This year the Glens Falls – Queensbury Historical Association, which operates the Chapman Museum, celebrates its founding 50 years ago.  To kick off the occasion the museum will host a free open house on Saturday, December 5, from 10 am to 4 pm, and a special reception Saturday evening from 5 to 7:30 pm for members and other supporters.  Guests are also invited to explore the Holiday Display in the historic DeLong House, which this year will feature a 1912 Christmas.

In 1965, the association’s first trustees, Ralph M. Lapham, Francis L. Bayle, Marion B. Davies, and Wallace L. Scott, along with John Austin formally established the organization when they obtained a charter from the New York State Board of Regents. That same year, Juliet Goodman Chapman offered the use of her former home on 348 Glen Street, the historic house of Zopher I. and Catherine Delong, to be the association’s headquarters and the site of a museum to showcase its collection of artifacts.

The museum is displaying a selection of 50 artifacts that reflect the range of the museum’s object collections from the earliest years of the organization to the recent past.  Included are the Civil War surgical kit of Dr. Buell Streeter, blacksmith tongs used by Clark Howe Sr. at his shop at French Mountain, a 1950 Buddy L station wagon, and a 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics volunteer uniform complete with a Ronnie Raccoon patch.  Also included are gloves made by the Clarke Glove Co., a 1940 McMullen dress, Henry Crandall’s barking spud, Howard Grout’s WWII bomber jacket, toys and other artifacts such as a wooden pin from the covered bridge that spanned the Hudson River from 1842 to 1890.  Former director, Joe Cutshall-King, helped to research the early history of the association and to organize the exhibition.

The Chapman Museum, located at 348 Glen Street, Glens Falls, is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm, and Sunday, noon to 4 pm.  During the holiday season museum shop hours are extended Tuesday to Thursday to 6 pm.  For more information call (518) 793-2826 or visit chapmanmuseum.org.

Photo:  Glens Falls Mayor James Donnelly, museum founder Ralph Lapham and Councilman Frank Morey in 1967 (provided).