named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
5 Locks Walk Tour
Guided historical tour along the canal path led by the Historian & Curator, highlighting engineering and labor history
Canawler Days
Annual festival celebrating the Delaware & Hudson Canal’s history with mule-drawn wagon rides, craft demonstrations, music, historical reenactments, and family activities
DePuy Local History Series
Lecture series focused on local history of the Delaware & Hudson Canal region and its communities
Makers of History Lectures
Public lecture series exploring arts, culture, politics, and industry related to American canal history
Off-site Outreach Presentations
Traveling educational programs delivered by the Historian & Curator to schools, conferences, and community groups
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Historic Site Public Programming 3 activities
- Hosting of public events and festivalsHosts Canawler Days, a public festival celebrating the 200th anniversary of the D&H Canal, and an annual gala exploring Gilded Age history through curated programming and dining; also co-hosted a Day of History event with Marist University’s Hudson River Valley Institute.
- Hosting public lecture seriesHosts the DePuy Lecture Series and Makers of History Lecture Series, featuring local historians and nationally significant speakers, with ongoing programming under both names.
- Public education and outreach programsOffers educational programs including guided tours, hikes, lectures, and books on the D&H Canal's history for school groups, residents, and visitors; conducts off-site outreach presentations reaching approximately 700 people annually.
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Railroad and Canal Heritage Preservation 2 activities
- Advocacy and professional representation in historic preservationSends Museum Educator to present at the World Canal Conference to share knowledge and promote public engagement with D&H Canal history on a national and international platform.
- Preservation and interpretation of the D&H Canal historic infrastructureRefurbished Locks 16 through 20 of the Delaware & Hudson Canal in 1999 to preserve and interpret the historic canal infrastructure, maintaining it as a public historic site accessible via the Five Locks Walk, which attracts over 7,500 visitors annually.
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Historic Building Restoration and Preservation 1 activity
- Conducting historical research and documentationEngaged by the National Park Service to update the National Historic Register listing for the D&H Canal and Gravity Railroad, contributing to the formal recognition and preservation of the site.
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Managed Parking Services 1 activity
- Development and distribution of visitor resourcesCreated and provides a parking map of High Falls to assist visitors in planning their visit and enhances accessibility and visitor experience.
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Local History Preservation and Education 1 activity
- Installation and maintenance of interpretive public artInstalled a sculpture depicting a young girl leading a mule to highlight the historical role of child labor on the D&H Canal, serving as an interpretive element at the site.
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Event Venue Rental Services 1 activity
- Management of historic event spacesOffers five historic event spaces for rental at the DePuy Tavern for public and private functions.
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Free Public Access Nature Sites 1 activity
- Operation of historic walking trail and public access pathsOperates a half-mile walking trail along the D&H Canal towpath open free to the public year-round during daylight hours, and promotes public use of regional hiking paths accessing D&H Canal remains while supporting expansion of the regional trail network.
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Local History Museum Operations 1 activity
- Operation of public visitor facilities and museumOperates the D&H Canal Museum and Mid-Hudson Regional Visitor Center, welcoming over 8,000 visitors since opening, with regular public access seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., ADA-accessible parking, and a ramped walkway to the entrance.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Production and dissemination of historical contentProduces and shares educational videos, operates a blog called The Snubbing Post featuring stories, videos, articles, and photo galleries, and authored a children's book titled The Key to Puzzler’s Lock set along the D&H Canal, with a second book in development.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$191K
Contributions & grants$125K65%
Program service revenue$6K3%
Investment income$20%
Other revenue$60K
expenses
Total expenses$240K
Program expenses52%
Admin / overhead47%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$99K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.10M
Cash$65K
Investments$0
Liabilities$105K
Net assets$1.99M
Liquid reserves3.2 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -31.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 11
- ALLEN BOWDERY — VICE PRESIDE
- BRENDA HOF — BOARD
- CAROL RICKEN — TREASURER
- CHRIS PRYSLOPSKI — BOARD
- DAVE KIME — BOARD
- JAMES DELAUNE — BOARD
- JOHN BRAUNLEIN — EXECUTIVE DI
- PETER BIENSTOCK — PRESIDENT
- SALLY SCHULTZ — BOARD
- STEVE SCHNEIDER — BOARD
- WILLIAM MERCHANT — DEPUTY DIREC
relationships · 20
Who they work with
- Bridge Creek Partner — Preferred catering partner for rental events at the DePuy Tavern.
- DePuy Tavern Government — Operates the D&H Canal Museum and Mid-Hudson Visitor Center in the historic 1797 DePuy Tavern.
- Den of Marbletown Partner — Collaborated on a diorama project using a historic image from the museum’s collection and Steiff figures.
- Facebook Network — Uses Facebook as a platform to share visitor reviews and engage with the public.
- Gibaldi Family Farm Partner — Provided mules Dolly and Daisy for wagon rides during the Canawler Days festival.
- Grady Park Partner — Host location for the D&H Market, situated on Main St in High Falls.
- Hudson River Valley Greenway Funder — Provided funding support for the Trail Extension Feasibility Study.
- Humanities New York Funder — Provided a CARES Grant to support D&H TV.
- KC Fabrications Partner — Collaborated on the fabrication of the Hoggee and Mule sculpture.
- Kevin Zraly Partner — Available for wine consulting services during rental events.
- Main Course Partner — Preferred catering partner for rental events at the DePuy Tavern.
- Marist University’s Hudson River Valley Institute Partner — Co-hosted a Day of History event featuring a panel discussion on preservation and public engagement.
- Morgan Library Partner — Collaborated on the annual gala event exploring the D&H Canal's role in the Gilded Age.
- National Endowment for the Humanities Funder — Supports the Humanities New York CARES Grant that funds D&H TV.
- National Park Service Government — Engaged the organization's historian and curator to update the National Historic Register listing for the D&H Canal and Gravity Railroad.
- New York State Museum Partner — Arthur, an advisory board member, donated his encyclopedic study collection of the Historic Woodstock Art Colony to the New York State Museum in Albany.
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation Government — Provided a $500,000 grant that formed the core funding for the Canal Society's purchase of the Canal House.
- Open Space Institute Partner — Bob, a senior leader at the Open Space Institute, played a major role in the Canal Society's purchase of the Canal House and helped secure a $500,000 grant from New York State to support the acquisition.
- Roebling Museum Partner — Collaborated on the annual gala event exploring the D&H Canal's role in the Gilded Age.
- other organizations Partner — Collaborates with other organizations to expand the regional trail network connecting to D&H Canal remains.
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.
- Community-Integrated Cultural Programmingmethodology: community-driven market programmingBy embedding local vendors, volunteer leadership, and sponsored public events into cultural programming, the organization strengthens community ownership of heritage preservation, because inclusive, participatory models sustain long-term engagement and broaden reach.
- Experiential Interpretation of Historymethodology: experiential_history_educationBy enabling direct, physical engagement with historic sites and artifacts—such as walking the towpath or interacting with period-appropriate furnishings—visitors develop a deeper, empathetic understanding of historical life, because embodied experience fosters emotional and cognitive connection more effectively than passive learning.
- Storytelling and Narrative Revitalizationmethodology: storytelling-for-history-educationBy using storytelling, children's literature, and public art to reanimate forgotten aspects of the D&H Canal’s history, the organization increases public awareness and engagement, because narrative makes abstract or distant history relatable and memorable across age groups.