In 1777, in the midst of the American Revolution, representatives of rebellious New Yorkers convened in Kingston and ratified the first New York State Constitution. To commemorate this event’s 247th anniversary, Senate House will host a “New York State Constitution Day” on Saturday, April 20th from 10 am until 5 pm.
Visitors can help themselves to a free booklet with the text from original 1777 document. The site will also have a free quill pen writing craft for visitors of all ages.
Then, at 1 pm, Historic Site Manager Aaron Robinson, will deliver a free talk on the making of the 1777 Constitution titled “Creating a New Government for New York: The Road to Senate House.”
Guests can also walk in the footsteps of this important history with a guided tour of Senate House, the 18th century home of the Van Gaasbeek family, and meeting place of the first New York State Senate.
Tours are available from 10 am until 4 pm. The site’s museum building will also be open to explore, featuring exhibits on Kingston‘s 17th century history under the Dutch and artworks by local 19th century artist John Vanderlyn. Admission is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors, and children ages 12 and under are free.
Located at 296 Fair Street in Kingston NY, Senate House State Historic Site is one of 35 historic sites within the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and one of 40 facilities administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in New York and New Jersey.
For further information please call 845-338-2786, visit the New York State Parks website at: https://parks.ny.gov or find them on Facebook.
Illustration provided.
