to finalize a lease agreement.

As County Manager Matt Landers explained, the project will require a substantial amount of grant funding, and “they just want assurances that we don't give the building away or sell it on them.” 

"I am supportive of it. Jim was able to find the ability for us to do this over the course of 20 years. With an out clause that we still have built into it,” Landers said.

Board members and legislators said that, in addition to the other purposes it serves, they would also like to see the museum become a polling site in the future.

Legislator Marianne Clattenburg was on board with future plans and happy to see the work that it’s taken to get here so far.

"I just want to say thank you to whoever was involved for having this come to fruition. The plans that they have are pretty impressive; I think many things we've seen for future generations, and it's a source of pride in our history,” Clattenburg said. “And also, it's a very significant educational tool for students that come through there. I know they want to expand on that, expanding progress and all that, so this is like the first step, and I wish them all the luck in the world getting what they need.”

The agreement states that the county agrees to lease to the Historical Society the premises commonly known as the Holland Land Office Museum located at 131 West Main Street, Batavia, NY.

The Historical Society will lease the entire two-story Holland Land Office Museum building and its east and west wings, totaling 6,132 square feet and shall have the right to use the west side parking lot in common with other visitors and uses, for a period of 20 years, from June July 1, 2023 to May 31, 2043.

This Agreement is contingent on the continuous and uninterrupted maintenance and operation of the Museum.

It was indeed a bit like the set of an episode of PBS's Antiques Roadshow at the First Presbyterian Church of Batavia on Saturday, with local residents walking in carrying their treasures and experts giving sharing what they observed about the item while the owner awaited the verdict: Priceless or worthless.

There were items of little or no value, such as the windup Victrola, which is a great artifact but a common item in antique terms. Of keener interest to Todd Jantzi, the Bontrager's auctioneer who shared his judgment on a several items during the nearly daylong appraisal event that was a fundraiser for the Holland Land Office Museum, was the old shellac 78s the owner of the Victrola brought in.  Those are not common and, in fact, among the hardest records for collectors to find.

Many items, of course, were of middling value, like the mantle clock brought in by Crystal Rhinehart of East Bethany.

It was made by Ansonia, a well-known maker of clocks with a solid reputation, Jantzi told her.

Rhinehart said the clock had been in her family since it was new.

"This would have taken a little bit more funds to purchase it, so it probably would have kept better time than some other clocks," Jantzi said.  

Then he joked, "We usually only see these from the homes of the rich people in East Bethany." 

He valued it at $100 to $225 at auction.

Other experts on hand during the day were representatives from Cottone Auctions and Schultz Auctioneers.  A variety of items were brought in from musical instruments, such as a guitar, and pieces of art, such as a colorized 1880s etching of the famous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.

At the end of the day, Gary Harkness and his wife, Debbie, walked in with a bag of items for appraisal.  

The largest item was the one that came out of the bag first. It was a cast white metal lamp with two candle-shaped lights.  Harkness said it sits on his mantle as a night light.

It's from the 1920s or 1930s.

"No cracks, which is uncommon for that age," Jantzi said.

Harkness pointed out a small piece of metal missing, and Jantzi said, "But usually you'll see age cracks, and there's none here."

At auction, Jantzi said, $400, maybe $500. 

Then Jantzi picked up a scrimshaw-engraved bone card-carrying case and nudged a photographer, "You'll want to get a picture of this."

Above an etching of a patriotic woman was the inscription, "Col Emory Upton. 124 New York Vols." 

The other side was inscribed, "In much appreciation from U.S. Grant, Nov. 1863."  

Upton, of course, is the Batavia-born Civil War hero, who would become a general before the war's end, and whose likeless stands vigil at Main and Ellicott in the city.  Grant, a future president, would, in a few months' time from the date of the inscription, take over command of the U.S. military and lead the Union to victory over the traitorous southern states. 

Harkness said he bought the case about 25 years ago from a dealer in Canada for $600 or $700.  

Jantzi said it's such a rare item with such historical significance, he couldn't put a price on it.

"That is cool, Gary. That is cool," Jantzi said. "The only way you're gonna find out is to put it up for auction. That's the only way you'll ever find out, but you hate to get rid of it to find out."

Harkness said he's thought about a heritage auction, but, he said, "It's not going anywhere soon." 

The historical treasure has been displayed before at the Holland Land Office Museum, he said.

Kind of like a real episode of “Antiques Roadshow,” Harkness coming in at the end with Upton's card box from Grant, gave the day of appraisals its dramatic closing.

Harkness let a couple of volunteers hold the case, and one woman said, "Oh, my God" as she looked at it in awe.

"And you touched it," said the other. "You touched it." 

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum’s Java with Joe E. presentation by David Reilly originally scheduled for Thursday, May 25 at 2 p.m. has been cancelled. It has been replaced by the following program: the HLOM is proud to announce the next edition of our Java with Joe E. series on Thursday, May 25 at 9 a.m. This month's presenter is our Director Ryan Duffy. His presentation, “Genesee County Civil War Medal of Honor Soldiers,” details the lives, service, and deeds of the four Civil War soldiers with a connection to Genesee County, who were awarded the Medal of Honor. Admission is free and coffee and donuts will be provided. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

You know that old Tiffany-style lamp in the attic? The one next to the cuckoo clock circa 1965? Haven’t you ever wondered what they’re worth, whether to sell it or just in case there was ever a fire?

Well, now’s your chance, Ryan Duffy says. Appraisals on Main: HLOM Appraisal Day will have three experts available to examine and appraise up to five items per person.

“The whole concept is people bring in the items that they want to either learn what their value is, in terms of monetary worth, but also to maybe learn a little bit more about their history or use or what we call provenance, which is sort of background information that they might not know,” said Duffy, Holland Land Office Museum’s executive director, during an interview Wednesday.

The event is a fundraiser for the Holland Land Office and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 20 at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 East Main St., Batavia. 

Appointments are required and may be made online or, for those without access to technology, by calling the museum at 585-343-4727.  

There will be three appraisers on hand from Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service in Batavia, Schultz Auctioneers in Clarence and Cottone Auctions in Geneseo. They will meet with people for approximately 10 minutes, depending on how many items are brought in, and discuss what is presented before them.

“The beauty of having these three gentlemen is that they can pretty much look at anything. They've got a wide range of expertise, and it's kind of seeing just about everything you can see in the field, so we're really not limiting it,” Duffy said. “I will add that if somebody has an item that maybe is too big or they're not comfortable bringing that in, they can bring in photographs as a substitute,  images of them that they can have the appraisers look at to help give them some information.”

The cost is $5 per item, and proceeds will go toward "more programming," Duffy said.

As for Duffy’s personal experience in such appraisals, “I shy away from it,” he said. He has gone through the process, but not so much for any of his own personal items, he said. The museum has obtained these appraisers for past events and is familiar with their work, he said. Appraisals on Main are to help with the operation of the museum.

“We’re working on summer programming, another thing we're working towards is the west wing addition, hopefully moving forward in that process going forward. That's a multi-year project for sure. But we're in the beginning stages of that,” he said. “And working on new exhibits, as well. And other larger programming throughout the seasonal, major programs.”

Todd Jantzi, an appraiser from Bontrager, has been in the business for 27 years. It wasn’t his first career choice, he said, as his college aspirations were to become a teacher. When Jantzi was 10, his uncle took him along to an auction, and Jantzi found it “intriguing,” except for working on Saturdays, weekends, nights and in cold weather.

But the auctioneer’s call was too strong, and he was drawn back. Once he joined the family business, he stayed and never looked back. “It’s been a great position, a great occupation,” he said.

His advice for what people should bring to this event?
“People can bring in unique items, items of interest, be it local, unusual, is always the most interesting. They bring in what they think has value,” he said. “And we can share with them if it does or doesn't, they can bring items that they might want to have an appraisal for insurance reasons, so not necessarily even what they're thinking of selling, but just in case if they have something in their home.”

With a background of an uncle founding the Bontrager business in 1935, first in Lancaster, then moving to Darien and settling onto Wortendyke Road in Batavia, Jantzi may know a thing or two of what he’s talking about. What used to be conducted on-site, auctions are completely now online and happen about twice a week, he said.

He runs into items that have more sentimental than monetary value, and folks may have to hear that as well as the sound of a nice dollar figure for their goods.

What about that massive vanity set with mirror attached?
If items are too large or cumbersome to bring in, people may bring in photos  — Jantzi suggests taking five or six shots from all angles to allow for the best perception of the item. 

Has he ever encountered that big jackpot item that shocked its owner? 
No.

“You get 90 percent with similar items like in our own homes,” he said.

These are verbal appraisals, and if people would like a written one, they can follow up individually with the appraiser after the event.

Several dozen people have signed up already, but there are plenty of slots remaining, Duffy said. The slots are in one-hour blocks for 10-minute segments. To sign up, go HERE. Or call 585-343-4727.