Uncle Sam
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RHCS

The Rensselaer County Historical Society is located in the Second Street Historic District of downtown Troy. RCHS occupies two adjacent 19th century townhouses - the historic and architecturally significant Hart-Cluett House, home to three families from 1827-1952, and the Carr Building.

RCHS offers visitors and members a wide range of tours, exhibitions, educational programs, and an extensive local history research library. We hope you'll visit us soon.

What's New?

Building Portraits from the Collection: Curator's Choice
June 25, 2010 - November 20, 2010

Paper Cutting of Hart-Cluett HouseThe built environment is familiar to us all, but ever-changing. As part of our mission to tell the stories of the past in Rensselaer County, it is often the buildings we pass by each day that hold the key to understanding how our communities have become what they are today. And yet, it is also possible to walk right by without really seeing them and learning from them.

As part of RCHS’s current look at architecture in Troy and Rensselaer County, Curator Stacy Pomeroy Draper has made a selection of building "portraits" to pique your curiosity, whet your appetite and give some idea of the scope of the museum’s holdings related to architecture.  Some of these images are well-known, others have not been seen for many years or are brand new additions to the collection. 


George Shear's Houses on the Hudson

                                    Shear's House

George Ellsworth Shear is an architect with a longtime interest in the history of residential architecture in America. Wherever his travels have taken him, he has carefully observed and sketched the local architectual vernacular. His recent work focuses on the historic homes lining the east shore of the Hudson River and the remarkable architecture of Troy. Shear's original drawings will be on display at RCHS through December 2010.

"UNCLE SAM: THE MAN IN LIFE AND LEGEND"
NEW PERMANENT EXHIBITION

The Rensselaer County Historical Society is now the new home for Uncle Sam and his story with the opening of its new permanent exhibition Uncle Sam: The Man in Life and Legend.

Samuel “Uncle Sam” Wilson (1766-1854) is undoubtedly Troy’s most famous son. Arriving in Troy in the late 18th century and participating in the community’s early growth and success, he was also a witness to the expansion of our nation and the development of our national identity.

The Historical Society’s exhibit, Uncle Sam: The Man in Life and Legend, examines both the real man and the national symbol using objects from the museum’s collections, including archeological artifacts from the site of one of Sam Wilson’s houses and historical prints and images of our national symbol. Visitors will be able to see how the story of the man and the legend evolved and learn how this real person and national icon continue to impact us today.



 

~ Rensselaer County Historical Society ~
~ 57 Second Street, Troy, NY 12180 ~
~ 518-272-7232 ~

 
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