Beacon Historical Society

06/06/2026

06/04/2026

We are excited to be partnering with the City of Beacon, the Tioronda Garden Club,
our veterans, Destination Dutchess, the Melzingah Chapter of the DAR and several arts groups and nonprofits to plan a whole series of events to celebrate America’s 250th birthday this summer. Find the full schedule here:

https://sites.google.com/view/beacon-rev250-events-calendar?usp=sharing

And read more about the effort here:

https://mailchi.mp/beaconny/beacon-rev250-newsletter-3?e=4ae91ca36d

Be revolutionary! Join us! Huzzah!

06/02/2026

Great news! If you can’t make it to our headquarters, you can now get your copy of our Beacon in the American Revolution map by paying simply for postage and handling! Check it out here:

https://www.beaconhistorical.org/shop/from-mt-beacon-to-the-hudson-river-beacon-in-the-american-revolution-folding-map

06/02/2026

Today we remember Robert J. Murphy on what would have been his 78th birthday. We lost Bob on July 10, 2020, to cancer, but his legacy will live on forever given all that he did to research, collect and write about the history of Beacon. Bob edited our Society's popular monthly newsletter for 38 years, was City Historian and served as president of our Society for two decades. He left his mark forever on our story -- and our hearts.

We dedicated our headquarters in his name, recognizing his lifetime of research to preserve our history. We miss you, Bob!

06/01/2026

ALL ARE WELCOME!

The American Revolution in the Hudson Highlands
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
7:00 PM 8:00 PM
Beacon Historical Society

America 250 Meeting: You won’t want to miss “The American Revolution in the Hudson Highlands,” coming June 23 at 7 p.m. at Elks Lodge, 900 Wolcott Avenue. Our speaker is Col. Seanegan Sculley, who has served in the U.S. Army since 1995 and who earned his PhD in History from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2015. He currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of History and War Studies at the United States Military Academy. Col. Sculley is also the author of Contest for Liberty: Military Leadership in the Continental Army, 1775-1783. We’re especially proud to share that he and his wife Jenny currently live in Beacon. All are welcome to attend – in fact, bring a friend! Come learn about our community’s role in winning our nation’s freedoms.

05/31/2026

Main Street's Changing Scene
The "Wild Side" of Main Street: the Post Office Lot in the 1930s

Looking north toward Main Street, about 1935. In the foreground was the last (at that time) strip of undeveloped land along Main Street, and coincidently the proposed site (in 1936) of the new Beacon Post Office. Located just east of the old trolley barns near South Chestnut Street, this lot on the south side of Main Street was then a sunken, overgrown field with piles of debris scattered about. Just some 20 years earlier, though, the same area was a popular community gathering spot, with a bandstand and sandlot ball field.

Circuses and carnivals would set up near there. And, according to city historian Edwin Corwin writing in the 1950s, President Theodore Roosevelt once had made a campaign speech in this very field in the early 1900s. Back to the photo: in the background is Sorensen's garage on the right (now Veterans Place), and the Dillon House hotel (recently Citizens Bank) in the center. The only building in this picture still standing today is the "Triangle Garage" and James Palen's Auto Sales (now an Islamic Center) to the left of the Dillon House.

COPYRIGHT
Beacon Historical Society Newsletter January 2008
By Robert J. Murphy
Join our mission to preserve and promote Beacon’s history. Visit our website at BeaconHistorical.org. All are welcome – annual dues are just $25.

05/30/2026

What a day today! We officially launched our newest book, “Hop on the Bus,” with a fun party full of activities and yummy treats. The book, which is written for those 7 and above, takes readers on a ride with 50 stops in Beacon to discover our city’s history. It is part of our 50th anniversary celebrations, and we thank Diane Lapis, Diane Murphy and Ed Miller for their creative efforts on the project. Copies are just $13 - stop into our headquarters at 61 Leonard Street or order online at BeaconHistorical.org. C’mon: Hop on the Bus with us!