- This event has passed.
10th Anniversary Opening Weekend
April 27 @ 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Lincoln Depot Museum 10th Anniversary
Opening Weekend
2024 Opening Weekend on April 27-28
Local, County and State Dignitaries Will Be on Hand to help Celebrate
Many New Artifacts on Display
The Lincoln Depot Museum Board of Directors is pleased to announce the start of the 2024 season on April 27 and 28, 2024. This year marks the 10th year that the museum has been open to the public. There will be several local, county and state representatives on hand to help celebrate this 10-year milestone at a brief ceremony at 11 am on Saturday, April 27th. The ceremony is open to the public. Regular museum hours begin at 1 PM.
The museum’s exhibit, “New York and Abraham Lincoln: The Indispensable Relationship,” not only shows the impact of Lincoln to Peekskill and the Hudson Valley region but to New York as a whole. The importance of New York to Lincoln’s success is also highlighted. It is the only such museum in the entire state and has gained national attention and interest.
The historic building was acquired in 2003. The Lincoln Depot Foundation was formed in 2007 with the goal of restoring the original structure and creating a museum and historic site where President-elect Abraham Lincoln’s visited on February 19, 1861. With the help of a $3 million NY Environmental Protection Fund and NY Empire State Development Corporation grants obtained in 2006, thanks to then Governor George E. Pataki, the Depot Foundation was able to reach their goal.
Utilizing those same NYS grants, a new structure, the Lincoln Depot Visitor’s Center, was completed in 2019. The Visitor’s Center houses the museum offices, additional exhibits, a small gift shop and an open meeting room to hold events.
“We are proud of the result of our many years of hard work,” said Museum President John G. Testa. “There has been a tremendous amount of research, planning and collaboration to achieve this success. We were confident that the museum would be well received and has become a landmark for Peekskill and Westchester County. History buffs from around the country and globe have visited. This historic site has become the educational center we all dreamed of. We thank everyone who has supported and assisted us in making the museum such a success,” added Testa. Testa was the Mayor of Peekskill from 2002-07 when the building was acquired, and the grants awarded.
The museum project was recognized by the The American Institute of Architects with their Design Award and named “Best Museum in Westchester” by Westchester Magazine.
New Items on Display for 2024
The Lincoln Depot exhibit: “New York and Abraham Lincoln: The Indispensable Relationship,” will include many new original artifacts from the Civil War period. These objects include photos and ephemera, original newspapers of critical historical events, jewelry as well as a Lincoln Mourning Cockade worn by the public as they mourned the loss of the President in 1865.
Many Events Planned Throughout the Year
The Lincoln Depot Museum will be featuring a full lineup of events for 2024. The popular monthly program “First Saturdays at the Museum” will return. On the first Saturday of each month throughout the year there will be a variety of historical presentations, some on topics beyond the Civil War era (March-October schedule attached).
Another popular program that will return this year is the “Collector Corner,” where collectors are invited to display their own collections for a weekend in the museum and are on hand to discuss the collection with visitors. These collections are sometimes life-long passions of individuals who are happy to share their experience with our visitors.
Other activities and events will be planned as the season progresses, including films, musical performances and living history demonstrations by civil war reenactors. On September 21, 2024, there will be a special 10th Anniversary reception held at the museum. Details will be announced soon.
The 2024 season for the Lincoln Depot Museum will run from April 27 to November 24. The museum will be open every Saturday and Sunday, excluding holidays, from 1-4 PM. General Admission is $8.00 for non-residents, $5.00 for seniors, veterans, active military, and children under 12. Peekskill residents enter free of charge. Museum memberships are also available. For further information, visit the museum website at lincolndepotmuseum.org or call at 914-402-4318.
Hon. John G. Testa
The Hon. John G. Testa served as the mayor of the City of Peekskill for three terms before being elected to his current position as County Legislator. A life long Peekskill resident, he also served on numerous nonprofit boards including two terms as President of the Lincoln Society in Peekskill, one of the oldest in the nation, and on the board of Westchester Community College.
Historic preservation and celebrating America’s history have played an important role in all of Testa’s adult life. He has served as a Revolutionary War reenactor with the 1st New York Regiment of the Brigade of the American Revolution for over 40 years.
As a Common Council Member and later Mayor of the City of Peekskill, he played a fundamental role in securing the property the Depot resides on and in getting the grants from the Empire State Development Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Protection that have financed its transformation. Now, in his role as President of the Lincoln Depot Museum Foundation, he is dedicated to not only completing the physical side of the project but to establishing a nationally-recognized organization that will sustain itself for the foreseeable future.
To learn more about Mr. Testa, go to http://www.johngtesta.com.
This will close in 0 seconds
Brian D. Caplan, Esq
Mr. Caplan has more than 26 years’ experience litigating a broad range of entertainment, intellectual property and commercial matters. His clients have included recording artists and producers, publishing companies, record labels, personal managers, business management, accounting firms, professional athletes, and dealers in fine art. He is a member of the Westchester County and New York State Bar associations, the Copyright Society of the United States, the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, and the Friar’s Club. He is an avid collector of Lincoln, Civil War and baseball related photography.
This will close in 0 seconds
Hon. Catherine E. Pisani
Hon. Cathy Pisani, a life-long resident of Peekskill, has served the community most notably as a City of Peekskill Common Council Member/Deputy Mayor for sixteen years and a Peekskill High School educator for thirty-six years. She has enthusiastically participated in various and diverse areas of civic life, including her current Board Memberships: Hudson Valley Hospital Center’s Foundation, the Lincoln Society in Peekskill and the Executive Committee of the Retired Teachers/Peekskill Faculty Association.
Cathy Pisani’s energies and commitments over the years have focused on Peekskill’s improved economic growth and development through such boards as Peekskill’s Industrial Development Agency, Youth Board, Human Relations Commission and the Paramount Center for the Arts. Currently, she is a member of Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce and Peekskill Museum.
This will close in 0 seconds
Jeffrey Sweet
Jeffrey Sweet is a lifelong resident of the area, and has been involved in many civic organizations for his entire adult life. He has a diploma from Syracuse University, and directed Labor Relations at the Westchester Medical Center for many years. Thereafter, he was Vice Chair of the NY State Workers Compensation Board until his retirement.
This will close in 0 seconds
Andrew F. Amenn
Andrew F. Amenn, a resident of Yorktown Heights, NY, is currently a Corporate Vice President in the Finance Department of New York Life Insurance Company (New York Life”). Andrew has spent nearly twenty-four years at New York Life in multiple controllership roles; with his primary responsibilities covering oversight for financial statement preparation and the creation of management financial reports.
Following the events of September 11, 2001, Andrew joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY where he served as an Infantryman.
Andrew served two tours of duty with the 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and he saw service in Fallujah and Iskandariya (September 2003-2004) and Iraq’s capital, Baghdad (August 2005- January 2006). After six months, his second tour was cut short when he was wounded by gunfire while on patrol.
Andrew graduated from St. John’s University, with a BS Accounting, he also graduated from Iona College in New Rochelle, NY, with an M.A. in History. Andrew is also a member and Finance Officer of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 21, representing Westchester and Putnam counties.
This will close in 0 seconds
Barbara Kerasiotes
A life-long resident of Peekskill, Barbara Kerasiotes has dedicated her life to serving, and bettering, her community — both in her vocation as an educator as well as on the boards of numerous civic and cultural organizations.
As a long-time Board member and past President of the Lincoln Society in Peekskill, during her presidency she spearheaded the fundraising efforts to restore and renovate the almost century-old historic Lincoln Exedra on South Street, overseeing the project from inception to completion.
Barbara has been an educator and guidance counselor in the Lakeland School District since 1991; while serving on various school and district committees over the years, she has also been a member of the Westchester College Conference Board of Governors as well as a member and panel moderator for the BOCES Northern Westchester/Putnam College Conference for the last twenty-seven years.
A co-founder and Officer of the Westchester Hellenic Association, she has also served as the Director of its Afternoon Greek School for the last eighteen years.
Barbara has donated her time and expertise to many other causes, including serving as a trustee of the Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center, serving on the Executive Board of the Paramount Center for the Arts, and a member of the Rotary’s Lapolla Scholarship Committee.
She holds three degrees: a B.S. in Business Administration/Marketing and English Literature from Mercy College; an M.S. in Counseling from Fordham University; and an M.S. Ed. in School Administration from College of New Rochelle.
This will close in 0 seconds
Paul R. Martin III
Yorktown resident Paul R. Martin III is a professional historical artist, illustrator and art teacher in the Pearl River School District. He received his BA in art from Southampton College and his MA in Drawing from Long Island University. His drawings and paintings have been exhibited throughout the New York Metropolitan area for the past 20 years. His original art and prints are on permanent display at the R. E. Lee Civil War Research Center and Library, The Civil War Library and Museum of Philadelphia, The Pentagon, the United States Congressional Building, West Point, and hundreds of private collections throughout the country.
This will close in 0 seconds