Castile Historical Society & Museum

Castile Historical Society & Museum Castile, NY history The town of Castile was established in 1808 and was separated from the town of Perry. The village was incorporated on June 19, 1877. Cumming.

The first settlers, Robert and Janet Whaley, along with Janet's brother, Daniel McKay, built the first sawmill. This was the beginning of many more stores, houses, and facilities to be built into the 1830's when the town's population boomed. In 1816, Ziba Hurd purchased land in the area that would become the Village of Castile. The Castile Historical House is the headquarters of the Castile Histor

ical Society, formed in December of 1952, and incorporated in April of 1955. It was built in 1865 by Civil War veteran Henry L. He died in 1900, and in 1907 his widow sold it to Mr. Frank Vining, who in 1955 sold it to an agent. It was purchased in 1956 and given to the society by Annie Eddy in memory of her husband, John E. Eddy (1873-1954). The building is used as a research center for persons interested in area history, as well as a museum where one may see tools, books, clothes, paintings, and furniture which belonged to people who have lived in the vicinity since Castile was founded. Most of the staff and the Board of Trustees are Society volunteers. Their work takes place in the office and research room, which houses records, files, maps, scrapbooks, and family histories made readily available to visitors seeking information. Also available on microfilm and online (fultonhistory.com) is "The Castilian", Castile's local newspaper which was started in 1878 by Alamanzer Gaines. At present there is no fee for admission or for searches. However, donations are always needed and gratefully accepted to help preserve the house and it's historical treasures.

Come walk through history and explore how one women’s choice to embrace a new family reshaped the heritage of our area f...
09/08/2026

Come walk through history and explore how one women’s choice to embrace a new family reshaped the heritage of our area forever.

Thank you to Jan Herrick for the great Native America Beading class yesterday!
09/05/2026

Thank you to Jan Herrick for the great Native America Beading class yesterday!

09/03/2026

The meeting tonight is NOT canceled- it might be by flashlight!

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE REENACTMENT:While Congress officially voted for independence on July 2 and adopted the text ...
08/02/2026

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE REENACTMENT:
While Congress officially voted for independence on July 2 and adopted the text on July 4, it was actually August 2, 1776, when the physical parchment document was signed by 50 of the 56 delegates.
The famous painting by John Trumbull in 1818 is sometimes mistakenly described as depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The painting actually shows the five-man drafting committee presenting their draft of the Declaration to the Congress, an event that took place on June 28, 1776.

On July 14, 2026, at the Charcoal Corral in Perry, NY, Perry Central School students from Mr. Jimmy Fahey’s 5th-grade history club and 4-H club members from Castile, along with reenactor Adam Tabelski as John Adams, posed for a recreation of the famous painting.
While certainly not meant to be anything close to Trumbull’s masterful work, we were grateful to be able to honor the important history represented by his art and bring a piece of that history to Perry for a brief moment.

One of the 1776 signers, Benjamin Rush, wrote a letter to John Adams years later, a letter which makes one realize how close to death they all felt as they signed, how serious this moment was:

Benjamin Rush to John Adams, 20 July 1811 (excerpt from first paragraph):
“Do you recollect your memorable speech upon the Day on which the Vote was taken? Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the house when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress, to subscribe what was believed by many at that time to be our own death warrants? The silence & the gloom of the morning were interrupted I well recollect only for a moment by Colonel Harrison of Virginia who said to Mr. Gerry at the table, “I shall have a great advantage over you Mr. Gerry when we are all hung for what we are now doing. From the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes, but from the lightness of your body you will dance in the air an hour or two before you are dead.” This speech procured a transient smile, but it was soon succeeded by the solemnity with which the whole business was conducted.”

Thank you, Louise Herrick, for our great basket class! Can’t wait for next year’s class!
08/01/2026

Thank you, Louise Herrick, for our great basket class! Can’t wait for next year’s class!

08/01/2026

Reminder if you registered today is Basket Class, Castile Fire Hall!

America250: Day 2 Native American day, with Wyoming Co. 4-H kids. Great day!❤️🇺🇸Started with making talking sticks and c...
07/22/2026

America250: Day 2 Native American day, with Wyoming Co. 4-H kids. Great day!❤️🇺🇸Started with making talking sticks and circle talk, then made Wampum belts and finally finished with illustrating our own raven story.

Address

17 Park Road E
Castile, NY
14427

Opening Hours

9am - 12pm
1pm - 3pm

Telephone

+15854935370

Website

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