Posts Tagged ‘Bill Wienecke’

Opening Weekend 2021 – Grant Returns, New Exhibit

Friday, April 23rd, 2021

Lincoln Depot Museum 2021 Opening Weekend

New Exhibit: “Women and Children of the Civil War, from Patriotism to Combat”
Special Weekend Guest General Ulysses S. Grant will be on site

For Immediate Release
Friday, April 23, 2021
Contact: John G. Testa, Board President, at 914-760-9773

The Lincoln Depot Museum is excited to announce the start of the 2021 season with an Opening Weekend event on May 1st and 2nd, 2021.

After not being open to the public in 2020 due to the global pandemic, the board of directors are pleased to be able to once again welcome members of the public to the award-winning museum and Visitor’s Center. All COVID-19 protocols will be followed, including requiring masks and social distancing.

New for 2021:
A new exhibit entitled “Women and Children of the Civil War, from Patriotism to Combat” will be unveiled that contains numerous artifacts showing the life and influence of women and children during the American Civil War era. Artifacts will include vintage photos and games of the period.
The Lincoln Depot Museum is also looking forward to launching its new Children’s Interactive Zone (“the Zone”). This was made possible by a generous donation from The Rotary Club of Peekskill. The Zone will be a place to engage and entertain our child guests. In the Zone, children will be able to play Civil War era games like dominos, try on period costumes such as a Union Officer’s uniform, and read books about President Lincoln, the Civil War and trains. Children will also be able to entertain themselves by playing with our beautiful train table and toy trains, all while staying in the waiting room of a historic train depot! The Lincoln Depot Museum is looking forward to making the Zone available to children as soon as Pandemic conditions allow.

Special Weekend Guest:
General Ulysses S. Grant will be the weekend guest of the museum. Back by popular demand, Ken Serfass as General Grant will be on hand as part of a living history weekend that will have military reenactors of various local civil war units. General Grant will be available to answer questions from the public and will close each day with a formal review of the troops. All living history activity will be held outdoors on the museum grounds.

The doors of the museum and Visitor’s Center will open at 1 PM each day. Admission will be $10.00 per person with children 12 and under and museum members free.

The 5th NY Infantry “Duryée’s” Zouaves

Wednesday, September 19th, 2018

Thursday, October 18, 2018 – $10.00/person • Members Free

The 5th NY Infantry “Duryée’s” Zouaves

The 5th New York Volunteer Infantry, also known as “Duryée’s Zouaves”, was a volunteer infantry regiment of the Union Army, during the American Civil War, led by Colonel Abram Duryée. Modeled, like other Union and Confederate infantry regiments, on the French Zouaves of Crimean War fame, its tactics and uniforms were different from those of the standard infantry.

Presenter: Bill Wienecke

A retired history teacher of 35 years from the Somers Central School District in Somers, New York, Bill Wienecke is a “living history” re-enactor whose portrayals include; General George Washington, Revolutionary Continental Line 5th N.Y. infantry, 3rd Westchester, N.Y. Militia, French and Indian War period Verplank’s N.Y. Provincials as well as a living history portrayal of an officer and private in the famous Civil War regiments; Duryee’s Zouaves 5th N.Y. Volunteers Co. D \ 95th N.Y. Warren Riffles, of which he is the living history organization’s president.

Bill has taken part in historic re-enactments including anniversaries of: The 225th Battle of Yorktown, Virginia, the 225th Battle of Saratoga, the 150th Battle of Gettysburg, the 150th Battle of Second Bull Run, the 250th Battle of Fort Niagara and the 250th Battle of Fort Carillon reenactments, along with numerous others historic commemorations. He has done presentations as “His Excellency” at Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh, the Purdy House in White Plains, Fort Ticonderoga and at various schools, scout and DAR gatherings.

Bill graduated from Cortland State College in 1977 and has a Master’s degree in history from Iona College in 1981. He is a 2010 graduate of the Mount Vernon Summer Teacher Institute. He was awarded “Teacher of the Month” by radio station WHUD in 2011. He is the 2011 recipient for “Outstanding Living History Program” awarded by Colonel Philip Ryan, Commander of the decorated United States Military Special Operations 160th S.O.A.R. Night Stalkers. He was awarded the 2013 “United States National Citizenship Education Teacher Post Recognition Award” from Somers VFW Post 8213. He received Town of Somers recognition for “commitment to the students of Somers” with a Proclamation of “Bill Wienecke Day in Somers” May 23, 2014. He is recipient of the 2015 National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution’s “Bronze Good Citizenship Medal”, and in 2017 was awarded the “Old Bet Award” for promoting regional history from the Somers Historical Society and in 2017 also received N.Y.S. Senate Resolution No. 2176 in recognition of 10 years of organizing the Somers Middle School Living History Day promoting history and honoring Somers service personnel.

NY Zouaves