Love learning about local history? You can get an inside look at buildings that once stood in our area at The Chapman Museum’s new exhibit, open now.
Major fires accelerated the need to replace older buildings in Glens Falls, perhaps most notably the fire of 1864, which destroyed the entire center of the city. Within days, merchants erected simple sheds. Later, multi-story brick buildings replaced the sheds, and many of these buildings still stand today.
At The Chapman Museum’s new exhibit, Building Stories, visitors can see photos of historic buildings that no longer stand, including The Wing House on Warren Street, the First Presbyterian Church, the Opera House, Rockwell House on Fountain Square, and the Glens Falls Insurance Company.
Other buildings still stand but have changed, like Hall’s Ice Cream on Maple Street. You can also see a variety of people in the exhibit, like hotelier George Brown of Halfway House and teacher Susan Lockhart.
This exhibit builds upon the research and material used in the Chapman Museum’s annual Cemetery and Walking Tours, which have featured many historic characters. In addition to photos, there are audio recordings.
The Chapman Museum believes the architecture of a community is the starting point for learning about its history. Stop by the museum to see how our area got its roots – public hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 4pm, and Sunday 12pm to 4pm.
