The Museums of Historic Palmyra

When my friend Krista suggested an outing to Palmyra to visit the museums there, I didn’t know that she had lived in that area for years! So it wasn’t a new adventure for her, but it was for me. Thankfully, we didn’t do anything Mormony.

the tool room

There are five Museums of Historic Palmyra, and although they are relatively small, it actually took us just under 2.5 hours to complete a guided tour of all five, with a little bit of time in the gift shop at the end. Krista chatted briefly with her friend Bonnie Hays, the Executive Director, before we set off with our docent, Steve, and another couple (from Webster). First up was the Historic Museum, in an 1800’s building that had originally been a boarding house (with 16 rooms and one bathroom…). 

creepy wreath made out of
one woman's hair from
different times of her life

Apparently, the building was moved from a nearby street, after the existing structure burned down in the mid-1960s. The rooms were organized by theme of memorabilia – military, medicine, religion (can’t get too far from that subject in Palmyra, it seems – the town also has the unusual distinction of being the only one with four different churches at each of the corners of its main street downtown), dolls and toys, etc.

Steve was a font of information, and talked quickly, so I didn’t take in everything, but the town was on the Underground Railroad as well as the Erie Canal, and has links not just to Joseph Smith, but also Winston Churchill (his grandparents were married there), and Henry Wells, founder of Wells Fargo.

Next up was the 1826 Erie Canal Depot, where goods were unloaded from the barges, and where the hoagies (the men who drove the mules) bedded down upstairs, while the mules were boarded in the basement. In addition to various artifacts, the building houses a cool diorama of Old Lock 30, a defunct double lock in Macedon.

At the Print Shop next door, we learned a bit about printmaking, and sliced up a phone book with an incredibly large and sharp paper cutter. A crafter's dream!

the washtub...

We transitioned to the Phelps Store just as a thunderstorm rolled in and Steve was explaining how the house was haunted. I got to use my new favorite phrase, courtesy of my sister: “But, science…” 

Steve opened several bottles so we
could sense the scents of 1940

The store was certainly eerie – Julius Phelps had locked the store for good in 1940, and all of the dry goods (and even some egg shells) were frozen in time. Upstairs from the store were the living quarters, where Julius’ daughter Sibyl (an Eastman School of Music grad and a “spiritualist” who was friendly with Houdini) lived until she died in 1976. Although there was a closet containing a toilet, it had never been connected, and the house had no running water. Most of the furnishings are original, although much restoration was needed because toward the end, she lived in squalor with lots of cats. Luckily for historical preservation, the house was converted into a museum within six months of her death.

My favorite, by far, was the Alling Coverlet Museum, our ultimate destination. The only museum dedicated to America’s hand-woven coverlets, it houses over 350 coverlets and quilts, including Merle Alling’s own collection of over 200 coverlets, as well as several looms. Every year, 60 coverlets are selected for display, and they are beautiful. Some of them are fine examples of the prolific weaver Ira Hadsell, whose work is in the collections of museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Folk Art Museum in New York. Sadly, demand for hand-made coverlets declined with the rise of the cheaper, machine-made versions.

Krista and I were happy to make some purchases on our way out, to support this all-volunteer organization. They have a nice selection of pillows made from antique coverlets (ones that are donated, but aren't wholly intact…). I can definitely see taking visiting friends to Palmyra in my future!

The Freedom of the City at MuCCC

 When my friend (and also actress and former Concentus singer) Katharine Sanford posted on her Facebook page an invitation to see The Freedom of the City, by Brian Friel, I emailed to ask if she’d be in it. She replied that she had one of the lead roles, and that it is an incredibly written show. I’ve seen four other plays in NYC by Friel, who has been compared to Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, and who died just a few years ago: Molly Sweeney and Faith Healer, which I enjoyed, and Philadelphia, Here I Come! and Give Me Your Answer, Do!, which I did not. Maybe this would be good, since it didn’t have an exclamation mark in the title…

Tickets on-line were only $7, so I attended the Saturday matinee, knowing I could always leave at intermission. This was my first time in this space on Atlantic Avenue, and I loved the creative re-use of a church, although it was a bit disorienting, since the seating had been flipped 90 degrees. MuCCC accommodates around 80 people in a mix of real seats and two pews in four rows. There were only about two dozen in the audience (and many of them seemed to know each other), so I had a prime seat in the middle of the back row.

I was astounded at the quality of the production. The director made very efficient use of the small stage and floor surrounding it, as well as the balcony. Most of the accents were very good, especially those of the three main characters, who were all excellent in their roles, including Katharine. And she hadn’t led me astray – the play itself was very moving. Even though you know from the start how events will unfold, the final scene is shocking and disturbing. And you can’t help but think of all of the recent police shootings of innocent people in our own country. And the fact that most of these murderers faced no consequences.

Sadly, there’s only one more chance to see this production – Sunday at 7:30. DVC is a curious little company, founded by a cohort of Wilson Magnet High School students, if I understood the introduction correctly. Many of the actors seemed to be alumni, and one is even a current student. I have a feeling that I’m going to try to see their next presentation – American Skin – a series of monologues (apparently some of the writers were in the audience) – during Fringe Festival…

Rochester Red Wings

Growing up, my home-town baseball team was the Senators (go Frank Howard!). I might have been taken to a game as a kid – I don’t really remember. But professional sports weren’t a priority in our household, so I couldn’t even tell you who bought them or when. I did attend a couple of Mets games, but only because they were company outings. And since we sat in some remote bleachers, we were mostly there to socialize, not actually watch the game. At least I think it was the Mets. It could have been the Yankees…

View of downtown from the stadium

Tom, Naomi, and Glen

This week, I had the opportunity to attend a Rochester RedWings game. I didn’t exactly know where Frontier Field was – somewhere on the other side of the river, right? What a lovely little stadium it turned out to be! Our friends Tom and Glen had arranged with Naomi Silver, the team’s President & CEO, to have a box overlooking 3^rd base for a party of about 30. It was a comfortable, air-conditioned space, with access to private bathrooms (this is definitely the way to see a game!). We had a tasty food spread, and at one point two women came around with a cart and made everyone ice cream sundaes. Oh, and we watched the game. 

Colleen, Steven, and Caroline

Off and on… But I did learn a few things: the Red Wings are AAA, which means they’re at the top of the minor leagues. And they are the feeder to the Minnesota Twins (one of my friends joked that that made more sense than the Baltimore Orioles, the former affiliate, since Minneapolis and Rochester have about the same weather…). Another friend, Ali, actually explained some of the play to me as it was happening! Also, I learned more about how to use the camera on my iPhone from Naomi.

The mascot Mittsy stopped by to wave hi

I was pleasantly surprised at the turnout – the stadium appeared to be over half-full on this balmy mid-week summer evening – and relieved that the sky was clear and a light breeze made sitting outside (in the shade) bearable. There weren’t enough seats for all of us to sit outside at once, which was fine – there were plenty of tables inside with a good view, and high-top tables for socializing. Another friend, Karl, introduced me to his twin and his twin’s wife, from Albuquerque (he was wearing a Breaking Bad t-shirt). After they said they were from Albuquerque, I asked where, and the wife replied, “New Mexico.” Funny. I persisted, because I meant where in Albuquerque! Turns out they live less than a mile from my sister. Small world.

I felt a bit bad that I made my carpool group leave after what we thought was the 8^th inning, to beat the “traffic.” The Red Wings were down 6 to 4, so it seemed likely the Charlotte Knights would win. When I looked at the final results the next day, it must have been just after the 7^th when we departed (next time someone will have to teach me how to count innings on the board…) and the Red Wings came back to win 7 to 6! So we missed an exciting finish – oh well... I have to admit, it was a really enjoyable way to spend a summer evening.