08/23/16 8:35am

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It’s Last Saturdays in Newburgh, and this month has a special addition of an African American walking tour. This is a great way to not only see the city, but to also learn about local history and the black lives that have shaped the City of Newburgh.

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12/09/15 7:30am

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The Newburgh Historical Society’s annual Candlelight Tour features a dozen decorated homes including a diverse assortment of public and private spaces – mansions, structures in the rehabilitation process, new construction, architectural gems, and some of Newburgh’s most important landmarks. For years, community members within the second largest historic district in New York State have generously decorated and opened their homes to visitors in support of local history. The 1830 Captain David Crawford House, located at 189 Montgomery St., Newburgh is the starting place for the Tour.

December 13, 2015, 12 PM – 5 PM

For tickets and details click here.

-Photo Matthew Colon, Director of the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands

09/01/15 7:30am

Broadway and Mill St Newburgh NY 1920s

Broadway and Mill Street in the 1920’s
Photo: Collection of Newburgh Historical Society, Newburgh, NY

I often romanticize what Newburgh was like in her grand years. Looking at the current situations of blocks like William Street or Lander make it difficult to imagine such a time even existed. After publishing a recent post about the potential of William Street, a reader submitted a wonderful letter depicting what that block was like as a child during the latter part of the Great Depression and just prior to World War II. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope you do too. If you ever have personal photos or stories you would like to share, please email me.

Dear Cher,

Your photo of the garage for sale on William Street evoked memories of my childhood as I grew up a block from William Street on Renwick Street. Hence, I thought you might be interested in what I recall of the one block section of William Street that intersected with Renwick Street.

On the corner of Renwick and William Street was a grocery store that had changed ownership over the years. I recall at Christmas time each year the grocery store would sell Christmas trees which the owner lined up on the brick wall of the store on Renwick Street. As children, I recall playing by crawling under the Christmas trees and where a young male friend found a one dollar bill (a large sum of money in those days) while we were crawling under the trees and went running jubilantly home grasping his new found wealth.

Next to the grocery store was a drug store and soda bar owned by the Levine family for many years where many of the families would visit for an ice cream treat served to them over their granite counter with stools. Next to the drug store was the local shoemaker who also served as the “neighborhood bookie” as that is where everyone in the neighborhood went to bet on the numbers. I recall my mother having me take shoes to him for repair and also giving me a penny to play a special number which the shoemaker wrote down on paper for me as a “receipt” which I returned to my mother. I don’t ever recall my mother ever winning!

Further up William Street in the middle of the block was a Jewish bakery shop which sold a variety of fresh baked breads and pastries that was quite a popular bakery at that time. I can also recall as children, we jumped from rooftop to rooftop until we came to the bakery rooftop on William Street and with long sticks which were used to “steal” hot loaves of bread cooling on the outside racks outside the bakery in the back of the store. We then as children ate the bread with fresh picked tomatoes which came from my father’s tomato  garden on Renwick Street.

Across the street form the bakery on William Street was  the local barber shop owned by “Danny the barber” yet another front for a bookie who took all types of betting including horse racing. Needless to say, gambling was common among the local residents of that neighborhood and I can recall many interruptions when Danny was cutting my hair as well as answering the phone to receive bets. Further down the street from the barber was yet another gambling establishment where Ralph’s Poolroom existed and where some of the local male residents played cards in Ralph’s back room where Ralph also sat and collected his “commissions” from the card players. Ralph also supplemented his income by making lemon ice in the summertime which was very popular with the local children in the neighborhood.

William Street and Renwick Street consisted of many homes where children grew up during the depression years of parents, many of whom had emigrated from countries such as Italy, who took pride in their neighborhood as it was quite common to observe how the mothers could  be seen sweeping the front walks in front of their homes each morning. It was a close knit neighborhood in which families supported one another and the children played harmoniously. It is sad to see how this once proud neighborhood has fallen upon difficult times and how many homes have now  been abandoned.

Regards,

Joseph A. Ricciotti
(Former Resident of Renwick Street)

03/31/15 7:30am

Growing up in Newburgh

Do you have fond memories of growing up in Newburgh? Do you have a couple of photographs that might help us tell that story? The Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands is seeking photographs from the public that depict familiar scenes of their childhood in Newburgh. For the upcoming exhibit, “Growing Up In Newburgh,” we’d like photos showing families at Downing Park in spring, marching in a parade, lined up for the movies, ice skating at the “Polly,” sleigh riding, shopping downtown, taking the ferry, going to Pete’s Hot Dogs, dance at your first prom or just playing at something really fun.

We want this exhibit to bring back memories and help our community see our city as we first saw it, through children’s eyes and those of their proud parent photographers.

As Russell Lange, curator of the exhibit, expressed in his proposal, “This is an exhibit we can build together as a community to tell our story.”

Photos can be mailed, emailed, or arranged to be scanned at the Society’s headquarters, the Captain David Crawford House, by May 1, 2015. For more information about the exhibit or submitting photographs please visit the Society’s websiteemail them at historicalsocietynb@yahoo.com, or call (845) 561-2585.

02/12/15 7:30am

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Ant De Fria has been busy spending countless hours colorizing some of our favorite photos of historic Newburgh. It certainly gives new live to these photos. He has also spent time restoring the Battle of Newburgh video from 1961, which is another great way to see parts of Newburgh that are no longer in existence.

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If you have old family photos in Newburgh that you would like to share email me.