Tour The Museum.
Explore The Past.
The Madison County Historical Society’s mission is to preserve, collect, promote and exhibit the history of Madison County and its fifteen towns and one city through the development of programs and events that enhance the county’s heritage for the people of Madison County and those studying the county’s heritage.
Best Local Event category for Madison County Historical Society’s 60th Annual Madison County Craft Festival, September 7 & 8, 2024!
Thank You For Your Votes!
Best Museum/Art Gallery category
Best Local Event category for Cottage Lawn Farmers’ Market
Thank You For Your Votes!
Tour The Grounds
The Cottage Lawn
Come tour the Cottage Lawn, our 1849 Gothic Revival Villa designed by prominent architect Alexander Jackson Davis, now serving as both a museum and society headquarters. Discover what life was like in the Victorian period and learn about Madison County’s heritage when you book a tour.
Located in Oneida, NY, this 5,706 sqft home features two parlors, a dining room, a library/trophy room, a kitchen with butler’s pantry, vault, children’s room, grandmother’s room, housekeeper’s room, and changing exhibit room. Visit the new hop culture exhibit located within the property’s agricultural barn.
Guided House Tours:
Monday – Friday, 10am – 2pm
$5.00 per adult | MCHS Members & children under 12 are free
Unearth The Past
Mary King
Research Library
Housed within the Museum is the Mary King Research Library – a valuable resource for historians, researches, and curious individuals alike.
The library contains the history of Madison County including records of statistics, published histories, newspapers, microfilms, and countless other sources of record keeping and photography.
Hours: Monday – Friday, 10am – 3pm
Admission: Members & High School Students are free.
$20 for nonmembers | $5 student rate college/graduate
Events
Mini-Pack Basket Weaving Workshop led by Sara Buss
Saturday, July 27 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
$65 Madison County Historical Society members
$70 Nonmembers Become a member of the Madison County Historical Society to receive the special workshop rate.
Participants will learn basket weaving techniques to create a Mini-Pack Basket. The workshop is for beginner basket weavers interested in learning the techniques but unsure where to start and experienced basket weavers looking for a fun workshop. Artist Sara Buss will lead participants through the steps and basket weaving techniques from tapering scarfing and packing a basket tight to creating a Mini-Pack Basket (9” x 6” x 12” H).
Sara Buss, owner of Buss N’ Stuff has been making handwoven baskets since 2021. After taking basket weaving classes, she began teaching classes in 2022 while participating in local craft festivals selling her baskets and offering custom orders. Sara was juried into the 2022 Madison County Craft Festival as a new artisan and will return to the show again this year for the 60th Annual Madison County Craft Festival on September 7 & 8.
This workshop is for adults and children aged 9 years and up and will be held at the Madison County Historical Society. All basket weaving materials will be supplied. To register for the workshop, please get in touch with the Madison County Historical Society at 315-363-4136, or send us an email at history@mchs1900.org. Space is limited to twenty participants, so register soon. The Madison County Historical Society’s Heritage Handicrafts: Mini- Pack Basket Weaving Workshop is part of a series of leisure arts workshops designed to engage and involve participants in Fine Arts and Crafts activities common in the 19th century with a focus on making cultural connections to creative pastimes which are still relevant today.
Continuous-Strand Weaving Workshop led by Dawn Johnson
Saturday, September 28 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
$65 Madison County Historical Society members
$70 Nonmembers Become a member of the Madison County Historical Society to receive the special workshop rate.
The continuous-strand weaving method applied for this workshop will be set on a 12” square loom. Participants will pick two projects to create on the day of the workshop selecting from hats, slippers, purses, headbands, dishcloths, or a hood. Participants keep all the materials supplied to complete their artwork including a 12” square loom, metal hook, beater, and yarn.
Dawn Johnson has a BFA from Syracuse University and is a professional weaver, selling her work at craft shows and in boutiques, and offering demonstrations.
This workshop is for adults and children aged 13 years and up. The workshop will be held at the Madison County Historical Society. To register for the workshop, please get in touch with the Madison County Historical Society at 315-363-4136, or send us an email at history@mchs1900.org. Space is limited to twenty participants, so register soon. Madison County Historical Society’s Heritage Handicrafts: Continuous-Strand Weaving Workshop is part of a series of leisure arts workshops designed to engage and involve participants in Fine Arts and Crafts activities common in the 19th century with a focus on making cultural connections to creative pastimes which are still relevant today.
On Thursday, June 13th at 6:00 pm, the Madison County Historical Society welcomes Norman K. Dann Ph.D., who will share research for his new book, Gat: The Life of Gerrit Smith Miller.
Born in 1845, Gerrit Smith Miller was reared in the waning days of the Reform Era of American history that witnessed the abolition of slavery and the birth of the women’s rights movement. Thus, sensitized to the importance of human feelings, he spent his adult life supporting the needs of people less fortunate than himself. He did so in four ways: The support of education for socially disadvantaged youth; the use of sports as a tool for human cooperation; scientific research in Holstein cattle herd management to provide affordable nutrition for American families; and real estate development in the city of Oswego. His life spanned over eight decades in which he became known for his persistence at chosen tasks, and his humane treatment of his friends and clients.
Norman K. Dann, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus at Morrisville State College, where he taught Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Environmental Science from 1966 – 1999. Living in a cottage formerly on the Gerrit Smith Estate, Norm is a Gerrit Smith scholar and author of several other books including biographies of the Smith family of Peterboro. He is the head docent at the Gerrit Smith Estate and a founder of the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum.
The program will be held at the Madison County Historical Society located at 435 Main Street in Oneida. The program is free and open to the public.
