Ulster County Clerk Nina Postupack is pleased to announce the opening of the Matthewis Persen House Museum & Cultural Heritage Center’s 2022 season on Saturday, May 28. The Persen House is located at the corner of Crown and John Streets in uptown Kingston’s Stockade National Historic District. The house will be open for the summer season on Thursdays & Fridays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Postupack is looking forward to the 2022 Persen House season. “We are so fortunate to have a wide variety of Ulster County historical and cultural groups guest hosting at the Persen House this year,” said Postupack. “This year’s schedule is packed with family-friendly events, including reenactments, scavenger hunts, colonial games, lectures, exhibits and more! The ability to take a step back in time is a treat for the whole family.”
There will be several season-long special exhibits featured at the House. Gysbert’s Inventory: A Reflection of 1665 Dutch Life in Wiltwyck, provides insight into the daily life of a 17th century Dutch colonial family through the inventory of the house’s original owner, Gysbert Van Imbroch. Also, a new artifact display, A Perpetual Memory: Artifacts of the Native Americans and Dutch Settlers, in commemoration of the 1665 Nicolls/Esopus Peace Treaty will be available. This exhibit presents artifacts from both the Native Americans and European settlers of the area. Many of the Native American artifacts in this exhibit are being shown for the first time in public.
The County Clerk’s Office is also pleased to debut a new activity, History At Your Fingertips. Visitors can see and touch high-quality reproductions of items found in Gysbert Van Imbroch’s 1665 inventory. What does a powder horn actually look like? What is a cravat and how is it used? Answer these questions and more in this first installment of History At Your Fingertips at the Matthewis Persen House this season. Stay tuned for further additions of artifact displays and period clothing later this season and into 2023.
For further information about the Matthewis Persen House Museum and other outreach programs of the Ulster County Clerk’s Office, please contact County Clerk Nina Postupack at (845) 340-3040 or countyclerk@co.ulster.ny.us or visit us on Facebook.