Calendar

  • July 21-25

    Camp Brown
    A Call to Arms...Life as a Civil War recruit. Students in grades 4-6 will experience the life of a Civil War private preparing to march into history. Limited spaces, 1-4 PM each afternoon, please register early. $50 fee

  • August 4-8

    History Detectives:
    "In the Good Ole Summertime" Grades 1-3. Have fun learning about life around Chautauqua Lake in the golden age of steamboats and trolleys. The week will finish with a field trip to New York State's newest historic park, Midway! Great fun! 9-12 noon each morning, limited space available, please register early, $50 fee.

  • August 9

    Annual Old Fashion Day NEW this year!! A Civil War encampment of living history by the 9th Calvary NY Volunteers! Hopefully with horses, campfires, firearms and a surgeon. Join a basket weaver, spinners, weavers, antique engines, food, fun and much more. More details to come!!
    9 AM to 3 PM

  • August 18-22

    History Detectives:
    "In the Good Ole Summertime"
    Grades 4-6. Fun and learning come together at the Fenton Mansion and Long Point State Park! What was life like around Chautauqua Lake when the trolleys and steamboats were running? What was it like to vacation or work at the #2 vacation spot on the east coast in the late 1800s? Find out at the Fenton History Center Summer Camp. 1-4 each afternoon, limited space available, please register early, $50 fee.

  • September 13

    Fenton Institute - Genealogy 101 9 AM to Noon. Learn the important tools of researching your family history. This session will introduce you to the things you need to know to begin uncovering your family tree. Free for members at the Individual Level or $15 for non-members

  • October 11

    Justice Deferred: Albion Tourgee and the Fight for Civil Rights- 9 AM to 4 PM at the Robert H. Jackson Center, Jamestown NY. The day will be filled with presentations, a panel discussion and lunch concentrating on our County's forgotten civil right movement hero, Albion Tourgee and the importance of archival resources.

  • October 18

    Jr. Historians "Behind the Scenes" of the popular Lake View Cemetery Tours. Noon to 1 PM. Students in grades 2-5 are invited to learn about what it takes to put together the "Saints and Sinners Cemetery Tours" and then they can take the tour to learn about the interesting people from Jamestown's history. Limited space, please register early. Cost is only $8.50 per students, bring a friend for half price.

  • October 18

    3rd Annual Saints and Sinners Lake View Cemetery Tours. Each hour from 1 to 8 PM at Lake View Cemetery, corner of Buffalo Street and Lakeview Avenue, Jamestown. Come dressed for the weather. The tour will uncover some of the more than 43,000 personal stories at Jamestown's beautiful Lake View Cemetery. Guests are asked to wear comfortable shoes, dress for the weather, bring a flashlight for the later tours and to be ready to learn some interesting information about Jamestown and Lake View Cemetery. The cost is only $8 for adults, $2 for children and free for Fenton History Center members. Reservations are requested, please call 664-6256 to reserve your tickets.

  • October 18

    Midnight Mausoleum Tour of Lake View Cemetery - Details to be announced.

  • October 25

    3rd Annual Saints and Sinners Lake View Cemetery Tours
    See information for Oct. 18th.

  • November 26

    Start a family tradition - bring the family to the 29th Annual Holiday Exhibit - I'll Be Home for Christmas - Members Only Preview! Be the first to see the elegant Governor's Mansion decked out for the holiday season! Light refreshments, friends and memories - all at the Fenton History Center this holiday season.

  • November 28

    29th Annual Holiday Exhibit opens to the public- I'll Be Home for Christmas through January 17, 2009

  • December 6

    Fenton Family Day Start a family tradition - bring your family for crafts, cookies and fun discovering your past at the Fenton History Center! Children are half price!

Fenton History Center - About Us

Our Mission: To provide educational and cultural opportunities for the residents of Chautauqua County and its visitors through the collection, preservation and exhibition of artifacts and archival materials pertaining to Jamestown and Chautauqua County, New York.



Governor Fenton portrait

Governor Fenton

Reuben E. Fenton was Governor of New York State from 1865 to 1869. He also served in the US Congress (1853-1864) and US Senate 1869-1875). As one of the founders of the Republican Party, he was a close political associate of Abraham Lincoln.

postcard view of Fenton Mansion

Postcard view of Fenton Mansion
at the beginning of the 20th century.

Governor Fenton, who made his fortune in the lumbering business, commissioned local architect Aaron Hall to design and build a mansion in 1863. A typical example of Italian Villa style architecture, the Fenton Mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The Fenton Mansion has served as headquarters for the local history center since 1964.




Fenton Mansion

Fenton Mansion

photo by Karen E. Livsey

The Fenton History Center is a community resource for people of all ages from the pre-school child just learning to read to the senior citizen who still finds something new to learn each day. The resources (collection, library/archives and educational resources) and services (exhibits, research assistance and educational programming) found at the FHC are tied to community interests and reflect what the community cares about. The FHC will continue to develop innovative methods of meeting community interests and priorities- such as the Junior Historians, History Club, Adult History Club and Genealogy Support Group - while continuing to serve as an educational resource for children and adults, a place for families to enjoy together, and a part of the community's heritage.