Past Events at Gates Hall

Gates Hall is the hub of the hamlet of Pultneyville and regularly hosts programs and events relating to the area and its history.

Pultneyville Illumination 2024 Festivities at Historic Gates Hall

It was a great night for the 15th annual Pultneyville Illumination! The Legacy Dancers danced their way into the hearts of the appreciative crowd, the sound of Christmas carols filled the Hall, and the ‘Night before Christmas’ was read to a crowd of kids on stage. It was magical!

Photos by Peter Parts

B. Forman Park Historical Timeline

The W-PHS Program, B. Forman Park Historical “Human Timeline” presentation, was presented to a full house at Gates Hall. Dottie Howland created this historical and entertaining timeline of B. Forman Park!

Photos by Tammy Buehler

Eclipse Weekend at Gates Hall

From Friday, April 5th through Eclipse Day on Monday, April 8th, Gates Hall was full. We had great programs and fascinating topics and wrapped it up with delicious food to share with family and friends as darkness descended!

Photos by Charlotte Buehler & Laura Wayland-Smith Hatch

Centering Historic Preservation
in Community

Many of Wayne County’s historians gathered at Gates Hall to learn how the Oneida Community Mansion House–the home of the utopian Oneida Community—interprets the preservation of historic structures for wider public audiences.

Chris O’Neil, Executive Director of the Oneida Community Mansion House (OCMH), spoke on the challenges of preserving historic structures and the building of community support for this work. Joining her were OMCH’s Thomas Guiler, Director of Museum Affairs addressing the interpretation of historical collections, including buildings, and Mike Colmey, Director of Buildings and Grounds, who focused on OCMH’s 10-year, 5-phase restoration and preservation project.

Their presentations shared OCMH’s journey to address a building's needs with limited resources—the successes attained. and the challenges ahead. After the presentations, the OCMH team remained to answer questions on many Wayne County restoration projects—in progress, in planning stages, or just hopeful dreams.

Enjoy the photos by Peter Parts & Thomas Hatch.

Holocaust Survivor, Samuel Rind, Shares His Remarkable Journey

It was a special evening with a special man! Gates Hall was full—filled with a diverse audience from a wide area, all anxious to hear Holocaust Survivor Samuel Rind's story and learn about a history that should never be forgotten. Sam was born in Lublin, Poland in 1937 and survived life in various ghettos and forced labor camps with his mother.

Samuel’s remarks were tinged with tragedy, grief, resilience & optimism along with occasional humorous anecdotes. He graciously provided additional time for questions and answers and book signing. W-PHS is grateful to Darlene Martino for arranging this special program attended by over 100 guests.

Enjoy the photos by Laura Wayland-Smith Hatch & Charlotte Buehler.

"Meet the Spirits"

“Meet the Spirits” took residence in Historic Gates Hall to share the stories of residents from the past. The wind was blowing and it was a spooky night, but the Spirits did entertain!

"Fingerlakes Stories"

Scott Kime Tourism Ambassador

When having conversations with Scott, you will find that he has a wide array of talents and friends. Currently he is the Tourism Ambassador for the Finger Lakes Welcome Center, a Boat Captain, and provides grounds maintenance for a family-built church. He delivered a night full of wonderful short stories that had his audience smiling and chuckling!

Enjoy the program images taken by our resident photographer, Peter Parts.

"A Civil War Tribute"

A Program of Music & Civil War Heritage

The weather was perfect when Gates Hall hosted the Wayne County NY Bicentennial 2023 Committee’s Civil War Tribute. The day was filled with great programs, displays, reenactors, music, and a concert in the park by the outstanding Excelsior Cornet Band. It concluded at the Civil War Monument in Lakeview Cemetery with a tribute to the Wayne County men who fought and lost their lives in the Civil War.

Enjoy the images taken by our resident photographer, Peter Parts.