Pittsford Historical Society, Inc.
PO Box 423
Pittsford VT 05763 www.pittsfordhistorical.com
802-483-2040
A 501(c) organization since 1961
Summer 2020
** PLEASE NOTE! **
Given the preventive measures against
Covid-19 currently in force, all scheduled events, including the opening
hours of Eaton Hall, are subject to change. We shall do our best to provide
a two-week notice of any changed dates.
Museum Schedule: Eaton Hall
The Museum has resumed its regular opening hours
(Tuesdays, 9-4). We expect visitors to wear masks (provided, for those not
already equipped). Off-schedule visits can be arranged in advance; contact
Curator Anne Pelkey or Steve Belcher for access. (Contact info below).
Society Activities
Our planned schedule of Member Meetings has been
disrupted and remains subject to change. However, we have hopefully
rescheduled the following events:
25 July, The Tag and Bake Sale: 9:00 am-2:00 pm. At Eaton Hall.
Donations, to be tagged or eaten will be gratefully accepted.
Date TBA: The 60th anniversary of the Pittsford
Historical Society, to be celebrated with a cook-out at Eaton Hall. Probably
in September.
Date TBA: The Belcher House Visit (probably a Sunday afternoon in
September). Celebrating the 140th anniversary of the construction
of part of the house and the legacy of two Pittsford artists. NB This visit
involves climbing up and down stairs and exposure to cat dandruff and other
allergens. It also seems likely that visitors to the house will be admitted
in groups at staggered intervals (there will be refreshments and exhibits to
examine while waiting).
October, TBA: The Annual Members’ Meeting.
Members will elect the officers of the board. Michael
Dwyer will talk on genealogy and DNA research.
Town Events: The town of Pittsford has cancelled the August
Pittsford Day celebrations and also the Halloween season Haunted House. In
the case of the Haunted House, the issue was the amount of preparation for
the event long before the actual dates.
Manna, or unexpected gifts
We have held an unscheduled tag sale by the residence
of Ivy Dixon (near the Congregational Church). A newly formed couple was
downsizing, and Adrian Oulette was very generous in offering the PHS the
overflow. The sale was held over two days, both unfortunately hot by Vermont
standards, and was successful, netting over $1,400. All the plants on offer
were taken. The same cannot be said for the ceramics, glass-ware, and
video-tapes. Some of the ceramics were marked ‘Made in Occupied Japan,’
which dates them and certainly makes them objects of some historical
interest. But Tom Browe, who masterminded the whole sale, checked their
value on the internet and found that it had dropped steeply from its former
highs.
Town Notes for the Out-of-Staters
Vermont stands out in New England for having apparently
controlled the spread of Covid-19 cases. Gov. Scott ordered a shut-down for
March 15th – the last public event in Pittsford I have heard of
was a guitar concert in Maclure Library on March 14, as a benefit for the
Village Farm. Gov. Phil Scott is now, as he describes it, turning the spigot
gently. The state is close to the bottom of the charts in infections and
deaths. Rutland County has recorded only one death. Gov. Scott has
distinguished himself by his collaboration with the medical authorities, and
by his trustworthy weekly press briefings.
This has not come without pain across the state and in Pittsford.
Many Vermonters are in need. Food distribution centers, staffed by the
National Guard, have seen very long lines of people waiting in cars. Many
businesses face an uncertain future. Dairy farms have gone bankrupt. The
state is suffering from the effective freeze in economic activity. This is
particularly pronounced in the tourism industry.
Zoom has become the medium for public meetings, as elsewhere.
Some of you may have seen the internet meme of the Vermont version of
social distancing: the profile of two persons separated by a cow. It has
been suggested that in Pittsford the barrier should be two sheep, but the
thought has not caught on.
Library: Maclure’s inner doors have been closed to patrons (they
just announced plans to re-open at the start of August). The outer doors
offer access to the lobby, where personalized deliveries of books stand in
bags labeled in thick black marker. The Library has also been coordinating
with the Pittsford Food Shelf, to allow pick-ups from the lobby, and the
librarians (some on a reduced schedule, and some furloughed) have been busy
packing the food-stuffs.
Kamuda’s: The store was quick to offer online ordering and curb-side
delivery, while also restricting access to the store itself. They put out a
tent at the entrance to shelter
customers awaiting entry (many customers, of course, disrupted this system
by sitting in their cars, which made it impossible for a new-comer to
recognize priority). The check-out counters were marked by the hanging
plexiglas. An unconfirmed report says that they have done well, in part
because they were so quick to offer the curb-side service.
Schools: Lothrop held a peculiarly organized graduation ceremony,
with canopies at different spots on the school grounds. The students leaving
Lothrop received copies of Pittsford’s
Second Century. Otter Valley also had to make do with a distanced
ceremony. Pittsford has recognized the local OV graduates with banners
attached to the telephone poles, running from Colburn Bridge up to the area
of the Congregational Church. Brandon, of course, did the same further
north.
The Natural World: Spring was mild, although with a snow-fall in
May. Seasonal occurrences (lilacs and other blooms) are coming on schedule.
Robins are defending their nests. Starlings are tending to extremely noisy
young. Some birds may be on a second breeding cycle – the male red-winged
blackbirds are vivid as they fly, flashing their shoulder patches.
Wildflowers are abundant – phlox in particular. Frogs are very loud in
certain places.
It has been some years since I landed a native brook
trout in our streams – they are smaller than other trout, with orange
markings along their sides, just above the belly. It was a pleasure and a
reassurance to spot two minnows with the native coloring on Sugar Hollow
Brook, above the former location of Kendrick Dam.
Memberships
Membership in the Society extends over a calendar year. Your dues support
the annual operating expenses of Eaton Hall. Please send your check, payable
to Pittsford Historical Society to: (Welcome to the new Membership Chairman)
Stephen P. Belcher IV. Send dues to
Stephen P. Belcher IV
PO Box 423
Pittsford, VT 05763
We thank you for your continued support.
Name(s)
_______________________________________________________
Street/Apt. #
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Town, State and Zip
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Please check amount enclosed:
Single $15_____ Family $20 _____ Contributing $25_____
Sponsor $50_____ Life Member $200 (per person) _____
A 501(c)(3) organization
since 1960
Museum Hours:
