temporary exhibit spaces have soft LED
track lighting which seems to highlight
the items on display rather than overpower them. Initially, the cost of the
We hope you had a chance to visit Body
track lighting was built into the overall
Beautiful one last time before it was taken budget for the exhibit but, as a museum
down at the beginand non-profit, we are
ning of February! The
nothing if not practical
exhibit space is being
and budget conscious!
prepped for installaWe knew we already
tion of BNHV’s newest
had countless tracks
exhibit, Vice and Virtue:
and fixtures in place in
The Rise and Fall of
our Main Room which
Prohibition. This new
are hardly ever used so
exhibit will explore how
it was decided to reuse
the 18th Amendment
those tracks and fixtures
sought to bring on an
(not to mention the
age of temperance and
incredibly expensive LED
virtue but instead rebulbs already in those
sulted in an increase in excess, indulgence, fixtures) and install everything in the
and vice as Americans began to test the
exhibit space.
limits of one of the most unpopular pieces
So with new lighting now installed, work
of legislature in American history. Mark
is progressing on painting the existing
your calendars for the exhibit opening on
walls, building necessary exhibit cases
Friday, April 24th from 6PM to 9PM.
and mounts, constructing a replica speakOne of the largest improvements to this
easy, and continued research and drafting
space in preparation for the new exhibit
of labels. We apologize in advance for the
was updating the existing lighting. There
noise and paint fumes you may encounwere rows upon rows of fluorescent lights ter on your visits to the museum but, in
beating down on visitors and artifacts alike return for your patience and tolerance,
and it always seemed like the lighting was we promise to have a top notch exhibit in
too harsh for the space. Many of our other store for you at the end of April!
New Exhibit to Open on
April 24th!
Lecture Series
mediums used by these artists. The
lecture was held in the village’s 1854
Lutheran Church which features windows
made by the Frohe Art Glass Company c.
1870. The setting was perfect to highlight
the craftsmanship, artistry, and scale of
the pieces created by the master stained
glass artists of the Buffalo region.
In January BNHV kicked-off its 2015 Lecture Series aimed at increasing educational programming for adults at the museum.
The 2015 Lecture Series will feature local
presenters and will cover a large range of
topics from stained glass to woman’s rights
In honor of Women’s History Month,
to organ grinding. The goal is to offer a
variety of historical and cultural topics that we continued with our 2015 Lecture
Series by welcoming Denise Reichard,
will appeal to a large audience.
portraying one of the founders of the
The first lecture was January 22nd featur- Women’s Rights Movement, for a special
ing Buffalo’s own stained glass guru Greg
presentation of “Elizabeth Cady Stanton:
Witul. Mr. Witul reached national acclaim Remarkable Suffragette”. Stanton was
after his 2007 discovery of the missing
instrumental in the writing of the “Declastained glass Maria Curie Medallion and
ration of Sentiments,” at the Seneca Falls
coordinated its return to the University
Convention in July 1848 as a call to arms
at Buffalo. Since then Witul has written a
for female equality. She, along with Susan
book on the stained glass of Corpus Christi B. Anthony, founded the National Woman
Church in Buffalo and authored a number Suffrage Association (NWSA) in 1869.
of scholarly articles on the medium. The
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was president of
lecture was a colorful history of stained
the NWSA from 1869 until 1890. Denise
glass in Western New York. He delved
Reichard, a public speaker and performer
into the major players in the stained glass who recreates the lives of great women
world as well as the different styles and
of history, researches and gathers all of
Interested in
Volunteering?
Join us for a fun and fulfilling volunteer
experience! In preparation for a wonderful special events season, we have
tabulated our special events volunteer
needs – and the need is large! We are
looking for volunteers to work the following events: German Sommerfest (June
20th), Scottish Festival (August 15th),
Halloween Trick or Treat (October 23rd
and 24th), Breakfast with Santa
(December 6th), and the Holiday Tea
(December 13th). To make these events
as grand as our attendees deserve, we
need your help! If you are interested in
participating in our special events in a
volunteer capacity, please get in touch
with Volunteer Coordinator, Rachel
Ravago, at [email protected] or 716-6891440 as soon as possible to secure your
desired volunteer station and time slot.
As a show of our appreciation, volunteers
receive complimentary refreshments and
admission to the special event following
their volunteer service for the day. Have
an idea for a volunteer project you would
like to participate in? Contact Rachel
today to chat about how you can become
involved!
the information she uses about each
historical portrayal and writes a story
that reflects the unique life. Each tale
reveals many historical accounts using
vivid details and authentic material. All
this takes shape in a 35 minute performance presented in characterization and
costume. She then breaks from character
for the remainder of the presentation to
take questions from her audience and
to facilitate a discussion regarding the
character she is portraying and the topics
she touches on.
Next up:
150th Anniversary of the Surrender at
Appomattox Court House with musical
prelude by the Union Volunteers Fife and
Drum Corps
April 9 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Organ Grinding with Dan Wilke
May 7 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
*Check our website and Facebook page
as the 2015 Lecture Series will be returning in the Fall.
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
Watch for
tioGnOoInNG
rm
foE
inW
’RaE
our returning
reenactments!
PAID
GETZVILLE, NY
PERMIT NO. 7
GREEN!
3755 Tonawanda Creek Road
Amherst, NY 14228-1599
Member’s Corner
We are striving to go green
and cut our costs! Would you like
to receive your newsletter
digitally?
E
C
I
VO
VILLAGE
April 9th 7:00pm-8:30pm
150th Anniversary of the Surrender
at Appomattox Court House
THANK YOU!
April 16th 6:30pm-8:00pm
Weavers Guild of Buffalo Special Lecture
Buffalo Niagara
Heritage Village
Leadership
REGENTS BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Karen Vilonen, President
Paul Bowers, Vice President
David Mischler, Treasurer
Beth Roehling-Flynn, Secretary
TRUSTEES
Sharon Daniels
Dawn Hutsebaut
Carol Pyne
Janet Reilly
Michael Meinzer
Kristin Anderson
Jane Stoddard
Michael J. Tyrpak
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Hon. Geoffrey Klein
Mary Maiorano
David Sherman
Diane Wojtowicz
Richard Wojtowicz
Sarah Anderson, Ph. D.
Joseph Grande, Ph. D.
Jim Nesper, Esq.
Karen Eckert
David Flynn, Esq.
Katherine Hewlings
Phyllis Hanlon
Erik Ticen
April 17th-18th 10:00am-5:00pm
Weavers Guild of Buffalo Special Workshop
April 23rd 7:00pm-9:00pm
BNHV Book Club Meeting
Niederlander Research Library at BNHV
TRUSTEE EMERITUS
Susan Grelick
Dolores Sapienza
Pat Lucey
Patricia Lucey
Phillip Thielman, Esq.
April 24th 6:00pm-9:00pm
Exhibit Opening- Vice and Virtue:
The Rise and Fall of Prohibition
STAFF
Herbert Schmidt, Executive Director
Spencer Morgan, Director of Development & Marketing
Kayla Shypski, Curator of Collections
Chelsea Giannantonio, Events Coordinator
Kathy Slade, Education Coordinator
Tim Lewis, Maintenance Supervisor
Lee Leiser, Maintenance
Scott Schotz, Historic Buildings & Grounds Manager
Andrew Donohue, Staff Accountant
Rachel Ravago, Guest Services Coordinator
May 7th 7:00pm-8:30pm
Organ Grinding with Dan Wilke
May 16th 1:00pm-4:00pm
BTS Tour: A Window in Time
May 30th 1:00pm-3:00pm
BTS Tour: Historic Woodworking
June 6th-7th 8:30pm-4:30pm
Lace Seminar
June 6th 12:00pm-4:30pm
FREE Preview Day: Planting in the Village
& Volunteer Open House
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village is gratefully
supported in part by funds received from the
Town of Amherst and Erie County.
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village is a 501-c3,
not-for-profit institution.
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village | 3755 Tonawanda Creek Road | Amherst, NY 14228 | P: 716-689-1440
May 2nd 11:00m-2:00pm
Kentucky Derby Luncheon
& Spring Hat Contest
June 13th 1:00pm-4:00pm
BTS: 19th Century Photography
June 20th 11:00am-6:00pm
German Sommerfest
June 27th 10:00am-4:30pm
WNY Civil War Symposium
bnhv.org
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village | 3755
Iss. II; Vol. 4
as other non-profit organizations, simply
want to give. Local companies are interested
in helping, but also want to increase their
presence in our community.
Upcoming Events
Please send an email to
[email protected].
Spring 2015
Adopt-A-House
This past August, Buffalo Niagara Heritage
Village unveiled our latest development campaign called the Adopt-a-House Program. This
program is designed to diversify our funding
while also providing financial support for the
museum’s 11 historic buildings. The Adopt-aHouse Program is similar to an undertaking
that was launched
during the years
when the organization was the Amherst
Museum. Now, the
program has a 5-year
pledge design which
makes adopting one
of our historic dwellings or commercial
buildings affordable for any budget. We believe
that creating partnerships with local community institutions and corporations will help our
own organization grow and evolve towards
self-sufficiency. Making our program affordable for local groups and businesses not only
increases our organization’s financial goals, but
also allows for more community collaborations
and partnerships.
The Adopt-a-House Program is modeled after
other sponsorship opportunities throughout
the museum industry. It is a very simple process where our Development team creates a
benefit package based on the needs and wants
of prospective sponsors. Some sponsors, such
We are happy to have secured two sponsors
thus far: Amherst Women’s Interclub Council
and Erie and Niagara Insurance Association. Each year, Amherst Women’s Interclub
Council hosts a luncheon and raffle at Buffalo
Niagara Heritage Village. All of the proceeds
benefit the museum’s Sweet Home School
House. This year, Amherst Women’s Interclub
Council is hosting the 2nd Annual Kentucky
Derby Luncheon and Spring Hat Contest
in the museum’s ball
room from 11:00am to
2:00pm on Derby Day
(Saturday, May 2nd,
2015). Money raised at
this event will go directly
to the Adopt-a-House
Program and directly
support the Sweet
Home School House.
Last year, we were also able to reach out to a
local company who shares a significant
history with one of our houses. Although
sharing a past with one of our buildings is
not a prerequisite in our adoption process,
creating a unique, mutually beneficial adoption package is. Our first corporate sponsor
taking part in our new Adopt-a-House
Program is Erie and Niagara Insurance
Association, located at 8800 Sheridan Drive
in Williamsville, NY. Erie and Niagara Insurance Association is a carrier that offers
personal, farm, and business insurance. The
company was founded in 1875 and now
protects more than 75,000 policy holders.
Each Building-of-the-Month will feature an
adoption notice based on their current adoption status. We will also begin to feature our
The company was founded by none other
Building-of-the-Month in our monthly email.
than George Hoover. He and his family lived
Be sure to email Spencer Morgan at smorin the Hoover House, now on the grounds of
[email protected] to be added to our listserv
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village.
and stay up to date with our programs and
We have also launched a Building-of-theevents!
Month marketing campaign to promote
the program. Each month you will
notice that one of our historic buildings
will be featured in the art and décor of
our social media pages. In addition to
our normal social media advertising,
some posts will directly relate to the
Building-of-the-Month. March’s Building-of-the-Month was the Barbershop.
Our Development and Marketing teams
have painstakingly assigned each of our 11
In addition to our Adopt-a-House Program,
historic buildings to their perspective month,
we offer other sponsorship opportunities
and we will announce which building will be
inside our Shaw Exhibit Building through
our focus at the beginning of each month via
our Adopt-an-Exhibit Program. This proour social media sites. If you do not already
gram, similar to our Adopt-a-House Program
follow us digitally, you can find our Buildingenables affordable one-time donations or
of-the-Month featured at www.facebook.
multi-year pledges which support our exhibit
com/BNHVillage, www.twitter.com/BNHVilspace. Your organization or company can
lage, and instagram.com/BNHeritageVillage.
adopt permanent exhibits like one of our
Adopt-A-House (cnt’d)
Members of the Amherst Womens Interclub Council and
BNHV Executive Director unveiling updates made to the
Sweet Home School House this past September.
Street of Shops or Erie Canal facades. When
new and/or temporary exhibits are announced, opportunities to support these
experiences will also be available.
Thank you to the Amherst Women’s Interclub Council and Erie and Niagara Insurance
Association’s support. We are happy to have
secured two annual sponsors for our
Adopt-a-House Program. However,
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village still has
nine historic buildings up for adoption.
If you are part of a local organization
or represent a business or corporation
who has the philanthropic or marketing
resources to sustain an annual donation
for 5 years, and are interested in pledging your support of Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village’s historic buildings, please
contact our Director of Development and
Marketing, Spencer Morgan, at (716) 6891440 ext. 7712, or via email at smorgan@
bnhv.org. We can design a package that is
both affordable and mutually beneficial, and
will increase your group or company’s philanthropic needs and meet your marketing
goals through our Adopt-a-House Program
or our Adopt-an-Exhibit Program.
The Barbershop was featured as the first Building-of-theMonth on BNHV’s social media in March. The Barbershop
is still up for adoption!
Kentucky Derby Luncheon
Join us Saturday, May 2nd at 11AM for our Kentucky Derby
Spring Hat Contest & Luncheon, presented by the Amherst
Women’s Interclub Council. The event will be filled with all
things derby and feature a hat contest, basket raffle and delicious derby-themed luncheon. All are invited to attend, donning their best hat as awards are presented to Woman of the
Year: Joan Fishburn, and Organization of the Year: the Williamsville Business Association! Reservations are $30 per guest and
can be made via phone or online at: 716-689-1440 or www.
bnhv.org/events/derby.
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village | 3755 Tonawanda Creek Road | Amherst, NY 14228 | P: 716-689-1440
WNY Civil War
Symposium
On June 27th we are premiering our first
regimental symposium featuring the
49th New York State Volunteer Regiment.
BNHV will display regimental artifacts and
photos, as well as living history of the
regiment itself. Our goal is to educate the
public on the sacrifice and history of local
regiments that fought in the Civil War, as
well as honoring the fathers, brothers and
sons that preserved the Union.
New York State contributed more men
than any other state in the Union during
the war, and many men were our decedents from Western New York. Please join
BNHV in honoring the regiment called
“First Buffalo’s Regiment”.
The following is a letter transcript from
Fred Barger (49th NY) to his sister….
“Camp Griffin, VA March 9, 1862
Sunday afternoon
Dear Sister,
I received yours and mothers letters night
before last and was very glad to hear
from you. You will see that we are still in
Camp Griffin but I do not know how long
we shall stay here. Last Thursday at one
o’clock in the morning we were formed in
line and marched to Erwinsville (?) where
we were joined by the 3rd Vermont and
about 150 Cavalry then proceeded to Vienna where we arrived about 7 o’clock we
then stopped for breakfast as the march
of about 10 or 11 miles had given us quite
an appetite. We stayed there about an
hour and then started on toward Secech.
We went about two or three mile from
Vienna and our Company were deployed
as Skirmishers in front of the whole force
we scoured two small pieces of woods and
halted on an open field when our Cavalry went on and surrounded two horses
that were in sight. There was a few of the
Rebels there (Cavalry) but they put spurs
to their horses and were soon out of sight.
A Bugler belonging to the 2d US Regulars
Cavalry chased one fellow that seemed
to separate from the rest and went a
little too far and the chap turned on him
and fired his revolver. The Bugler fired
back until the six shots which his revolver
contained were gone and then the fellow
sent a ball near enough to graze his thumb
and make him drop his rovolver and turn
his horse and run for home - he lost his cap
and Pistol by the means. When the shots
were fired we immediately heard drums
beat on the right and left and in front of us
and distinctly heard the “long roll”. So if we
did not hurt them we scared them some.
Gen Davidson after reconnoitering concluded that they had a pretty strong force
there and did not think it expedient to attack them with our two Regiments we had
no artillery with us this time. I should not
be surprised if we go out there soon with
force enough to make an attack but cannot
tell. we were called in about 2 o’clock and
marched back to Vienna where we stayed
about 2 hours - we expected to
Fred Barger – seated (photo)
Mortimer Laverne Tyler - standing
49th New York Volunteer Infantry
stay there until the next morning but the
General thought it best to come back. he
complimented our Company highly on our
Skirmishing. I do not think that 30 long
miles would more than cover our march
that day - we were not much used up on
coming into camp at 7 o’clock that night.
oh no! - therefore the next day the General
took us over to Division Head Quarters and
gave us a Brigade Drill - (such as you read
of) told Captain Drake to “trot” that Company out and “deploy them as Skirmishers
on the right file” to cover the Battalion
which was accordingly done although the
mud was about a foot deep and the left of
the company had to “trot” about half a mile
- we had no sooner got there than the order
was to “assemble on the right file” and back
again - as Gen Davidson was a short time since
a Cavalry Major. he may be excusable for thinking that a poor “snoger” [?] can “trot” “gallop”
or “run” like a Cavalry horse through the mud
day after day. this I think, is his only trouble.
he thinks that we should get around as fast as
horses and consequently is somewhat disappointed. he compliments our Regiment quite
highly - he has ordered that our Co (“G”) and
Co “K” of our Regiment be drilled five hours
a day exclusively in Skirmish drill and target
shooting. we are excused from Picket. (Bully for
us) Division Central or Camp Guard, Fatigue - or
any other duty in order to perfect ourselves in
the Skirmishing - and target practice. we are
the best in the Regiment now but can still improve. our co can beat the best shooting. I am
getting to be a tolerable good shot myself at
two hunred yards I put two shots out of three
in the target. (about 18 inches by 30) Yesterday
they were shooting 400 yard but I was over
to the 21st. where I saw the Sheldon boys
- Capt Layton and his wife and some others
that I know. I had a very pleasant time. I heard
through her from that Mip White (?) that you
saw at Mr Page’s when you were in Buffalo.
This is a great place for Ladies I heard from Ed Stevens (?) the same day I got
your letter but have not written to him yet as I
have no means of paying Postage which is the
reason I do not write some other letters.
I have not seen or heard anything of the Skinners. I wrote to Ed the night I got your letter
but have not heard from him yet - I think it
strange - but he may be waiting to come over.
I cannot possible get over there as we are
under marching orders all of the time - I think
it is settled that we get no pay until the 15th
of April which is only two weeks from another
pay-day unless they hold off as long as they do
on this. I have only got one cent and although
I very much dislike to ask for money I should
be very glad if you could send me a dollar or
so - to Keep up until I get some pay - when I
shall send home $20 and I hope more the next
time. Please write some - I have nothing new or
interesting so I must stop
As ever Your affectionate brother
Fred
Send me a paper or two We were farther advanced the other day than any Infantry troops
have been since the Battle of Bull Run .”
Fred C. Barger was born in Westfield, NY, 1842
and served in the United States Army from
1861-1864 as Sergeant and Lieutenant 49th
Reg’t NY Vols. Barger lost his right hand in in
the battle of Fredericksburg, Va. in 1862.
Behing-the-Scenes Tours
We have several upcoming Behind-the-Scenes Tours
scheduled for the spring. Proceeds from these tours
directly benefit the preservation and conservation
of our collection and artifacts.
On May 16th from 1PM to 4PM, join us in welcoming Steve Swiat of Northwood Window Restoration
in Getzville, NY. Northwood Window Restoration
specializes in the restoration of wood windows,
doors and millwork for historic homes and buildings. Learn the
most practical
and economical methods of
maintenance
and repair of
older and historic
wooden windows. Ever wonder how windows
were originally
constructed, why some last for centuries and others rot and fall apart after just a few years? Learn
specific treatments for common window problems,
traditional woodwork methods and the latest in
modern high-tech materials and techniques. Cost is
$30 for non-members and $25 for members.
On May 30th from 1PM to 3PM, come learn about
the nuts and bolts of building historic structures
From the Director
As I ponder my first anniversary here at BNHV I
am struck by all of the wonderful people I have
met and all that we have accomplished in such a
short amount of time. The plan is in place. What a
season we have in store for you! I look forward to
seeing you at our many special events, and programs this Spring and Summer. Tell your friends and
family that they do not want to miss out on all the
opportunities as we bring you more history, education and excitement than ever before. The future is
bright, but we need you to be a part of our success!
Come and visit regularly, become a volunteer, and
spread the word!
I would also like to share information regarding an
organization that you may not know about. Several
of our staff and board member are attending the
annual useum Association of New York conference. MANY is active across the state creating ways
for members to connect, learn and promote the
importance of museums. Professional development is a key component of MANY’s service to New
York’s museum and cultural organization community. They continually develop resources to support,
promote and empower organizations in New York
and beyond. One of these supporting opportunities
is the MANY Annual Conference. It is the largest
with the Village’s own woodworker, Scott Schotz!
He will show you how logs are felled and hewn,
how plank and log structures are built and much
more. If you love woodworking and historic
structures, you won’t want to miss this special
tour! Cost is $20 for non-members and $15 for
members.
On June 13th from 1PM to 4PM, join us in this
class, taught by Jenn Libby of Genesee Libby Studio, covering the basics of the wet-plate collodion
process and how to create
ambrotypes, an early type
of photograph made by
imaging a negative on glass
backed by a dark surface.
Instruction will cover how
to cut and clean glass, pour
collodion, sensitize and
process plates, burnish and
hand-color final images,
apply a protective varnish
and house your photographs to complete the
process. Cost is $40 for non-members and $35 for
members.
All tours will include a look inside our state-of-theart collections storage building. Reservations are
required in advance. Once your spot is reserved,
refunds will not be available. Call to book your
spot today!
New York’s museum staff and board members,
volunteers and friends. Several of us will be going. You are all welcome as well! Another support opportunity that is of particular interest to
museums like BNHV is the Museums in Education
Act. Throughout the 2014 NYS Museums in Action
conference MANY had several opportunities to
introduce the development of a Museum Education
Act in New York State. Originally discussed in 2007,
the Act will provide the financial support for museums and schools, across New York State, to create
meaningful educational programs, facilitate teacher
and student access to cultural institutions, and to
strengthen the bond between New York State’s
unparalleled cultural resources and its classrooms.
This endeavor is the Museum Association’s key
strategic priority!
The future of museums in New York State has not
been this positive in many years. From the Governor’s “Path Through History” campaign to our local
efforts here in WNY, the opportunities are endless.
Something I am particularly excited about is our
farmstead project beginning this Spring. Come be a
part of it by learning traditional construction techniques, planting crops, or if you can support our Pig
Roast Farmstead Fundraiser on Friday July 17th. It
will be a great way to have some tasty food while
raising funds for structures and animals! Check out
our website or call us for details.
Rent the Village!
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village is available
for your special event! Weddings, showers,
private parties, seminars and much more!
Visit our 35-acre campus and treat your
guests to a unique experience in our historic
village. Utilize our Tea Room for a conference
or create a special evening in our Banquet
Room.
Custom rental packages available!
Contact: Chelsea Giannantonio,
Events Coordinator
716-689-1440, ext. 7726
[email protected]
Experience
our Guilds!
Want to learn something new?
BNHV’s Guilds may offer
what you’re looking for! Take
a class, or come see them
perform their crafts.
Victorian Dance
Maurine Beechler
[email protected]
Lace Guild
Barbara Walsh
[email protected]
Joan Brash
[email protected]
Weavers Guild
Peggy Kresovich
poodlesbytheoodles@
yahoo.com
Quilters Guild
Mary Ann Krafft
[email protected]
Blacksmiths
Peter Parry
[email protected]
bnhv.org