Hastings Historical Society

Hastings Historical Society Documenting the history of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York since 1971. hastingshistoricalsociety.org/

Hastings Historical Society's latest home, the Observatory Cottage at Draper Park in Hastings, has a long and colorful history. In 1997, when the Historical Society was preparing to move into its new home from its previous quarters at 41 Washington Avenue, The Hastings Historian ran a four-page history of the building, which can be seen here http://hastingshistorical.org/cottagehistory.shtml

You can come visit us at The Cottage in June 🌿☀️ This Saturday, June 6 · 2–4pm🗓️Mondays · 11am–2pm June 1, 8, 15, 2...
05/31/2026

You can come visit us at The Cottage in June 🌿

☀️ This Saturday, June 6 · 2–4pm
🗓️Mondays · 11am–2pm
June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
🗓️Thursdays · 11am–2pm
June 4, 11, 18, 25

But also visit living American (thus Hastings) this Friday on the grounds of the Hastings-on-Hudson Public Library and the Villlage of Hastings

🗓️ Friday, June 5 | 5–9:30pm
The Declaration of Independence LIVE!
Hastings Village Hall & Library Grounds
An immersive living history celebration of America’s 250th anniversary — free and all ages!
5–8:30pm Thomas Jefferson, Franklin, Washington and more brought to life, plus Revolutionary music, colonial crafts, and 18th-century games.
5–8pm Real historic documents and student exhibitions inside Village Hall and the Library.
8:30pm Grand Finale: Original theatrical reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Food & drinks available | Free parking in Metro North lot

🗓️Sunday, June 7 | 2–4pm
Hastings Historical Society Annual Meeting + Lecture
Life During Wartime: Caught in the Crossfire of the Neutral Ground

As the Revolution tore through Westchester, two local families — the Odells and the Dyckmans — emerged as Patriot leaders. Hear their story of militia, spies, and ordinary citizens caught in the perilous “Neutral Ground.” Presented by Char Weigel, researcher and board member of the Odell House Rochambeau HQ Museum.
Part of Hastings-on-Hudson’s Declaration of Independence 250th anniversary celebration. At the Hastings Public Library, Orr Room, refreshments. Free!

🇺🇸 Happy Memorial Day 🇺🇸Today we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave everything so we could liv...
05/25/2026

🇺🇸 Happy Memorial Day 🇺🇸

Today we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave everything so we could live free. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

While we’re saddened that this year’s Hastings parade has been canceled, we’re grateful to have these wonderful photos of years past. These beautiful photos from the 1968 Hastings Memorial Day Parade are a powerful reminder of how long we have been honoring our heroes — and how deeply that tradition lives in our hearts.

📸 A heartfelt thank you to the Edelman Family and ReynoldsField.com for preserving and sharing these incredible pieces of Hastings history.

The parade may be on pause, but the spirit of remembrance never is. 🙏

Please note: We will be CLOSED this Monday, May 25th, in observance of Memorial Day.
05/21/2026

Please note: We will be CLOSED this Monday, May 25th, in observance of Memorial Day.

🇺🇸 Happy Memorial Day from the Hastings Historical Society!In honor of the holiday, a glimpse into how our community has...
05/21/2026

🇺🇸 Happy Memorial Day from the Hastings Historical Society!

In honor of the holiday, a glimpse into how our community has long paused to remember and give thanks.

The ceremony in 1957 was held in Fulton Park, where you can see the World War II memorial bearing the names of those who gave their lives in service. The monument had been dedicated exactly ten years earlier, on Memorial Day 1947.

The plaque from this monument was later reinstalled in Memorial Park, in front of the V.F.W. building — where it continues to honor our fallen.

👉Please note: We will be CLOSED this Monday, May 25th, in observance of Memorial Day.
Wishing everyone a meaningful holiday. 🕊️

Hastings celebrates the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence & American Revolution, along with the Hasti...
05/20/2026

Hastings celebrates the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence & American Revolution, along with the Hastings Historical Society’s annual meeting and lecture:

On Thurs, May 28, 7pm, join facilitators Greg Smith and Fred Charles for Declaration Deep Dive, a textual analysis of the Declaration of Independence at the Hastings-on-Hudson Public Library, Orr Room. Explore the document’s meaning at the time of writing, its global influence, and its relevance today. Free. Come early for Mr. Smith’s SUPA History Students exhibit of their final project Reception from 6-6:50

On Fri, June 5, 5pm, experience The Declaration of Independence LIVE! an immersive living history experience on the grounds of the Hastings-on-Hudson Municipal Building and Public Library. Be transported to 1776 with founding fathers, patriots, loyalists, revolutionary women, and Native voices. Enjoy period music, crafts, games, and don’t miss the dramatic theatrical reading of the Declaration at 8:30 PM. Free.

🇺🇸More info at www.revhoh.org🇺🇸

Meet your presenter: Char Weigel is one of Westchester’s foremost voices on Revolutionary War history. As VP of Special ...
05/20/2026

Meet your presenter: Char Weigel is one of Westchester’s foremost voices on Revolutionary War history.

As VP of Special Projects for , a board member of the Odell House Rochambeau HQ Museum, and a walking tour guide for NY State Parks, she brings the past to life like no one else.

Her 2024 publication, “Boot Papers: Double Betrayal in Documents Found in John André’s Footwear,” in New York State Archives Magazine is just one example of the meticulous research and compelling storytelling she brings to every presentation.

“Life During Wartime: Caught in the Crossfire of the Neutral Ground”
As the Revolution tore through Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, and Hastings, two local families — the Odells and the Dyckmans — emerged as remarkable Patriot leaders. Hear the story of guides, militia leaders, and ordinary citizens caught in Westchester’s perilous “Neutral Ground.”

📍
🗓️Sunday, June 7 | 2–4pm
🎟️ Free & open to all

👉 Presented by the Hastings Historical Society as part of Hastings-on-Hudson’s celebration of America’s 250th

NeutralGround LocalHistory

One month after the Declaration of Independence was signed, this map was already in print.“The Provinces of New York, an...
05/15/2026

One month after the Declaration of Independence was signed, this map was already in print.

“The Provinces of New York, and New Jersey” drawn by Major Holland, engraved by Thomas Jefferys (Geographer to His Majesty), and corrected by Governor Pownall in 1776, is one of the most important cartographic documents of the American Revolutionary War era.

Holland first surveyed this territory in 1767 and 1768, commissioned by the Board of Trade to settle a heated border dispute between New York and New Jersey. His fieldwork would go on to define the most contested theaters of the Revolution: the Hudson Valley, New Jersey, Vermont, and the approaches to New York City.

Jefferys, with his privileged access as Geographer to the King, was among the first to bring Holland’s surveys to the public. The result was a map that both sides of a war relied upon to navigate the same ground.

Full map can be seen: https://www.davidrumsey.com/maps4602.html

Did you know Westchester County archives hold over 400 firsthand accounts of the Revolutionary War? 🏛️⚔️Westchester Hist...
05/13/2026

Did you know Westchester County archives hold over 400 firsthand accounts of the Revolutionary War? 🏛️

⚔️Westchester History: an interview with Jackson Odell (1792–1849), son of John Odell, a Westchester Guide who led American forces through the county during the war.

His account covers some dramatic moments of the conflict right here in our backyard:

🔴 Battle of Young’s House (Feb. 3, 1780) A British force under Colonel Chapple Norton surprised Massachusetts soldiers on what is now West Hartsdale Ave and Knollwood Rd. Soldiers from both sides were later reinterred beneath a monument near the Sprain Brook Parkway.

🔵 Rochambeau’s Headquarters (1781) The French general stayed at the Bates House on Ridge Road in Hartsdale, later acquired by the Odell family and still standing today as the Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters.

🔴 Battle of Pines Bridge (May 14, 1781) Loyalist Colonel James DeLancey launched a preemptive raid against Colonel Christopher Greene after learning Washington had ordered Greene to capture him.

✍️These stories happened on the same streets we drive every day. Explore the full archive at https://collections.westchestergov.com/digital/collection/mcdonald

👉Learn more during Hastings Historcal Society’s Annual meeting and Lecture: Life During War Time: Caught in the Crossfire of the Neutral Ground
Sunday, June 7th 2–4pm




Thank you Westchester County Archives

Address

407 Broadway. The Observatory Cottage In Draper Park
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
10706

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 2pm
Thursday 11am - 2pm

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