Sitting hard by the bustling thoroughfare, an unassuming storefront on Albany Post Road contains a wealth of historical artifacts, but very few visitors.
Those who pass it by are missing a chance to experience a Hyde Park that is largely gone.
Despite its small physical size, the Town of Hyde Park Historical Society Museum contains hundreds of artifacts, some dating back to the early 19th century. Dedicated volunteers from the historical society staff the museum.
Society President Patsy Newman Costello plainly described the group’s mission.
“If we don’t document history today, it won’t be there for tomorrow,” said Costello.
Appropriately, for the birthplace of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the centerpiece of the museum is a voting booth used in the 1932 presidential election. The booth is the last of a series purchased by the town in 1918 and used until a fire destroyed town hall in 1964.
The historical society, which began as a study group, received its charter in 1978 and today boasts a membership of 135, although not all are especially active.
“We’d like to see them more often,” said Costello.
As the museum does not typically purchase items for its collection, donations make up the lion’s share of the artifacts. Often, historical documents are acquired serendipitously.
Such was the case in 1999, when Costello found a Hyde Park Odd Fellows ribbon for sale online. Costello asked the seller, a Cape Cod antique dealer, if he had other Hyde Park memorabilia.
The dealer subsequently donated five boxes of papers and photographs from the estate of Harry T. Briggs (1874-1957). Briggs, a Hyde Park native, was an insurance salesman in Poughkeepsie and much more.
In addition to his day job, Briggs served as undersheriff of Duchess County, was a member of the Hyde Park Eagle (fire) Engine Company, as well as a historian, poet and raconteur.
The historical society had previously published several books by Briggs, including “The Docks at Hyde Park” and “Hudson River Steamboats and the Hyde Park Ice Yachting Club.”
The Cape Cod donation yielded an illuminating memoir of town life during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “Reminiscence.” Society members edited and typed the raw manuscripts and published the finished document last year.
This publication, as well as past ones, serves the dual purpose of preservation and raising money for the museum and historical society. The society is trying to build up files on families and individuals who lived in town, such as Briggs.
Although the museum does not have a genealogy specialist, it often receives inquiries from people around the country who trace their lineage back to Hyde Park.
“Reminiscence” documents events large and small. One was the blizzard of 1888, when Briggs recalled snowdrifts up to the height of telegraph lines and having to tunnel to get from home to street. Also recalled are holiday parades, ice skating at Sherwood’s Pond and dances at town hall.
The museum has published other memoirs, such as resident and local historian Bob Gilbert’s “A Road.” The book recalls growing up on Violet Avenue, when the road was lined with greenhouses growing violets and other flowers.
“There were different Hyde Parks,” she said. Costello, a lifelong town resident, believes it is essential to preserve the spirit of a Hyde Park that has faded away.
The museum is nestled into a historic building in its own right: the original firehouse at 4389 Albany Post Rd. It is open from June through October on Sundays and Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Lifelong town resident and historical society member John Golden leases the space to the society rent-free.
Prior to moving into its present space, the museum was located at the Vanderbilt visitors center. Tourists would pop in while waiting for a tour to begin. Traffic is not as brisk at the current venue.
A tour through the museum with Costello and museum director Helen Murray revealed a large and eclectic array of artifacts.
An old weaving loom was given by Eleanor Roosevelt to the Hyde Park Free Library. Roosevelt’s Val-kill Industries taught weaving to women at the Val-kill tearoom. A large bobsled, dating to 1866, dominates one of the museum’s walls.
“It took two horses to pull it up the hill,” said Murray.
A glass display case contains embroidered glasses and silverware from Zeph’s, a popular restaurant in the early 20th century on Route 9, which is located in the current town hall building. The owners of the restaurant also ran the Park Hotel on West Market Street, in the building where Gaffney’s Pub currently resides.
A manual washing machine from the early 19th century comes complete with directions. There is no spin cycle.
Of more recent vintage is a 1939 RCA television and radio. A mirror is placed above the screen to reflect the picture outward. The museum also has a wide variety of agricultural instruments.
The society also owns a one-room schoolhouse adjacent to North Park Elementary School. The school is currently undergoing repair, including the installation of new windows. The building was originally on Nub Street but was later dismantled and moved to its current location.
A guest speaker is typically featured at each meeting and refreshments are served. Annual membership for the society is $10 for an individual and $15 for a family. For more information, call 229-2559 or 229-0993.