CHARLESTON — Schoharie County historian Theodore Shuart will speak on “The History of Taverns and Hotels of Schoharie County” today at 2 p.m. at the Charleston Historical Society in the former First Baptist Church of Charleston, Polin Road.
In the early days of America, half the population seemed to be traveling at any one time. Thousands of homes opened as taverns to profit from the flood of travelers. In some cases, the tavern was the first building in town and villages grew around them. Sunday’s program focuses on the history of some of the buildings and the communities in which they are located.
Shuart is a 12th-generation New Yorker who grew up in Grosvenors Corners, a hamlet of that county. A Civil War re-enactor for 30 years, he has given hands-on presentations about that war to schoolchildren in an eight-county area.
He authored “I Remember When… A History of Cobleskill: the first 250 Years” for the Cobleskill Historical Society in 2002 and has contributed to various area publications. Currently, Shuart serves as director of the Palatine House Museum in Schoharie, Cobleskill town historian, and captain of the 125th NY Volunteers (re-enactors).
The program is free. Refreshments will be provided. For more information about the program, call (518) 829-7592.
