Featured Events
Meetin’ at the Smithy’s
A W-PHS Historical Fiction Play by Irene Bierer Sat., April 26, 2025 7 p.m. Step back in time to 1884 and visit Aaron Brewer’s blacksmith shop, where you’ll encounter colorful characters like John and Mary Jane Gates. Aaron’s big sister forges a bond with Mary, while...
Meetin’ at the Smithy’s
A W-PHS Historical Fiction Play by Irene Bierer Sun., April 27, 2025 3 p.m. Step back in time to 1884 and visit Aaron Brewer’s blacksmith shop, where you’ll encounter colorful characters like John and Mary Jane Gates. Aaron’s big sister forges a bond with Mary, while...
Hamlinks of Wayne County & One Man’s Approach to Telling his Family’s Story
A WPHS Program Presented by Robert Hamlink Ring, Ph.D. May 7, 2025, 7 pm Gates Hall, 4107 Lake Road, Pultneyville, NY It all began almost a year and a half ago with a modest website inquiry for information about a family known to have resided at one time in the...
Myron VanWinkle
2024 Membership Update
The W-PHS Membership form is available under the Membership tab for your convenience to join online or for download.
Featured Exhibits and Hours
About
Since its inception in 1964, the society’s mission has been to gather and disseminate information concerning the history the of the town of Williamson, Wayne County New York, in general and the unincorporated hamlet of Pultneyville in particular. Williamson, was established February 20, 1802 and named for Captain Charles Williamson the land agent originally selected to develop the land. which was part of the Phelps-Gorham purchase. In 1806, the settlement now known as Pultneyville was developed by Jacob Hallet a land agent for the “Pulteney Estate”.
Located in the historic district in the hamlet of Pultnyville, the Society owns and manages 3 properties: the Society house at 4130 Mill Street, Centennial Park in the center of Pultneyville and Gates Hall across the street from the park. Gates Hall, built in 1825 by the community has been the venue for many historic events, including talks on religion, slavery, and women’s rights as well as preparing supplies for the Civil War. Residing on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places and used for over 150 years as a theatre, Gates Hall proudly bears the designation of the oldest, continuously active, small community theatre in the United States.
War of 1812 Peace Garden
Peace Gardens are dedicated at historic sites in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Gardens celebrate the two hundred years of peace and longstanding friendship between the two countries that share the world’s longest undefended boarder. Visit the Pultneyville Bicentennial War of 1812 Peace Garden, dedicated in 2012, as an Honorary International Peace Garden. Situated on the grounds of the Williamson-Pultneyville Historical Society, at 4130 Mill Street in Pultneyville, it has a view of the hamlet and the charming harbor on Lake Ontario just across the street.
Walk among approximately 1,000 square feet of trees, bushes, and plantings of ferns, hosta, daylilies, peonies, rhododendrons and other shrubs and perennials. The sunny garden has many perennials that provide continuous bloom throughout the growing season including beautiful roses, hydrangea, astilbe, daylilies, foxglove, sweet william, phlox and more. Also integrated throughout are mature trees including magnolia, pear, Italian chestnut, maples, and oak. Take a walk down one of the two stone paths which go through the garden that has benches for relaxing and enjoying the view of an old capstan from a ship that sailed out of Pultneyville .
Local restaurants and restroom facilities are available.
AREA TOURS
Williamson Cobblestones Tour
Williamson Cobblestones MAP
To start tour Get the Map
Williamson-Pultneyville Underground Railroad Tour
Williamson Narrated Abolition/Underground Railroad MAP
To start tour Get the Map
W-PHS Children’s Walking Tour
12 Historical Sites in Pultneyville
Featured Exhibits
The W-PHS House and Exhibits are open seasonally to the public Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 1pm to 4pm, from 3rd weekend in June through Columbus Day. Open by special appointment only with 5 day advance notice January through mid-June (weather permitting) by calling 315.589.9892.
Captain Throop
Horatio Nelson Throop, pictured above with his dog Jeppa, is believed to be the first person born in Pultneyville. His father, Samuel, was a seasoned saltwater sailor and Horatio carried on the family tradition as ship builder and captain of both schooners and steamships. Throop experimented with wind driven machinery and screw propellers in the 1830’s.
The exhibit displays prototypes he made for his experiments, half hull models of his ships and cabin doors that saved his life when his ship Sophia sunk in 1827. Captain Throop was also an active participant in the Underground Railroad transporting fugitive slaves from Pultneyville to Canada. The Magic, completed in the 1880’s and shown below was Throop’s last ship.
St. Peter
In 1898, the three-masted lake schooner St. Peter sank on a dark and stormy night coming to her final resting place in 110′ of water off Fairbanks Point near Pultneyville, NY. Captain Griffin set sail for Toledo, Ohio reaching almost to the Niagara River when a fierce storm was encountered. Griffin tried unsuccessfully to outrun the storm by turning his boat about and running back down the lake in an easterly direction. All hands including Griffin’s wife were lost except for Griffin.
Seventy-three years later, the St.Peter was located by a local scuba diver and from 1971 through 1974 many diving expeditions were completed resulting in retrieval of well preserved artifacts from the schooner. This exhibit, accompanied by an under water videotape of the ship, displays artifacts retrieved from diving expeditions. New York State has designated the Society permanent custodian of St. Peter’s artifacts.
Additional Exhibits
Meetin’ at the Smithy’s
April 26 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pmMeetin’ at the Smithy’s
April 27 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pmHamlinks of Wayne County & One Man’s Approach to Telling his Family’s Story
May 7 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Our Business Partners
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Membership
(Tax Deductible)
2024 Membership Update
Basic Memberships
The Society offers five basic membership levels depending on the level of support one chooses: Friend, Patron, Sustainer, Benefactor, and Legacy.
Membership levels at $125 or above include reciprocal NARM benefits which waive admission fees to W-PHS exhibits and entitle members to free, or reduced admission and varying shop discounts at over 1,000 institutions including many within our region. The NARM network includes art museums and galleries, historical museums and societies, botanical gardens, children’s museums, zoos, and more across the US, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. For a listing of participating venues visit narmassociation.org.
Friend: W‐PHS Newsletter, E‐NEWS Blasts, Admission to Exhibits at W‐PHS House and W‐PHS Programs (excludes special ticketed events).
Patron: All Friend benefits plus a “Behind‐the‐Scenes” Guided Tour of Gates Hall.
Sustainer – All Patron benefits plus NARM Reciprocal Membership.
Benefactor – All Sustainer benefits plus one basic use of Gates Hall (date and use to be approved by Gates Hall Committee).
Legacy – All Benefactor benefits plus eligibility to serve on W‐PHS Advisory Council to Membership Committee and opportunity to attend Exhibits Preview Event.
If paying by check download the 2023 Membership Form here: 2023 W-PHS Membership Form
Business Memberships
The Society also offers four business membership levels: Business Partner, Business Advocate, Business Associate, and Business Benefactor.
Membership levels at $125 or above include reciprocal NARM benefits which waive admission fees to W-PHS exhibits and entitle members to free, or reduced admission and varying shop discounts at over 1,000 institutions including many within our region. The NARM network includes art museums and galleries, historical museums and societies, botanical gardens, children’s museums, zoos, and more across the US, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. For a listing of participating venues visit narmassociation.org.
Partner – Basic Friend benefits plus business card listing on website and business listing in all newsletters.
Advocate – Partner benefits plus NARM Reciprocal Membership.
Associate – Advocate benefits plus one basic complimentary use of Gates Hall (date and use as approved by Gates Hall Committee).
Benefactor – Associate benefits plus eligibility to serve on W‐PHS Advisory Council to Property Committee and opportunity to attend Exhibits Preview Event.
If paying by check download the 2023 Membership Form here: 2023 W-PHS Membership Form
You may join or re-new on-line below:
| Level | Price | Join | Renew |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Membership – Friend | $25 | $35 | $40 | Join W-PHS | Renew Now |
| Basic Membership – Patron | $50 | $60 | $65 | Join W-PHS | Renew Now |
| Basic Membership – Sustainer | $125 | Join W-PHS | Renew Now |
| Basic Membership – Benefactor | $250 | Join W-PHS | Renew Now |
| Basic Membership – Legacy | $500+ | Join W-PHS | Renew Now |
| Business Membership – Partner | $75 | Join W-PHS | Renew Now |
| Business Membership – Advocate | $125 | Join W-PHS | Renew Now |
| Business Membership – Associate | $250 | Join W-PHS | Renew Now |
| Business Membership – Benefactor | $500+ | Join W-PHS | Renew Now |
Become a member
Volunteering for the Society…And Having Fun Doing It!
Contact Us
Williamson Pultneyville Historical Society
4130 Mill Street, PO Box 92, Pultneyville, NY, 14538. Telephone (315) 589-9892
Hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM from 3rd weekend in June through Columbus Day weekend.