Skaneateles Historical Society Website, NEW!

28 Hannum Street, Skaneateles, NY 13152-1009
Phone: 315-685-1360
http://skaneateleshistoricalsociety.org

The Creamery opened in 1899 as a place for local farmers to sell their milk and for residents to buy dairy products. In 1918 the Skaneateles Creamery Company was sold to the Best Ice Cream Company. They in turn sold it in 1948 to the Borden Milk Company, which ended operations here the following year. A local businessman bought the building for storage space and in 1989 donated it to the Village.
The Skaneateles Historical Society was given the opportunity to renovate the Creamery as a museum and as a home for the Society. In 1992, thanks to gifts of time, talent, and funding from the entire community, the Creamery proudly reopened.

Hours

The Creamery is open from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays during the months of June, July, August, and September.
The remainder of the year, with some variations near Christmas, the Creamery is open on Fridays.
Extensive materials are available for historical and genealogical research related to the Skaneateles area. Some materials are available in the meeting room that is open to the public, but original archival material is available only on Fridays when a researcher is present to assist, advise, and supervise.

The Historians

The Town Historian and the Village Historian work closely together and with the Society. The Town Historian is Ms. Beth Batlle, c/o the Town Hall, 24 Jordan St., Skaneateles, NY 13152-1110 (email: bquest4@verizon.net). The Village Historian is Ms. Pat Blackler, 28 Hannum St., Skaneateles, NY 13152-1009 (email: blackler4@verizon.net).
If you need help, try to decide which would be more appropriate, and do not submit duplicate inquiries. Although they do not have the time to provide complete genealogical research, they are happy to offer suggestions and send photocopies of relevant materials for a modest fee. Please keep in mind that the information relates only to the Town of Skaneateles.
The Museum

Our artifact collection features hundreds of items related to farming, manufacturing, recreation, transportion, art, architecture, the press, and commerce. Of special interest are the locally manufactured boats, carriages, wooden toys, medical instruments, sleigh, and chairs. In addition to the exhibits devoted to dairy farming and the business of the creamery, there is a fine display of the raising and marketing of fuller’s teasels. This was an industry limited to very few places in the U.S. The exhibits devoted to transportation cover the Skaneateles Short Line RR, the interurban trolley that ran through the village, and the large excursion boats that plied the lake. As can be expected the lake played a significant role in the history of the community. One can learn about the immense waterpower that was available along the outlet and about how Skaneateles became the source of water for the City of Syracuse. And the list goes on.