Century House Historical Society

Century House Historical Society is a small, volunteer run organization whose mission is to preserve the industrial history of the area, the immigrant families who made it possible, as well as maintain the Snyder Estate and its collections. The Estate is a community resource that has much to offer. On the grounds there is access to the only historic cement mine in the country open to the public. The Widow Jane Mine was used by the Snyder family to mine limestone which was fired to make natural hydraulic cement. The cement was used in many historic structures of the 19th century. The base of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Flat Iron Building and the NYS Thruway just to name a few. It all started here!!In addition to the mine the Estate has many other points of interest. We have twenty plus acres of wooded trails with amazing landscapes, a battery of kilns, a D&H Canal slip, an antique carriage collection, the Century House as well as our Museum. 

 We have been working hard over the past couple to years to improve the site. With the help of the community we got the lights back on in  the Brooklyn Bridge Gates as well as the other necessary repairs. Thank you all who helped us achieve this goal.
The Century House was included in 2019 Wallkill Valley Land Trust  open house tour.
This was no small feat. We took the Century House from thisto this, in record time!There is still much to do. This is the first thing guests see when they arrive on site. Three quarters of the building is being supported by temporary columns.   This building houses our Museum and the majority or our archives. Additionally, our Carriage Barn is desperately in need of a new roof. All the buildings need gutters and a fresh coat of paint. Estimates are in place and a majority of the supplies that are needed are already on site.  Please help us restore the Museum buildings and continue the preservation of vital New York history. Let's work together to give the history a future!

Have you ever noticed that the gates to the Snyder Estate, home to the famed Widow Jane mine in Rosendale, look a lot like the Brooklyn Bridge?

Well, it's not an accident! The gates were built by the Snyder family to evoke the fabled structure in honor of the role Rosendale cement played in its construction. This natural limestone cement was used in many historic structures of the 19th century, including the Erie Canal, the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, the Capitol, the NYS Thruway, the Croton Aqueduct, and of course, the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Century House Historical Society , a non-profit group run by volunteers who maintain the estate property and the on-site museum, needs your help to fix the gate! 

The columns are in disrepair and the stones need to be re-sealed as soon as possible. We would also like to replace the broken amber glass in the lanterns atop the columns.

Your donations will go directly toward the $1,500 needed to reseal the columns and fix the lanterns. Any additional funds will go toward ongoing maintenance of the Snyder Estate property and its structures.

Thank you for your help in keeping this important historical structure intact!

Sincerely,

The Century House Historical Society Board of Trustees,

Anne Gorrick
Gayle Grunwald
Henry H. Lowengard
Michael McCabe
Laurel Mutti
Steven Schimmrich
Katy Weber
Althea Werner