| Somers Historical Society Press Release P.O Box 336 Somers, NY 10589 Phone: (914) 277-4977 |
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| April 17, 2006 IMMEDIATE RELEASE TOWN OF SOMERS & SOMERS HISTORICAL SOCIETY PLAN FESTIVITIES To HONOR THE ELEPHANT HOTEL AS BEING DESIGNATED A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK Somers, NY - On Saturday, May 13, 2006, the Town of Somers will celebrate the National Historic Landmark designation of the Town's most famous historic building, The Elephant Hotel. The Somers Historical Society and the Town of Somers are working together to prepare for the official dedication ceremony. The ceremony and attendant festivities are open to the public. �The Elephant Hotel has long been the focal center of our Town and I am extremely pleased that the Townhouse has received the distinctive recognition of Landmark status,� stated Town Supervisor Mary Beth Murphy. �The Historical Society has been planning a fun filled event for the dedication ceremony and I hope that all residents are able to join the festivities on May 13th to help celebrate this great honor.� National Historic Landmark designation comes after many years of research and study by a number of people, including Somers Town Historian Florence Oliver, Neil Larson Associates and Curator Terry Ariano. "The Town of Somers is proud of its heritage and particularly proud of the beauty and significance of its Elephant Hotel," said Florence (Mickey) Oliver, Town Historian. At 1:30 pm a procession of vehicles, modern to horse drawn carriages, carrying some of the dignitaries to the ceremony, will step off from Firemen�s Field. Included will be the West Point Honor Guard, Westchester County's "Old Bet" Bus and vintage vehicles from Muscoot Farm. The participating vehicles will be parked in the parking lot of the Elephant Hotel for people to view following the ceremony. In the event of rain, this procession will be cancelled. The formal dedication ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. on the front lawn of the Elephant Hotel, located at the intersection of Route 202 and 100. Local dignitaries will speak about the significance of this designation. Following the ceremony, an Open House will be held and visitors can tour the building and view its Federal style design. �In Celebration of The Elephant Hotel: Westchester's Newest National Historic Landmark," an exhibit about the history of the building and its builder, Hachaliah Bailey will open for perusal. Prepared by Town and Society Curator Terry Ariano, the exhibit features photographs, paintings, artifacts and other ephemera from the Society�s collection. It is being mounted as part of the Society�s 50th anniversary celebration this year in honor of the National Landmark Designation of the Elephant Hotel. �The National Historic Landmark designation afforded the Elephant Hotel is the highest such recognition accorded by our nation to historic properties. Fewer than 2,500 historic places carry this designation. We are proud to be working with the Town in planning this event, particularly during our 50th anniversary year,� said Society President Grace Zimmermann. In addition to the formal dedication on May 13th, the Society has joined with other community groups to honor the designation and celebrate National Preservation Month in Somers. (National Preservation Month is a month-long celebration sponsored annually by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to encourage communities to celebrate their historic heritage and to emphasize the importance of historic preservation.) Activities are: 1) May 1st to May 30th �"The Elephant Hotel � As You See It", representations of the Elephant Hotel as viewed and created by members of the community. This exhibit is on view in the Somers Library. 2) May 13th to June 11th - � The Elephant Hotel on Review�, a collaborative effort between the Heritage Hills Woodcraft Club and the Somers Historical Society, featuring the craftsmanship of the woodworkers along with the talents of local Somers artists. Bluebird houses, built to resemble the Elephant Hotel and decorated by Somers artists, will be located throughout the Somers business community. People will be able to bid on the birdhouses through a Silent Auction. Results will be announced on June 11. Proceeds support the Society�s 50th Anniversary programs. 3) June 11th � Presentation by Architectural Historian Neil Larson about Elephant Hotel�s historical significance, followed by tour, reception and conclusion of the Silent Auction. The presentation will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Elephant Hotel and is open to the public. The Somers Historical Society, founded in 1956, collects, maintains and preserves material related to both local history and to the development of early 19th century American circus. Its offices and museum are located on the Third Floor of the Elephant Hotel, a National Historic Landmark. The Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and retains an Absolute Charter from the New York State Department of Education as an educational corporation. Somers Historical Society is a member of AASLH, the Lower Hudson Conference, the Westchester Arts Council, Circus Fans of America and the Circus Historical Society. For historical background information click on the following links: Elephant Hotel Hachaliah Bailey The Patent Trader printed a wonderful article - click here to see it. To go back to the Press Release Page - CLICK HERE To go back to the Somers Historical Society's Homepage - CLICK HERE |