A very Happy Birthday to the Southeast Museum! 2013 marks the museum's 50 Birthday!
As many of you know, the Museum received its charter from New York State’s
Education Department in 1963. The Brewster Chamber of Commerce created a
temporary Museum to celebrate Putnam County’s 150th Anniversary in 1962. In 3 months, 9,000 visitors came to this temporary museum on Main Street, Brewster. The large attendance spoke to the need of a permanent history museum. Under the direction of William Quinn, the Southeast Museum became a reality. The Museum was opened briefly in a storefront on North Main before moving to the Old Town Hall. On July 6, 1963, the Southeast Museum with a charter membership of 185 opened its doors at the auditorium level of the 1896 Old Town Hall. Speaking at the 1963 opening ceremony Assemblyman Willis H. Stephens said, “Our hope for the Future is built upon our deeds of the Past.”
The Museum is a 501c3 non profit educational organization chartered by the NYS
Education Department. The Museum is operated by a volunteer Board of Trustees
and a staff of five. The staff holds graduate degrees in their respective areas and/ or have completed appropriate training. Yes, we are a small museum
however we are led by a dedicated Board and a professional staff.
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The very fact that the Museum is thriving today - that we have and continue
to weather economic downturns, while others have not is due to our dedicated
community. We are at our roots a community museum, created by devoted neighbors and our mission is to preserve our collective memory. Thank you for your friendship, your selflessness and your support.
