SELKIRK — Cedar Hill Schoolhouse, located at 1003 River Road in Selkirk, stands as a testament to the legacy of the Town of Bethlehem. Open on Sundays from 2-4 p.m., the one-room, cardinal-red building has been converted into a museum that is a treasure trove of local history.
The museum is open to visitors from February through October. Reservations are currently open for a themed tea party, Tea on the Titanic, on April 22 from 1-4 p.m. at the Delmar Reformed Church. On June 11, from 1-4 p.m Cedar Hill Schoolhouse is hosting an ice cream social that is open to the public.
Currently on exhibition is a carefully curated office and home setting that sets the scene for the 1940s, exploring the Bethlehem’s history during the war. Desks and a chalkboard allow visitors to imagine classes in the schoolroom.
Through October, there is an exhibit dedicated to Anna Clapper, a local resident with a fascinating story that spans from 1870 to 1970. Visitors can read excerpts from letters that illuminate Anna Clapper’s life.
One of the many ways the museum is involving children in learning about local history is with a table of historical antiques. Each piece from the past is carefully preserved and can spark a conversation.
“In order to help the children feel comfortable in the museum and to make their visit a positive experience, we have simple activities, such as scavenger hunts, that are interactive with the exhibits — and of course, they love the dollhouses,” said Karen Beck, president of the Bethlehem Historical Association (BHA).
The dollhouses were designed by longtime BHA member Anna Uhl. Donations such as these are essential to furthering the education process about local history and planning future exhibitions.
“Currently, we are planning to do a major exhibit on iconic businesses that have been in town for 50 years or more,” said Beck. “We are gathering information for a major exhibit on dairy farming. We are also interested in exploring the history of sports in town.”
To create their exhibits, the museum seeks out personal memories of events, photographs, flyers and other memorabilia. BHA volunteers transcribe letters and diaries and make copies of documents and stories that peel back the layers of history.
“Local history is important because you don’t want to forget where you came from and what you can learn from the past and how you can apply that to future things,” said Susan Leath, former Town of Bethlehem historian and active BHA member.
Donations of poodle skirts, 45-record players, tie-dye, bell-bottom jeans, and yearbooks are all integral to curating period-accurate 20th-century exhibitions. Community involvement is “very much needed and appreciated,” added Beck.
Cedar Hill Schoolhouse itself tells a story about the past. Built in 1859 as a one-room schoolhouse, the first class was taught in 1860 by Philip Miller. The museum has the original register he maintained.
The schoolhouse was enlarged by noted architect Marcus Reynolds in 1907 to accommodate more students and the growing eagerness for education in the area.
In 1944, the number of grades taught in the schoolhouse was substantially reduced as more schools opened. By the 1950s, the building was only used to house the third and fourth grades.
The last classes were held in 1962. Since then, the building has been converted over the years into the present-day museum. Leath recommends adaptive reuse as a realistic way of preserving history for years to come.
“I think that’s important,” said Leath. “You can preserve the history and look forward to using the building in a new and different way that still preserves the heritage but serves a modern function. History and the buildings, they give you a real sense of place.”
Cedar Hill can be traced to some of the earliest records in the town’s history, the pre-Revolutionary War era.
“The oldest reference to the place name Bethlehem in our area was in the 1600s. It was a little community that was near the Vloman Kill and the Hudson River, which is essentially Cedar Hill,” said Leath.
Beck said local museums help people step into the past and get a sense of how things looked, and the way our ancestors lived.
“Becoming acquainted with those earlier days fosters an appreciation and pride in the community, which then hopefully strengthens our determination to preserve and protect its future,” she said.