Old Stone Fort Program Receives Honors

SCHOHARIE – The Old Stone Fort Museum’s 2019 community program “We Were There: Schoharie County and the 9/11 Response” will be awarded the Engaging Communities Award as part of the Museum Association of New York’s (MANY) 2020 conference “The Power of Partnership.”

MANY’s Engaging Communities Award recognizes an institution that employs creative methods to engage the community and build new audiences.

Held on Saturday, September 7, 2019, the “We Were There: Schoharie County and the 9/11 Response” event was held at the Schoharie Fire Department and brought together representatives from a wide range of local and state agencies who had responded in the minutes, hours and days after the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 for a poignant and emotional panel discussion.

The event also featured powerful video segments, personal photos and numerous artifacts, generously on-loan from private collections and the collections of the New York State Museum.

Prior to the event, each panel participant shared their stories with local videographer Dennis Shaw and selections from those interviews will join the archives at the Schoharie County Historical Society and the New York State Museum, ensuring the role Schoharie County residents had in the wake of the attacks will never be forgotten.

“The Review Committee was impressed by the interesting topic and how it is connecting those who lived through it,” stated MANY Marketing and Social Media Coordinator Megan Eves. “The Committee also appreciated the partnership with the NYS Museum and working collaboratively to extend the Schoharie County Historical Society’s outreach.”

“The receipt of this award is a tremendous honor as it is recognition by our peers in the museum field,” said Old Stone Fort Museum Director Melinda McTaggart. “It also reflects the exceptional caliber of the society’s programming.”

Ms. McTaggart also lauded Schoharie County Historical Society Trustee Curt VanSteele for being a driving force behind the planning, organizing and execution of the multifaceted event.

“His devotion to the telling and preserving of Schoharie County’s role during one of America’s darkest days was and continues to be a tremendous inspiration to me,” said Ms. McTaggart. “It helps to demonstrate that the Schoharie County Historical Society is poised to develop new and unique ways to gather and share the rich history of our county.”

The Award Ceremony will take place at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 20, 2020 at the Hilton Albany, Albany, NY. For further information please contact info@nysmuseums.org or (518) 273-3400.