Friends of the Goshen Public Library and Historical Society

10/15/2026

The video of our most recent presentation, "Landscape Architecture in the Hudson Valley", given by Alex Prizgintas, has now been posted on the Friends YouTube channel. To view it, search for "YouTube" on your computer or other device, and in the search bar at the top of the page enter "Goshen Library Friends" and click Enter. On the next page that comes up, about midway down the screen, you will see a photo of the library and the identifier "Goshen Library Friends". Click on this and you'll be taken to our channel which has a display of all the videos we've posted to date. Click on the one you'd like to view. We hope you enjoy these!

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10/08/2026

PLEASE NOTE: the next in our Lecture Series is scheduled for this coming Saturday Oct. 10th at 10:00 am. We've had some technical issues so this notice is later than usual; sorry! Our speaker will be Alex Prizgintas and he will tell us about "Landscape Architecture of the Hudson Valley". Calvert Vaux, Frederick Law Olmsted, and Andrew Jackson Downing are just three of the famous architects who have lent their hand to the creation of some of the most beautiful buildings in our area.

Come join us to see pictures of these famous dwellings and hear about how they came to be. We will meet in the Pomares Community Room at the library at 10 am.

09/22/2026

Our September 12th lecture, by Ed Connor, was SRO--even though we had to cancel our original start time and move to the afternoon because of a water main break. For those who were unable to be there, for "Estates and Houses of Goshen", we have now published the video of this presentation on the Friends YouTube channel. To view it, go to the YouTube website and, in the "Search" bar at the top, enter "Goshen Library Friends" and search. The next page, about midway down, will have a picture of the front of our library and the identifier "Goshen Library Friends". Click on this and you'll be taken to the page with our channel which has all the videos we have posted.

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09/20/2026

Despite the water demons throwing a snag into the start of Ed Connor's lecture last week, we are now preparing for our next presenter--Alex Prizgintas--to visit on October 10 to speak about "Landscape Architecture in the Hudson Valley". Highlighting the local and national work of Calvert Vaux, Frederick Law Olmsted, and Andrew Jackson Downing, Alex will explore their rise to fame while contrasting their noted national projects with examples of some of their contributions to the Hudson Valley. While Vaux and Olmsted are sometimes best thought of as a partnership, they they had very different mindsets on the perception of landscape architecture, and had it not been through the genius of Newburgh’s Andrew Jackson Downing, the two brilliant minds may have never crossed paths. This program will pay particular attention to multiple landmarks that received influences from both minds, including Matthew Vassar’s Springside Estate, Newburgh’s Downing Park, Middletown’s Hillside Cemetery, the Hudson River State Hospital, and more.

A graduate of Marist with degrees in Hudson River Valley History and Public Administration, Alex has been published in the Hudson River Valley Review, New York Archives Magazine, and Orange County Historical Society Journal on topics including Hudson River railroad history, Orange County’s dairy farming history, and the region’s early settlers. He serves as president of the Woodbury Historical Society, town historian of both Woodbury and Tuxedo in Orange County, and on the board of directors of the Association of Public Historians of New York State. We look forward to having you join us at 10:00 am on Oct. 10th at the Goshen Public Library to see and hear this important historical presentation.

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09/12/2026

You may be aware that there was a water main break early this morning near the Main Street/Craigville Road juncture which cut off water to the library. As a result, the library announced a delayed opening (12:00 pm) which impacted the lecture by Ed Connor scheduled for 10:00 am today. Now the good news: the water is back on and the library has confirmed a 12 noon opening. Therefore we have rescheduled Ed's presentation for 2:00 pm today. We hope that everyone is still able to come.

09/09/2026

Goshen, particularly the Village, is known for its historic homes and other buildings. This is a reminder that Village Historian Ed Connor will be speaking about "Estates and Houses of Goshen" this Saturday, September12th at 10:00 am at the library. We expect a high level of interest in this subject, so plan accordingly!

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08/21/2026

We hope that all have enjoyed this very warm summer as we look forward to the re-initiation of the Friends Lecture Series. Mark your calendars for Saturday September 12th at 10:00 am in the Pomares Community Room where Village Historian Ed Connor will tell us about "Estates and Houses of Goshen". Ed's talk will focus on the estates and the old houses of Goshen, past and present. The various architectural styles and the people who lived in the various houses will be discussed. We hope you will be able to join us.

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07/29/2026

Can you believe that it has been 22 years that the Goshen Public Library has been sponsoring a summer performance by Dave Cole and The Big Band Sound? We are so happy that, once again, this wonderful 20-piece jazz Swing Band will give a concert, this time on Saturday, August 15th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. And once again, Trailside Treats Creamery will provide ice cream for all the guests, courtesy of owner/operator Paul Corey.

Admission to the concert is free, thanks in part to another sponsor, Norton & Christensen! This summer tradition is also sponsored by the Friends of the Goshen Library. Members of the Junior Friends will be present to assist guests and add to the good cheer.

This concert will be held on the patio and side lawn of the Library at 366 Main Street in Goshen. There will be room on the patio for dancing, so for those who are so inclined, bring your dancing shoes! This is one of the Goshen Library’s most popular events, so plan on arriving no later than 6 PM and settling in on your lawn chairs and blankets for a most enjoyable evening. (Seating on the patio will be available for anyone who has difficulty walking.)

But wait—there’s more! You will also get to enjoy the wonderful wildflowers in the meadow surrounding the terrace area. And that’s not all. Each August flocks of Chimney Swifts on their way south spend the night in the giant, old stone chimney which is located near the terrace. As dusk settles in, they circle and swoop and finally dive into the chimney. It’s a free air show!

So there’s music, dancing, ice cream, wildflowers, diving birds, you and your friends and neighbors enjoying a mild summer evening in our village. As the old song goes, “Who could ask for anything more.”

The rain date for this concert is the following day, Sunday, August 16th, at 6 PM. If it looks like it might be postponed, check the page of the Goshen Public Library.

The Big Band Sound 20-piece jazz orchestra recreates the swinging sounds of the big band era, performing compositions that span an entire century of music, including classics made famous by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. The foundation of the band's repertoire is based firmly in the classic swing era of the 1930s and 1940s, with all those golden hits from the Great American Songbook, but the band also performs a wide variety of music from the 1950s through today that continue the tradition of the stirring, full-bodied sounds of the big bands. The Big Band Sound performs the greatest music in the world in the most wonderful setting for a live, big band!

06/30/2026

OK, folks, are you ready for a scorching Thursday and Friday this week? Many of you, we're sure, are planning to attend the Great American Weekend. Thursday is predicted to have a high temp of 99 degrees (feels like 105), and Friday 97 degrees (feels like 104). So stop by the library where we are having the Friends Book Sale in the wonderfully air conditioned Community Room! We are regularly getting gently used books so our collection is constantly changing. Treat yourself, and cool yourself, while helping the Friends support our library! 10 am to 4 pm each day.

06/23/2026

The video of our June 13 lecture, "Henry Wisner: Goshen's Greatest Revolutionary War Hero", has been added to the Friends of the Goshen Library YouTube channel and is available for viewing. Presenter was Michelle Figliomeni, Town of Goshen Historian.

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