Programs are presented by Staff of the Martin Van Buren National Historic Society and sponsored by the Columbia County Libraries Association. All programs are online from 6 – 7 p.m. on the dates indicated. Links to presentations will be available closer to the presentation dates.
October 3, 2022: Program Description: Full Circle: Washington Irving at Lindenwald. America’s first literary celebrity, Washington Irving, had a decades long friendship with our 8th president. Learn how they met, why they had a falling out, and if they ultimately reconciled.
Bio of Staff Presenter: Melissa Dalley is an artist & writer who is currently a seasonal Park Guide at Martin Van Buren National Historic Site. Having given tours at Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site many years ago, Melissa may have started this summer with an unfairly low opinion of Irving – Poe was not a fan. But after reading many of Irving’s letters she’s coming around.
November 7, 2022: Program Description: Martin Van Buren’s Politics of Slavery. Martin Van Buren’s stance on slavery presents many questions. Often, the former President is considered to have been anti-slavery or an abolitionist later in life, but is that really the case? Martin Van Buren grew up in a household with enslaved people and knew how to use slavery for political gain, regardless of moral considerations.
Bio of Staff Presenter: Zachary Anderson is a 2016 graduate from the Georgia Southern University Recreation and Tourism Management program. Zachary is in his third year as a Park Guide with Martin Van Buren National Historic Site.
December 12, 2022: Program Description: Lindenwald’s Amazing Historically Accurate Wallpaper. Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren’s historic home, is awash in amazing historically accurate wallpaper. We will look at how the park reproduced wallpaper using historical evidence, the reproduction of the wallpaper, and the result of the rooms being returned to original state.
Bio of Staff Presenter: Mike Wasko is the Museum Specialist for Martin Van Buren NHS since 2009. He has worked as a museum tech and an interpretive tour guide. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in History from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, and a Master’s Degree in Public History from SUNY Albany. Originally from Northeastern PA, he currently lives in East Greenbush.