The Roeliff Jansen Historical Society
PRESERVING THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF THE ROE JAN COMMUNITY
Our Summer Exhibition is NOW open!
Patriots, Plowshares & Post Roads: Chapters from our Local Journey to Independence explores the American Revolution from a distinctly local perspective. Rather than focusing on famous battles and generals, the exhibition tells the stories of the people, industries, transportation networks, and communication systems that sustained everyday life and helped lay the foundations for American independence.
Created in collaboration with local historians, museums, historic sites, and traditional businesses throughout the Roe Jan region, the exhibition transports visitors to the late eighteenth century, when growing self-sufficiency, improved roads, local agriculture, mills, ironmaking, and an emerging postal system all played essential roles in the Revolutionary era.
Among the featured topics are the Ancram Iron Works, which supplied iron for cannon shot and links in the Hudson River's Great Chain; the region's fulling and gristmills; the Noble Train of Artillery led by Colonel Henry Knox; Revolutionary War veterans buried in local cemeteries; and the evolution of Columbia County from colonial New York to the early republic. Artifacts, maps, photographs, documents.
Patriots, Plowshares & Post Roads: Chapters from our Local Journey to Independence is open now through October at the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society, 8 Miles Road, Copake Falls, New York. The museum is open Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. through October. Admission is free. A complete schedule of programs and registration information is available HERE.
Learn the art of colonial letter folding and wax sealing from a master! Mitch Mondello will be offering hands on workshops at the RJHS The short video below introduces this all-but-forgotten elegant craft by Mr. Mondello.
workshops will be held on
Sunday, July 26th, 2026
at 12:15 & 4:15
Note: We have waived the materials fee! (but donations are welcome!)
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!
“Send It Like a Schuyler” invites viewers into the surprisingly intricate world of Revolutionary-era communication, when every letter was folded by hand, sealed with wax, and entrusted to the uncertain roads of colonial America. Produced by the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society as part of its 2026 exhibition "Patriots, Plowshares & Post Roads: Chapters from Our Local Journey to Independence", this engaging seven-minute film combines narration, period imagery, music, and live demonstrations to reveal the craftsmanship hidden within everyday correspondence.
Designer and antiquarian enthusiast Mitch Mondello demonstrates the elegant folding techniques once used to transform a single sheet of paper into its own secure envelope — a practical necessity in an era when postage costs were determined by weight and pre-made envelopes did not yet exist. Viewers also witness the centuries-old art of sealing letters with hot wax and engraved seals, methods used not only to protect privacy but also to authenticate the communique and guard against tampering. Richly illustrated with historical images and accompanied by evocative colonial-era instrumental music, the video brings to life the complexities of communication during the Revolutionary period. More than a demonstration, “Send It Like a Schuyler” offers a vivid reminder that the exchange of letters helped maintain connections between families, merchants, soldiers, and revolutionaries during the nation’s formative years.
The short video introduces the special hands-on workshops by Mr. Mondello on Sunday, July 26th, 2026.
©2026 Roeliff Jansen Historical Society
Download and Read
Mitch Mondello's article
"Coat of Arms with Pine Trees."
Download and Read
Mitch Mondello's article
"Conder Token History."
