The Museum and Headquarters of
the Schenectady County Historical Society

This Georgian style building is in the Stockade, Schenectady's Historic District adjacent to the waters of the Binnekill and the Mohawk River. It was built in 1895 for Dora Jackson, the wife of Alonzo Clinton Jackson, and she had been a widow for many  years before her son Jones Mumford Jackson bought the land on which the house is now situated. Aspects of Federal and Greek Revival can be seen throughout the house. She had only four years to enjoy her new home before dying at age 68 in 1899. Jones continued to live there until 1905 when he died of sunstroke while working in the garden. He left the house to his sister Helen who then sold it to the GE Women's Club. In 1960 they deeded it to the Historical Society for $1.00. Previous to that, the Historical Society had rented quarters in several different locations. The original building has had several expansions, including a large, modern research library for historical records, photography, and genealogy. The museum maintains wonderful collections documenting domestic and industrial life from 1690 to today including one of two Revolutionary-war-era Liberty flags known to exist. Visitors can admire the front hall's cherry wood handrail to the second floor and the hand stenciled floor of a kind that was very popular during the Victorian Age. In the study one can see a center table built for the son of Eliphalet Nott, long time president of Union College, and an Edison graphaphone, which, unlike the later gramaphone, used cylinders rather than flat disks. The Music Room features a pianoforte from the Glen Sanders Mansion, built in Wyck Street, London, in 1794. The other rooms are the Dining Room, Front Parlor, the Glen Sanders Bedroom, a Children's Room that exhibits a large 1834 doll house made for Governor Joseph Yates (portrait below) for his granddaughter Susan Watkins, and a Shaker Room. Though more usually associated with Colonie and Niskayuna, once part of a large area called "Watervliet" that was much larger than the present city of that name, they came first to Schenectady. Their commune was known as Wisdom's Valley, and the room features many Shaker arts and crafts. The third floor houses other museum pieces and the Liberty Flag of 1771.  Both the museum and the Grems-Doolittle research library in the rear are open to the public.    -Wayne Harvey and Jo Mordecai

The Society's Collection of Paintings and Decorative Arts

SCHS is home to more than 60 portraits and landscapes related to Schenectady County people and places. Portraits include the Van Eps, Veeders, Glens, Sanders, Wemples, Marcellus, De Graff, Jacksons, Barneys, Yates, Rosa, Waltons, Potters, Stauring, and Schermerhorns.

There are several paintings of the historic covered bridge over the Mohawk designed by Theodore Burr, a vibrant Erie Canal scene, and early 19^th century street and farm scenes.  Artists include Ammi Phillips,  Asahel Powers, Ezra Ames, Cornelius Van Patten, John Wilkie, Samuel Sexton, and other regional artists.

In addition to the Society's art collection there are other treasures of the past. The Glen Sanders Room holds furniture from the historic Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia, one of the earliest houses in the Schenectady area. Included are an 18^th century Kas and a Hepplewhite sideboard by William Whitehead, a well-known NYC cabinetmaker circa 1790. There is a room dedicated to the Shakers. There is also a children's room with a giant doll house complete with 14 rooms full of period style furniture. The doll house was donated by Mrs. de Lancey Walton Watkins, a descendant of Joseph C. Yates who served as Governor of New York from 1823 to 1824. His portrait follows.

Governor Joseph C. Yates
                  as painted by Ezra Ames, circa 1825

The doll house was designed and built by J. R. Wendell in 1834 and painted by Victor D.A. Browere. According to family tradition, the house was built for the governor's granddaughter and is the only known documented doll house of its era in New York State.    -Ona Curran

The Museum is open for tours Tuesday through Friday 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tours are also available weekday mornings for those who call in advance to (518) 374-0263.

Last update 9/14/07 by AA