NEWSLETTER
July 19 & 26, at 3:00 PM
Staatsburg, N.Y. (7/8/20) — This summer, Staatsburgh State Historic Site will offer occasional free, outdoor programs on the mansion’s front portico. On July 19 and July 26 at 3 p.m., members of the staff will give a half-hour presentation on Staatsburgh’s servants.
In the late 19th century, many servants worked seventeen-hour days, six and a half days a week, providing luxuries down to the minutest detail for Gilded Age millionaires. They ironed their employers’ shoelaces and newspapers, put toothpaste on their toothbrushes and fastened their buttons as they dressed. While Staatsburgh’s servants were well-provided for, servants elsewhere sometimes endured grim conditions, eating scanty meals and living in unheated attics.
The presentation on the portico will discuss the advantages and sacrifices of being a servant, and why the world of master and servant faded away after World War I. The staff will display some of Staatsburgh’s artifacts that were used by the servants, as well as reproductions of servant uniforms.
Staatsburgh follows all NYS Department of Health guidelines for safety during the COVID 19 pandemic. Masks and social distancing will be required of all attendees until these guidelines are lifted.
There is no charge to attend the program, but visitors must register in advance. Attendance will be limited to aid in social distancing. To make reservations, visit www.Staatsburgh.Eventbrite.com. The site can be reached at (845) 889-8851.
Staatsburgh State Historic Site and the Ogden Mills & Ruth Livingston Mills Memorial State Park are located on Old Post Road in Staatsburg, off Route 9 between Rhinebeck and Hyde Park. The historic site is one of 6 sites and 15 parks administered by the Taconic Region of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. For more information, call 845-889-8851, or visit Staatsburgh’s websites at NYS Parks and Staatsburgh SHS Facebook Page. Staatsburgh’s events are listed at https://parks.ny.gov/events/event-results.aspx?hs=25
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 77 million people annually. A recent study found that New York State Parks generates $1.9 billion in economic activity annually and supports 20,000 jobs. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
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Contact:
Pam Malcolm | Pam.Malcolm@parks.ny.gov | (845) 705-3368