Preparations are under way in Albany for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. two years from now.
Members of USA-250, Albany County’s commission to prepare for the 2026 celebration, were sworn in at the Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany Wednesday. County Executive Dan McCoy says the celebration will honor a nation of immigrants.
“It’s a reflection of our nation's past, to honor the contributions of all Americans who looked ahead to create a future for generations to come. And that's why we're here, and to talk about it, our Capital Region and Albany County itself has a strong connection to the Revolutionary War,” McCoy said.
McCoy says it’s an invitation to talk about American history, with Albany at the crossroads of the Revolution.
“It’s an opportunity to celebrate it, the good and bad and the ugly about it, but most importantly, about the education aspect, how we got where we have a land of immigrants and made up of many languages and cultures and religion and really just take the opportunity to celebrate all that, how far we've come as a nation,” McCoy said.
Maeve McEneny-Johnson is Director of Community Engagement with Discover Albany and vice chair of the commission. She says heritage tourism is vital to the local economy.
“38 percent more. And in our region, that's not small peanuts, that is huge. So, Discover Albany, focusing on the heritage tourist has been our focus for years. It's so much a part of our mission, not only because of that economic impact, but also because visitors are looking for authentic stories, and our tie to the revolution is beyond authentic,” McEneny-Johnson said.
McEneny-Johnson says previous heritage tourism promotions in the county, like the “Discover Eliza’s Albany” scavenger hunt, centered around Albany native Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, wife of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, have been successful.
“I remember being with my family here at the Ten Broeck gardens, and we saw children dressed in period clothing, going, ‘I found it. I found her star. I found Eliza’s star.’ And they ran to the gardens and the Ten Broeck mansion expertly on the back of that star, you would learn about this home,” McEneny-Johnson said.
Including the Ten Broeck and Schuyler Mansions, other Revolutionary War sites of note in Albany County include the Switzkill Farm in Berne, site of the Deitz Massacre, where in 1781, John Deitz and seven other family members were killed by Tories and Native Americans; and the Battle of the Normanskill, where in 1777, Schenectady militiamen and other troops fought with the British.
In addition to McEneny-Johnson, the commission includes Albany County historian and former state Assemblyman Jack McEneny, New York State School Boards Association Director of Government Relations Brian Fessler; Paul Stewart, formerly of the Underground Railroad Education Center; chair Jeff Perlee, a county legislator, small business owner Mark Frederick Jones, Siena College Professor of History Jennifer Dorsey, Coeymans Town Historian Joe Boehlke, and Sandy Zerrillo of the Albany Colony Society of Mayflower Descendants and the Gansevoort chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The commission will spend the next nearly two years planning the local celebration, including soliciting community plans and feedback on ideas.
Those who want to get involved in the celebration can call or email Discover Albany.. More information can be found on the city’s website.
