AARCH is excited to announce that we will host THREE upcoming virtual webinars exploring a variety of topics and themes. All these programs are FREE and open to the public, and will feature a presentation followed by a Q&A period with attendees via Zoom. Pre-registration for each program is required.

First up on Tuesday, February 8 is Poke-O-Moonshine & Adirondack Fire Towers. Our friend David Thomas-Train, coordinator of the Friends of Poke-O-Moonshine, will share a brief history of Adirondack fire towers, the devastating fires that led to their construction, the evolution of fire tower design, and a detailed history of preservation and restoration at Poke-O-Moonshine Fire Tower.

David will also share more on the Friends’ recent and ongoing trail rehabilitation efforts. This event is co-sponsored by our friends at the NYS Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA).

To REGISTER, click HERE.

On Tuesday, February 15, we will host filmmaker Paul Miller for a discussion on his new documentary film Searching for Timbuctoo. The film documents the story of the Adirondack settlement of Timbuctoo, which emerged from an 1846 land giveaway to nearly 3,000 African American families so that they could have have the right to vote in New York State. The settlement encompassed land in Essex and Franklin Counties and its deep and powerful story remains hidden beneath the soil of the Adirondack landscape. This webinar features a trailer for the film, a short 20 minute presentation, and a Q&A with Paul.

To REGISTER, click HERE.

Lastly, on Thursday, March 3, Queensborough Community College Assistant Professor of History and North Country native Clarence Jefferson Hall will discuss the subject matter of his recent book, “A Prison in the Woods: Environment and Incarceration in New York’s North Country,” which explores the intersection of prisons and the environmental conservation movement in the Adirondack Park. From the mid-19th century to the present, New York State and federal corrections planners have adapted existing Adirondack infrastructure into sites of incarceration, including former rehabilitative spaces for Tuberculosis curing in Gabriels and Ray Brook. These and other carceral complexes like the historic Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, boast rich and significant architectural legacies. Dr. Hall will deliver a presentation on the role of architecture and reuse in the intersecting histories of Adirondack prisons, and their profound connection to North Country communities. His presentation will be followed by a Q&A.

To REGISTER, click HERE.
Although these programs are offered free, we ask attendees to consider a small donation to AARCH. Your generosity helps ensure programs like this can keep happening throughout the year.