Dear Members and Friends of the Society,

This annual report on 2014 finds the Historical Society

two years away from our 100th anniversary, continuing

our mission to preserve and interpret the history and

culture of Columbia County. We accomplish this in so

many ways: producing educational programs for adults,

hosting school-trips for children, maintaining our four

historic properties for public tours, supporting histori-

cal and geneology research in our library, exhibiting our

extensive collection in the museum, and publishing our

magazine Columbia County History & Heritage.

The society moved forward dynamically on all these

fronts in 2014. Our adult programing featured a se-

ries of lectures on Dutch culture and a panel discussion

with veterans of the Nelson Rockefeller administration.

Touring all of the fourth graders in the County school

system through our historic Luykas Van Alen House

is an annual project supported this year by a generous

grant from the Hudson River Bank & Trust. A new ex-

hibit for the museum “Stuffed and Stitched” featured

the highlights from our collection of quilts and textiles.

Catching up on deferred maintenance to the ex-

terior of our Columbia County Museum building has

benefited greatly from a $214,000 bequest from the late

Jane Bennett Smart received in 2013. The provision Ms.

Smart made in her estate planning for the Historical

Society is a most generous surprise that we are carefully

measuring-out.

As a private not-for-profit, CCHS depends on indi-

vidual donations more than any other revenue source.

We are most grateful for the financial support from all

of the donors listed in this year’s annual report, as well

as for the help and assistance provided by our members,

volunteers and our small hard-working staff. !

Jim Guidera, President, Board of Trustees

Columbia County Historical Society

PO Box 311, 5 Albany Ave

Kinderhook, NY 12106

(518) 758-9265 • cchsny.org

The Columbia County Historical Society is a

private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to

the preservation and interpretation of the history

and culture of Columbia County, New York.

1 President’s Letter1 The Luykas Van Alen House, 1964–2014

2014 Annual Report

Trustees of the SocietyJames Guidera, President

Robert Peduzzi, Vice President

Alexandra Anderson, Secretary

Susan Sharp, Treasurer

Bing Garrido, Assistant Treasurer

Roderic Blackburn • John Carroll

Bonnie Eyre • Nicholas Haylett

Charles Hewett • Hela Kindler

Alvin Knoll • John Knott

Henry H. Livingston, III

Libby McKee • James Ruth

Mary Sansaricq • Anne Schomaker

Birgitta Sherman • David H. Smith

Nora Tuttle

StaffDiane Shewchuk,

Executive Director and Curator

Caroline Correia, Education and Operations Manager

Dawn Brownson, Accountant

Sarah Nolan, Mueseum Assistant

Jim Benton, Weekend Manager

As of December 31, 2014

In 1964, the Columbia County Historical Society ac-

quired a simple brick building a few miles from the cen-

ter of Kinderhook village. The small house was built by

Luykas Van Alen in 1737 and is exemplary of a style of

vernacular architecture specific to the Hudson Valley.

For this reason, it was granted National Historic Land-

mark status on Christmas Eve, 1967. There are only 261

National Historic Landmarks in New York State, and

the Van Alen House is one of ten designations connect-

ed to Dutch New York culture and heritage.

CCHS has been honored to take care of the Luykas

Van Alen House for the past half century of its long

life. Appropriately 2014 has been a year to celebrate

this important property, and to reflect on our respon-

sibilities to ensure its future well into a fourth century.

Long may it stimulate the imaginations of both the

young and the old!

1 Archeological“Walk, Talk, and Explore,” the final event celebrating

fifty years of CCHS ownership of the landmark Van

Alen House included a special tour of the property with

archeologist and principal investigator Matthew Kirk of

Hartgen Archeological Associates. Visitors toured for-

mer archeological sites on the property, followed by a

presentation and hands-on opportunity to inspect arti-

facts from digs conducted in 1998 and 2003.

1 From Garden to TableIn collaboration with the New York Council for the

Humanities and made possible through its Speakers in

the Humanities program, and with the support of the

National Endowment for the Humanities, this reveal-

ing lecture by Peter G. Rose was followed by a Tradi-

tional Dutch Dinner in the Vanderpoel House using

recipes from historically based cookbooks. The lecture

explored in detail a particular 17th-century Dutch gar-

dening- and cookbook, and helped those who attended

to understand the kitchen gardens of early Dutch set-

tlers of the Hudson Valley, as well as the colonial diet

and nutrition.

1 Nelson Rockefeller — Columbia County Memories

For a large and enthusiastic audience, in November

CCHS presented a panel of four of former Governor

Rockefeller’s closest associates, as well as Charles

Holcomb, author of the memoir Oreos and Dubonnet.

As Columbia County was first among the state’s

counties to endorse Rockefeller’s candidacy, this very

personal look-back was especially appropriate.

1 Pop-Up MuseumDuring the summer over 450 community members

visited CCHS Pop-Up Museums where they were

able to share objects and stories relating to their lo-

cal histories. Temporary exhibits traveled to all six

Columbia County Farmers Markets: Kinderhook,

Hudson, Copake-Hillsdale, Chatham, New Lebanon,

and Philmont. Each Pop-Up Museum focused on a

theme relating to the local history of the hamlet, vil-

lage, town, or city being visited. For example, in Cha-

tham the exhibit focused on Travel and Adventure

in honor of its iconic

Union Station, and in

New Lebanon visitors

explored the theme of

Health and Wellness,

including the area’s

past pharmaceutical

industry. Pop-Up Mu-

seums represent yet

another way CCHS is

present throughout

the county.

1 School GroupsIn the spring and fall hundreds of Columbia County’s

fourth graders visited the Luykas Van Alen House and

participated in new hands-on (and bilingual) activities

based on Dutch architecture and landscape. Students

learned to identify vletchegen on a Dutch home and the

purpose of murrankers.

1 Dutch Fact and FictionThe New York Council for the Humanities helped to

sponsor two guest lecturers for the Dutch Fact and

Fiction Summer Lecture Series. Jaap Jacobs, a scholar

from Holland, spoke in July on the Hudson River and

New Netherland colony. In August, popular biogra-

pher Brian Jay Jones discussed the life of Washington

Irving, author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

2014 CCHS Programs and Events

$10,000 and above

Columbia County

Ellsworth Kelly Foundation

Susan and Henry H. Livingston, III

$3,000 to $9,999

Alexandra Anderson

John Carroll

Eugene M. Lang Foundation

Sheldon Evans and Martha McMaster

Mimi and David Forer

Jim Guidera and Ed Parran

Charles Hewett and Charles Olbricht

J.M. Kaplan Fund, Inc.

Hela and Peter Kindler

John S. Knott

Heidi Fiske Mandel

Robert Peduzzi and Diane Smook

Heather and James Ruth

Phil and Birgitta Sherman

Nora and Jim Tuttle

Bonnie Yochelson and Paul Shechtman

$1,500 to $2,999

Capital Group Companies Charitable Fund

Evelyn Bordewick Charitable Foundation

Bonnie Eyre

Bing and Michael Garrido

Donna and Alvin Knoll

Despina Leandrou and Michael Laudati

Libby and Jack McKee

New York Council for the Humanities

Barbara and Michael Polemis

Preservation League of New York State

Jack Shainman and Carlos Vega

Jack Shear and Ellsworth Kelly

Vicki and David Smith

Will Swift and Kevin Jacobs

$1,000 to $1,499

J. Thomas Allison

Charles Flood and Kristin Gamble

Amanda Foreman and Jonathan Barton

Ila and John Gross

Nicholas Haylett and Timothy Husband

Michael Insel and

Rachel Lee

Jim Joseph and Scott Frankel

Joan Kelly

Peter and Louise Kelly

Nancy Kyle and Jack Fraser

Ben Chu and Donna Moylan

Rick Ryan

Susan Sharp

Veillette-Nifosi Foundation Inc.

$500 to $999

Valerie Balint and Brock Ganeles

Katherine Borgen

James Brodsky and Philip McCarthy

Donald and Sharon Campbell

Pamela Cohen and John Kingsley

Credit Agricole Credit and Investment Bank

Joan K. Davidson

Denise and John Dunne

Max Friedman and Thomas Romich

Alice and Rich Gochman

Fayal Greene and David Sharpe

Thomas and Sara Griffen

Jean Hamilton and Richard McCarthy

Kate Johns and Jason Shaw

Joanne and Charles Knauss

Kristina and Stephen Lang

Maureen McNeil

Deborah and Stuart Minton

Ann and David Pearce

Stuart and Audrey Peckner

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Phelan

Julia Philip

Russ and Tini Pomeranz

Anne Schomaker

Betsy and Alfred Scott

Bruce Shostak and Craig Fitt

Iris Smith

Kathleen Sweeney and Manfred Kuechler

Susan and David Tripp

Dawn and Ted Tuttle

Esther Tuttle

Thomas Tuttle and Mila Atmosudirojo

Ronald Wagner and Timothy Van Dam

Carl G. Whitbeck, Jr.

Robert and Loyita Woods

$100 to $499

Suzanne and James Aisenberg

Jessie Aitcheson and Tom Baumgartner

Bob and Lee Albern

Robert and Patricia Altman

Esther Anderson

Ted and Elisabeth Angell

Jeff Bailey and John Lillis

Karen and Neal Baillargeon

Arthur Baker and Jaqueline Wilder

Paul Barrett

Richard and Paige Barroll

Daniel Bauman

Robert Beard and Bidhu Mohapatra

John and Beth Bergin

Andrew Berkman

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Larry and Carol Biernacki

Richard and JoAnne Bilotti

DeGuerre & Rod Blackburn

Robert Bluman and David Deutsch

Rima Bostick

Joel Buchman

James and Cindy Buckley

Marilyn and Calvin Burch

Lisa Burke

Susan Campbell

Steven Cappel and Katherine Fritts

David and Alice Caputo

Karen and Roy Carney

Suzanne and Robert Carroll

Cornelia and Douglas Cartwright

Susan and Bruce Charbonneau

Virginia and Richard Cheney

Peter Cipkowski

Ann Clapper

Tom and Nancy Clark

Julia Crowley

Jeff Daly and Gary Delemeester

Deborah and Mark D’arcy

Barbara de Mare

James Dixon and Charles Jenkins

Andrew Dolkart and Paris Baldacci

Bonnie and Jim Dunham

David and Frances Eberhart

Donald and Ann W. Eberle

Empire State Appraisal Consultants

Mary Frances and John Faso

Rupert and Charlotte Fennell

Jeffrey and Christine Fisher

Amy Fowler

Priscilla Frisbee

Laurie and James Gambee

Vieve Gay

Charles and Adelia Geiger

Susan Gladstone

Andrew Goetz and Matthew Malin

Joseph Gosler and Sheila Wolper

Bob and Nina Green

Francis Greenburger and Isabelle Autones

Rebecca Greer

Heinz Grossjohann and Vesna Marincek

Hall Construction and Landscaping, Inc.

John Hallam

Conrad Hanson

Tyler and Ripley Hathaway

Eliot D. Hawkins

Frances Ingraham Heins

Ed Herrington, Inc

Robert Herron

Susan and Pavel Hillel

Dassie and Arthur Hoffman

Hudson River Bank & Trust Company Foundation

IBM Corporation Matching Grants Program

Keith and Katherine Kanaga

Cathy Kaplan and Renwick Martin

Joan Keenan

Albert and Diane Keil

Brendan Kelly

Brian and Laurie Kelly

Jacqueline Kelly

Sue Kelly and Carol Sloan

Diane Kern

Nathan Kernan and Thomas Whitridge

Gerard and Marybeth Ketz

Bryce Kirk

Kleeber Agency, Inc.

Robert Kleinberg

Mr. Kirk Kneller

Albert and Carol Knoll

Katherine Kolbert and Richard Rubinstein

Joan Kuster and Mark Weintraub

Sally Laing

Peggy Lampman and Ian Nitschke

Lane Press of Albany

Rebecca and Richard Langer

Alison and John Lankenau

Marge Laurie

Sallie and Clayton LaValle

Terence Law and Llewelleyn Young

Daryl Lee and Chris Warnasch

John and Maryanne Lee

Leah Lenney

Michael and Jeanne Leonard

Jay Lesenger

Asbjorn Lunde

George Lytle and Kathleen Dooley

Frank Mammone

James Mandaville

Susannah Marks

Patricia Martin and Willis Hartshorn

Carlin and Peter Masterson

Harvey and Sheila McCagg

John and JoAnn McCreight

Susan McIver

Tom and Olga Moreland

Anne Mulderry

Thomas and Marlene Murdock

Museum Association of New York

Michael and Sandy Myers

Phyllis Nichols

Susan and Tom Nickerson

Robert and Patti Norris

Jack and Helen Ofield

Linda and Robert O’Mara

David and Rosemary Palmquist

Todd and Theresa Parsons

Linda Pelaccio

Larry and Karen Peltz

Harry and Jill Petchesky

David Petersen

Emily and Tom Philip

John Van Ness Philip

Alice Platt

Norman Ames Posner

William Roos and Scott Olsen

Marjorie Russell

Jeffrey Ryan and Carl Morelli

Viki Sand and Roberta Bernstein

S. Sanderlin

Joseph and Angela Schmidt

Joseph Schmidt

Glenn and Cheryl Schnackenberg

Patti and Michael Schrom

Pat Schuler

Frederick Schwarz, Jr. and Ricky Perera

Carolyn and Gregory Seaman

Todd and Denise Sheldon

Herbert Simons

Noell and James Sottile

Marie Spano

Peter Spears and Brian Swardstrom

Stair Galleries and Resotration

Peter Stott

Lise Suino

Edward Sullivan and Clayton Kirking

Thomas Swope

Mr. and Mrs. Maynard Toll

Evelyn Trebilcock

Valatie Free Library

Lynn Van Buren

Eric Vanderpoel

Mary Anne and Paul VanDenburgh

Everett and Alice Van Hoesen

Illiana Van Meeteren

Paula Van Meter

George Vollmuth and Janet Langlois

David William Voorhees

Roland and Marion Vosburgh

Edward and Vivian Wachsberger

Louise Wallace

Peter Watson and Stephanie Aeder

Judith Whitbeck

Rob and Roby Whitlock

Jeanette and Ken Wilber

Samuel and Susan Williams

Gro and Jeffrey Wood

Robert and Quintina Worsfold

Friends

Joseph Ahern and Leland Midgette

J. Winthrop Aldrich

Leon Allen

Olaf and Johanne Andersen

Judith Anderson and Jerry Cosgrove

Robert Anderson

Catherine Angell

David and Marilyn Armstrong

Doris Ashley

Maria Ausherman and Steven Taylor

Bruce Bashford and Joan Esposito

Reneta Benenati

Jamie Bennett

Robin Benziger

Stephen Bergman and Janet Surrey

Paul and Sally Berry

Robert Bisson

Diane Bliss

Elyse Bouchard

Melanie and Howard Brandston

Larry Brody

Nancy and Albert Brousseau

Sue and Joe Browdy

Arlene Brower

Robin Bruce

Peter and Jacqueline Bujanow

Eileen Carle-Staub

Margaret and James Cashen

Richard Charnoff

Alan and Roselle Chartock

Mirial Clapp

George Clark

Christina Colclough

Jean Cook

Dianne and David B. Cox

Ann and Donald Crews

Mary-Margaret Cronin & Leonard Lukin

Margaret Davidson and John Stein

Jane Deane

Patrick and Yvonne DelGrande

Warren and Sue Delp

Jim DiGioia

Pat and Dick Dorsey

Mark and Holly Dreher

Susan Droege

Donald Dubac

Roberta Dunn

Norma Edsall and Alice Corbin

Barbara Egan

Mary and Wayne Eichel

Noel Fair

James Van Hoesen Finkle

Glenn Fisher

Joe Charles Friedman

Enid Futterman

Joan Garnar

Pat Gaudio

Paulina Gobrecht

Marc and Merle Gold

Gilbert Gott

Helen and Don Guarino

Kjirsten Gustavson

Alice Gygax

Nancy Hagin

Mary Hallenbeck

Karen Halverson

Maynard Ham

Richard Ellis Hand

John V. Hannam

Susan Hannell

Jeannine Harris

Elizabeth Harrison

John and Kathleen Hatheway

Marguerite Heald

Rosalie Hemingway

Barry Herbold and Jackie Carter

Roger and Jane Herzhauser

Stephen Hickey and Louis Filhour

Lauree and Greg Hickok

Jim Hoon

Hudson Area Association Library

David and Valerie Itkin

Roberta Jacobson

Roberta Jeracka and Peter Sinclair

Jamie Johnson

Kate and Greg Johnson

Merrill Johnson

Jeanne Branch Johnston

Anna and Larry Kadish

Mary Louise Kalin and Louis Asekoff

Judith and Steven Katten

Chris and Julie Keating

Christian and Mary Lou Kersten

Kinderhook Memorial Library

Dennis and Daryl King

Norma Kirker

Karlis and Margot Kirsis

Laurence Klein

Jeff and Donna Knight

John Kotwas

James Kraft

Mary Delaney Krugman

Christine Kulisek

Ellen and Kord Lagemann

Nancy Lang

Robert and Jeane LaPorta

Elizabeth and Geoffrey Leckie

Patricia Lee

Evangeline LeFever

Gary Leggett

Deirdre Leland and Frank Rhyner

Kristina Lesem

Gary Leveille

Mark and Ellen Levy

John Lieber

Sally Light

Leonard and Linda Lipson

Elizabeth and Richard Livingston

James Livingston

Nola Lowther

Michelle Lyons

Janet and Jim Mackin

Jonathan and Madelaine

Janet Malouin

Joseph Matta and Danny Schieffler

George and Barbara Mayer

John and Jan McEneny

Peter McGrath

William Meier

Jon and April Meredith

Victor and Florence Meyers

Peter Miles

Alexander and Deborah Mintcheff

Rosemary Monahan

Martha Mooney

Jennifer Moore

Mary Mullane

Richard Nabozny

Jay Neuschatz

Nicole Newman

William and Suzanne Nieman

North Chatham Free Library

Lynne O’Connell

Wataru and Bonnie Ohashi

Richard Patton

Mary Louise Perkins

Bertha Petith

Richard Philip

Ruth Piwonka

Hal Powers

Sarah Price and Susan Knauss

George Prokopiak

Paula Pugliese

William Race

Peter Reed

Cynthia Richards

Steven Rider

Ruth Roberts

Anthony Roina

Wendy Rosenkilde

David Ross

Lewis and Gretchen Rubenstein

Shehbaz and Lois Safrani

William Sagendorf

Paula and Rajesh Sarathy

Jonni Sayres

Felix Scardapane, Jr.

Ann Scharoun

James Scherer

Cherie Miller Schwartz

Seymour Schwartz and Mary Pomerance

George and Ann Selden

Richard and Ann Seltzer

Frank and Barbara Shannon

James and JoAnn Sheehey

Norma Shirley

Raymond and Evelyn Shortsleeve

Edwin and Barbara Simonsen

Robert Smith

Nancy Somers

Margaret Sommer

Justine Souquet and Vito Lucente

Gwen Spicer

Wendy Power Spielmann and Gary Spielmann

Jan and Lowell Steinbrenner

Irene Stone

David and Ellen Sullivan

Carole Teator

Tana Thompson

Walter Thompson

Erika and Nicolas Tipple

Courtland Troutman

Edwin Truman

Georgette Turner

Paul Twardy

Margret Utech

Hazel Van Aernam

Ron Van Voorhies

Frances Downing Vaughan

Mary Lou Veal

Dorothy Von Bieberstein

Thomas Walden

Amy White

Jack Wildey

Craig Williams and Helen McLallen

Ian and Sharon Wing

Scott and Jane Wood

Jay Wright

Donald and Dorothy Zaentz

Kristi Zatyko

Mary Lou Zimmermann

Advertisers in CCH&H 2014

Acroterion

The Anderson Agency

R.H. Blackburn & Assoc. Real Estate

Ca’Mea Ristorante Italiano

Columbia Memorial Hospital

Dell’s Plumbing & Heating

Empire State Appraisal Consultants

Face Stockholm

Fairview Wine and Spirits

Ghent Playhouse

Gilcrest Realty

Gina’s K-9 Bed & Breakfast

John Hannam/Van Schaack House

Kinderhook Bank

Kinderhook Wine & Spirits

Kleeber Insurance Services

Kozel’s Causal Dining

Lifetree Pilates

Lofgren Agency

MetzWood Insurance

New York Designer Outlet

Old Ghent Realty, Inc.

Sean P. Lally, Attorney at Law

David P. Pesano — Tech Partners

Valley Energy

2014 CCHS Supporters

Financial Position

The physical assets of the Columbia County Historical Society include its

collections and four historic properties: Luykas Van Alen House, Ichabod

Crane Schoolhouse, Vanderpoel House of History and the Columbia County

Museum. The Society’s financial assets at 12/31/2014 totaled $443,000. The

balance included more than $319,000 of restricted and unrestricted cash

funds plus $19,000 of pledges related to the Vanderpoel Capital Campaign and

receivables and prepaid amounts totaling $7,000. The $319,000 cash balance

included $185,000 of unrestricted funds received from the estate of Jane Bennett

Smart and $80,000 for the Vanderpoel Endowment. The Society has no debt. At

year end, payables including accrued payroll liabilities totaled $12,000. !

Revenue & Support Fundraising, Individual Contributions 157,946Membership 26,120 Admissions, Shop, Sales, Publications 34,663 Foundations & Government Grants 16,326 Columbia County 16,150Other Income 41,206

Total Revenue & Support 292,411

ExpensesCollections 16,568 Development 42,245 Education & Exhibits 62,677Properties 60,717Management and Operations 85,677

Total Expenses 267,884Net Income 24,527

Columbia County Historical Society • Financial Overview for twelve months ending 12/31/14

■ Collections 6% ■ Development 16%

■ Education/Exhibits 23% ■ Properties 23%

■ Management and Operations 32%

■ Fundraising, contributions 54%

■ Membership 9% ■ Admissions, etc. 12%

■ Foundations & Grants 6%

■ Columbia County 5% ■ Bequests 14%

ExpensesRevenue & Support

Columbia County History & Heritage magazineColumbia County History & Heritage magazine (published twice a year), a

free benefit of CCHS membership, presents the history and culture of our

county through stories of those who have lived and worked here. In 2014,

16 authors contributed 24 articles on topics ranging from Dutch architecture

in New Netherland and the archeology of the CCHS Van Alen property

to Nelson Rockefeller’s visits to the county and a profile of Chancellor

Robert R. Livingston.