Calendar

  • July 27 - August 1

    Spoon River Project
    Be inspired and touched by the moving Spoon River Anthology in the beautiful setting of Lake View Cemetery. Performance and ticket information is on the FHC Spoon River web page. For more information on the project you can visit The Spoon River Project website. Support provided in part by the NYSCA Decentralization Program of Cattaraugus County.

  • August 7

    Fenton's 6th Annual Old Fashioned Day
    9 am to 3 pm - Free admission to the festival and the museum. Experience our hometown's living history: try your hand at many of the "chores" our great-grandparents did everyday-for adults and children alike. Experience the "Make Do" attitude of the Great Depression. Fun, crafts & games for kids, a variety of food vendors, modern crafters, and much more!

  • September 25

    Blue & Gray 2010 Civil War Encampment
    The 9th Cavalry is returning home! The community is invited to learn more about living during the Civil War from the soldiers and family members camping at the Fenton Mansion. Donations accepted.

  • October 2 & 9

    5th Annual "Saints and Sinners" Lake View Cemetery Tours
    From 3 pm until 8 pm at Lake View Cemetery, corner of Buffalo St. and Lakeview Ave., Jamestown.
    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. Presale: $8 for adults, $2 for children& youth; at the gate $10 for adults, $3 for children and youth, and half price for Fenton History Center members. Reservations are required; please call 664-6256 to reserve your tickets and time slot. Call early as the later tours fill up fast!

  • October 3 & 10

    Twilight Mausoleum Tours at Lake View Cemetery
    Get a behind the scenes tour of a number of the elegant mausoleums in Jamestown's 1859 cemetery. Light refreshments follow the tour. 8 PM. The cost is $15/single, $25 per couple. Youth and children are $5. Reservations are required; please call 664-6256 to reserve your tickets.

  • November 23

    31st Annual Holiday exhibit
    Members Only Sneak Preview 4-7 PM. New members welcome, join and see the exhibit for FREE.

  • November 26

    31st Annual Holiday exhibit
    opens to the public- through January 15, 2011.

  • December 4

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

  • December 11

    Girls and Dolls Holiday Tea
    11:00 to 12:30 PM and 1:30 to 3:00 PM. A special holiday event for young ladies, their mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends. The event includes tea, dessert, a craft and tour of the Fenton Mansion decked out in its seasonal finery. The cost is $15 per ticket. Space is limited. Reservations are required.


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Fenton Institute 2010

The Fenton Institute offers a series of workshops for the curious adult learner.

The workshops are open to all who are interested in local history and saving the past. The workshops will provide the needed information and tools to explore your family histories, to learn how to preserve your treasured mementos and to learn more about our local history.

Members at the

The Workshops

Session I
Caring for Your Fabric Treasures
Saturday, January 23 - 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Fenton History Center

Clothing, quilts, samplers, baby clothes and other fabric family heirlooms and newly acquired treasures need special care. Learn about everyday preservation techniques you can do to keep your treasured fabrics vibrant and strong for the next generation.

Cost: $15 for non-members
$10 for members
Free elective for certain level memberships

Session II
Our Local History: Making Women's History- Chautauqua County and the Suffrage Movement
Monday, March 8 - 7 PM
Robert H. Jackson Center Auditorium

Join fellow community members as we discuss our County's part in the suffrage movement. Local JCC Assoc. Prof. Traci Langworthy will bring the struggle to life with stories, statistics and County residents that made a difference.

Cost: $10 for non-members
$5 for members
Free elective for certain level memberships

Session III
Architectural Tour of Jamestown's Historic Southside
Saturday, June 19 - 1-3 PM
Meet at the Fenton History Center parking lot

Explore the beauty and majesty of eras gone by in the south side neighborhoods near Forest avenue. Also learn about the early businesses and people who thrived there.

Cost: $15 for non-members
$10 for members
Free elective for certain level memberships

Session IV
Genealogy: So you Found Your Family Member on the Internet - How Do You Know the Information is Right?
Monday, September 13 - 6:30 PM
Prendergast Public Library, Computer Center

The Internet has made searching one's family seem easier, but is it? How do you know you are on the right track, how do you know it's the right John Smith? This workshop will give you some usable tools to verify your discoveries.

Cost: $15 for non-members
$10 for members
Free elective for certain level memberships


Download a schedule with mail-in registration form.

Contact us for more information or to register for a workshop.