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THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WOODSTOCK
WOODSTOCK, NY · EIN 222439384 · Form 990 · FY2025 · Small ($100K-$1M) · historicalsocietyofwoodstock.org
revenue
$123K
expenses
$40K
net assets
$951K
employees
0
volunteers
45
program ratio
65%
mission · from form 990

TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY WITH ACCESS TO THE HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK, NY.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Historical Society of Woodstock preserves and provides access to the history of Woodstock, NY, through its collections, exhibits, and public programs. The organization maintains an archive of local historical items, hosts rotating exhibits and lectures, and is constructing a new archives building to better house its collections. It serves the local community and visitors interested in the cultural and artistic heritage of the Woodstock area.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $14K
    ALL DONATED ITEMS ARE PROVIDED WITH AN ACESSATION NUMBER. THE ITEM DESCRIPTION IS THEN ENTERED INTO THE COLLECTION DATABASE
  2. #2 $3K
    THE ORGANIZATION IS BUILDING A NEW ARCHIVES BUILDING TO HOUSE ARCHIVES AND FINE ART COLLECTION
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Archives and Collections Management
Acquires, catalogs, and preserves historical items with accession numbers and database records
Building Project
Constructing a new archives building to house and protect the society's growing collection of historical materials and fine art
Exhibits Program
Offers 3-4 free public exhibits annually featuring items from the society's historical and fine arts collections
Lecture Series
Hosts lectures by authors and experts on local history, culture, and related topics
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Historic Site Public Programming 2 activities
    • Conduct guided excursions and community events
      Organizes guided tours to historic sites such as the Overlook Mountain House ruins and Shady glass factories, and hosts community events including the annual Holiday Market Fair, yard sales, and debut screenings of locally produced videos like "Vanishing Village."
    • Host public lectures, talks, and educational programs
      Hosts annual lectures, author talks, curator discussions, and public presentations on topics related to local history, Indigenous heritage, art, and culture. Events include talks by the Ulster County Historian, book signings, interviews with journalists, and co-presented films followed by Q&A sessions.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Curate and host public exhibitions
      Organizes and hosts 3 to 4 free public exhibits annually using its archival collections, including themed exhibitions such as "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Community," "Signs of the Times," and traveling exhibitions like "Making Her Mark: Fifty Women Artists of the Historic Woodstock Art Colony." Exhibits are hosted at its facility and occasionally in external venues.
  • Museum and Historical Gift Shops 1 activity
    • Fund organizational operations through merchandise sales
      Sells historical publications, Milton Glaser bicentennial posters (signed and unsigned), and other items through its gift shop as a fundraising activity to support the Historical Society’s operations.
  • Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
    • Maintain and manage historical archives
      Operates an extensive archive of artworks, historical documents, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, film and sound recordings, textiles, and antique tools. Assigns accession numbers to donated items, enters descriptions into a collections database (including Past Perfect), and provides finding aids via linked PDFs to support researcher access.
  • Local History Publishing 1 activity
    • Produce and publish historical books and publications
      Produces and publishes award-winning books and booklets on Woodstock history, folklore, and art, including titles such as 'A Catskill Woodsman,' 'Remembering Woodstock,' 'From Sunset to Cock’s Crow: Woodstock Folklore,' 'Women of the Catskills,' and the 'Publications of the Woodstock Historical Society' series featuring essays on Byrdcliffe, the Maverick, and notable personalities.
  • Local History Archival Access 1 activity
    • Support research and scholarly inquiry
      Uses its archival collections to support academic and public research on local history, genealogy, and art. Provides access to researchers and historians, collaborates on research projects, and maintains organized, searchable records to facilitate study of Woodstock’s cultural and social history.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Develop archival infrastructure and facilities
      Engaged in capital improvements including renovating its building with climate control, accessible facilities, and event space, and constructing a new building to house archives and fine art collections. Also implemented professional archival software for digital management.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$123K
Contributions & grants$86K70%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$20K16%
Other revenue$17K
expenses
Total expenses$40K
Program expenses65%
Admin / overhead35%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$951K
Cash$79K
Investments$353K
Liabilities$0
Net assets$951K
Liquid reserves130.4 mo
4 years on record · 2022–2025 · YoY revenue +20.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 14
  • BRUCE WEBER — TRUSTEE
  • DEBORAH HEPPNER — CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
  • JANINE MOWER — VICE PRESIDENT
  • JEFFREY MILLER — TRUSTEE
  • JOANN MARGOLIS — TRUSTEE
  • JOHN KEITHLINE — TRUSTEE
  • KARYN BEVET — TRUSTEE
  • KATHY CROST — TREASURER
  • LEWIS ARLT — TRUSTEE
  • MICHAEL DRILLINGER — TRUSTEE
  • RACHEL JACKSON — TRUSTEE
  • RICHARD HEPPNER — PRESIDENT
  • SELMA KAPLAN — RECORDING SECRETARY
  • WESTON BLELOCK — TRUSTEE
relationships · 18

Who they work with

  • Eames House Partner — Hosts the Historical Society's exhibition space in the historic Eames House.
  • Gwen Spicer Partner — Hired to conduct a professional survey of the Historical Society's collection and provide recommendations for preservation best practices.
  • Kleinert/James Center of the Arts Partner — Co-curated an exhibition of Zuma Steele's art.
  • Milton Glaser Partner — Collaborated with the Historical Society by designing a bicentennial poster for Woodstock; signed copies support the Society's fundraising.
  • Scenic Hudson Funder — Ned Sullivan, President of Scenic Hudson, provided a testimonial for a publication supported by the Historical Society of Woodstock.
  • Schmucker Art Gallery at Gettysburg College Partner — Hosted the Historical Society of Woodstock's traveling exhibition "Making Her Mark: Fifty Women Artists of the Historic Woodstock Art Colony."
  • Tinker Street Cinema Partner — Co-presented the film "Calico Rebellion: The Anti-Rent War & the Second American Revolution" with the Historical Society of Woodstock.
  • Town of Woodstock Government — Provided assistance in relocating the Society's archives to Town Hall and supported rehabilitation of the Comeau Drive building through grants and property transfer.
  • Ulster County Government — Hosts presentations featuring the Ulster County Historian.
  • Ulster County Rev250 Sponsorship Fund Funder — Provides partial financial support for the "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Community" exhibit.
  • WAAM Partner — Harriet Iles served on the Board of Directors at WAAM and curated art exhibits there, indicating institutional ties between the arts organization and Historical Society members.
  • WDST Partner — Harriet Iles was a regular guest on WDST discussing animals and nature, and Brian Hollander worked as a DJ and newsman on WDST, suggesting ongoing connections between the station and members of the Historical Society.
  • Woodstock Artists Association and Museum Partner — Collaborated on curating an exhibition of Otto Bierhals' landscapes.
  • Woodstock Film Festival Partner — Barbara Mower Lowenthal has volunteered with both the Historical Society of Woodstock and the Woodstock Film Festival, indicating a shared community engagement.
  • Woodstock Land Conservancy Partner — Gay Leonhardt is a founder of the Woodstock Land Conservancy and also volunteers with the Historical Society, suggesting shared stewardship values and overlapping community leadership.
  • Woodstock School of Art Partner — Curated the Tomas Penning exhibition.
  • Woodstock School of Art Partner — Nina Doyle is Executive Director of the Woodstock School of Art and a community board member, and Harriet Iles was a guest artist there, indicating collaborative cultural engagement.
  • Woodstock community Partner — Collaborates with the community to support the design and planning of a new archive and research center
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Archive-Based Programming for Public Engagement
    methodology: archive-based_research_and_programming
    By maintaining and utilizing a multidisciplinary historical archive, the organization produces public exhibitions, educational programs, and scholarly research opportunities because access to authentic, well-preserved primary sources deepens community understanding and connection to local history.
  • Cultural Heritage Preservation Through Comprehensive Archival Collection
    methodology: cultural-heritage-preservation
    By systematically collecting written records, visual artworks, family papers, and personal archives, the organization preserves Woodstock’s cultural continuity because a multidimensional record ensures that diverse aspects of social and artistic life are retained across generations.
  • Exhibit-Based Storytelling to Make History Accessible
    methodology: exhibit-based_storytelling
    By curating physical and thematic exhibits from historical materials, the organization fosters public engagement with local history because structured narratives drawn from authentic artifacts help communities visualize and reflect on past eras in meaningful ways.