The following events listed in last Friday's The Advertiser's Pennysaver may be of interest to the local historic preservation community:
- Historic Oakwood Cemetery Tour: "A Soldier From Every War" Walking Tour - "A new season of tours begins at Oakwood Cemetery on Sat., May 5, from 9-11 am. Join noted military historian Robert Mulligan as he leads us through his walking tour...and introduces visitors to at least one soldier from every war we have fought. Learn of their private lives and the battles they fought. Wear sturdy shoes for off-road walking and bring drinking water. Meet at the bell just beyond the chapel on Oakwood Avenue. The cost is $12/person. Call 1-800-556-6273 to register." Future tours at Oakwood Cemetery include (call same phone number to register, same meeting and other requirements except as noted):
- "Birding with the Best," with lifelong birder Dick Patrick, Saturday, May 12, 8-10 am ($12). "See Oakwood's Baltimore orioles, great blue herons, hawks, and an occasional bald eagle. Last year, the tour group spotted a family of great horned owls and watched their progress throughout the summer."
- "A Walk Among the Wildflowers," Saturday, May 19, 9-11 am ($12). Tour the grounds with Bill Town as he introduces you to the common and unusual, as well as the native and not-so-native plants found on the grounds.
- Memorial Day Ecumenical Service and Graveside Remembrance, Monday, May 28, 8-10 am (free). Celebrate with us as we begin Oakwood Cemetery's tribute to veterans with an outdoor Ecumenical Service at the Earl Chapel on Oakwood Avenue. We begin at 8 am with a call to prayer with a shofar, a ram's horn. Following the service, at 9am, take a self-guided tour through the cemetery to selected veterans' graves where Honor Guard members will tell of the veterans' lives and war experiences. This service will be brought indoors in case of heavy rain only. Please plan appropriately. This program is free and requires no registration.
- "The Rensselaer County Historical Society will present an exhibition chronicling the centennial of Prospect Park entitled "One Hundred Years of a Day in the Park." It will open May 17 at the Society's headquarters, at 57 Second Street, in Troy, at 5:30 pm. the public is invited to attend and refreshments will be provided. An exciting array of programs will be offered in conjunction with the exhibit. The exhibition, sponsored by the Friends of Prospect Park, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the park's opening in 1907 on land purchased from the Warren and Vail families. For the last century, the park has played an integral role in the recreational lives of the residents of Troy, from the playground movement begun by the Women's Improvement Association in 1906, to today's Troy Tennis Association. Prospect Park, designed by Garnet Baltimore, first African American graduate of RPI, exemplified the design and spirit of urban parks created in the early 20th century. Residents, trapped by the foul air, congested housing and long hours of hard labor in the many factories, found the 84-acre park located atop Mount Ida an escape to 'refresh the body and soul.'"
On May 24th, the Friends of Prospect Park is also holding its annual
Hidden Garden Tour, a walking tour of hidden historic brownstone gardens from 4-7 pm, and its annual
Summer Soiree, with dinner and dancing under the stars in Prospect Park on June 14th. For more information and tickets, email them at prospect@nycap.rr.com.
