Howland Stone Store Museum

04/05/2026

Textile lovers! This program is for you!

03/14/2026

This Women’s History Month, discover the powerful stories of women who helped shape Cayuga County and the nation. From abolitionists and educators to suffragists and community leaders, their legacy continues to inspire today.

📖Read the blog and explore their stories:
https://www.tourcayuga.com/blog/womens-history-month-5-stories-being-elevated-in-cayuga-county/

📷: Howland Stone Store Museum
Seward House Museum
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park

02/03/2026

The 2026 Reading & Discussion group convenes for a second session this Sunday, Feb 8th at 4pm at Opendore. Newcomers welcome! February 8: Session 2 – The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America, by Colin Calloway (240 pp.)
This session examines how the 1763 Treaty of Paris reshaped empires, Indigenous sovereignty, and everyday lives. Discussion topics may include shifting borders, Native resistance, imperial diplomacy, and the unintended consequences that foreshadowed the American Revolution.

01/28/2026

Interested in helping the museum clean up our program videos a bit? Some experience necessary. Drop us a message and we'll chat about the project.

01/26/2026

Our January newsletter is now available!

Click on the newsletter page below to open the full newsletter. Dig into history while you are waiting for warm weather to return!

01/18/2026

The first discussion of the R&D series begins at 4pm today at Opendore.

01/13/2026

Sidebar to the 2026 R&D on the American Revolution (or maybe a rabbit hole): https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/arts/thomas-paine-common-sense-250.html?unlocked_article_code=1.EFA.zcwg.TGM4a9kAncLM&smid=url-share
This excerpted statement from the article made me think of the R&D: "...just how revolutionary — and how democratic — was the American Revolution anyway?"

His “Common Sense,” published 250 years ago, ignited the drive for American independence. That was hardly the end of the radical founder’s strange and winding story.

12/26/2025

Emily Howland didn’t just believe in education as a nice idea; she turned it into a revolution. She taught formerly enslaved people to read and write, and founded over 50 schools for freed African Americans. She was also the first woman to snag an honorary doctorate from SUNY, back when women couldn’t even share a classroom with men.

And that’s not all! Emily teamed up with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, took her voice to Congress, and even became the world’s first female bank director. In other words, Emily Howland didn’t just make history—she did it with style and a whole lot of guts.

Learn more about Emily and all of the Brave Women at https://www.fingerlakestravelny.com/brave-women-flx/women-trailblazers/

12/15/2025

The 2024 Wells College history publication by Tiffany Raymond, MLIS and Daniel Refrow, PhD is now available for sale on the HSSM website.

Wells College, founded in 1868 by businessman Henry Wells, boasts a storied history that spans over a century and a half. Using images and ephemera from the Wells College Archive and Special Collections, Tiffany Raymond, MLIS, and Daniel G. Renfrow, PhD, illustrate the college's rich histor

12/13/2025

Semi-what? Semiquincentennial is the 250th anniversary of the 250th anniversary of something, derived from Latin roots meaning "half" (semi) of "five hundred" (quin) years (centennial). It's a formal term for a quarter of a millennium (250 years), notably used for the upcoming 2026 celebrations marking the United States' founding. Our 2026 Reading & Discussion will focus on the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

12/02/2025

Be sure to check out the HSSM tree at the Ward W. O'Hara Agricultural Museum Festival of Trees. We are happy to be a part of the festivities!