PRESS RELEASE: Presidents’ Day Event on Saturday, February 18th at Philipse Manor Hall

YONKERS, NY — January 18, 2017 — Presidents George Washington and Franklin Delano Roosevelt both visited Philipse Manor Hall, and this Presidents’ Day, the public can do the same!

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site will hold its annual Presidents’ Day celebration on Saturday, Feb. 18 from noon to 3 p.m. Admission is free. The site, the oldest standing building in Westchester County, is located at 29 Warburton Ave., just blocks from the train station in downtown Yonkers, near the daylighted parts of the Saw Mill River.

Stop by and wish Abraham Lincoln a “Happy Birthday!” Meet and mingle with the 16th president as he tells stories about his life and presidency. The program will include various crafts and activities throughout the day. Visitors will have a chance to transform into Honest Abe by making their own Lincoln beard and top hat! You can also show off your artistic side, by drawing portraits of yourself, your family or your favorite presidents while drawing inspiration from the vast collection of Presidential portraits! To further commemorate the occasion, President Lincoln will recite his “Gettysburg Address” at 1:30 p.m.

Presidents’ Day is an annual event featuring the Manor Hall’s Cochran Collection of Presidential Portraiture. After his mother donated funds to New York State for the purchase of Philipse Manor Hall in 1908, Alexander Smith Cochran, a Yonkers businessman and philanthropist, was eager to transform the building into a place of historic and patriotic interest. From 1912 until his death in 1929, Cochran assembled portraits of the American Presidents from George Washington to Calvin Coolidge. The collection includes the works of noted artists such as Gilbert Stuart, Eastman Johnson, and Thomas Eakins.

All activities for the day are free thanks to the efforts of the Friends of Philipse Manor Hall. For information or questions about the event, please call Philipse Manor Hall’s Public Programs Coordinator, Robert Lee, at (914) 965-4027 x102.

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is one of six historic sites and 15 parks administered by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation – Taconic Region. The historic Manor Hall is regularly open for self-guided tours from Tuesday to Saturday noon to 3:30 p.m. November to March, and noon to 4:30 p.m. April to October. For additional information about Philipse Manor Hall, please visit http://nysparks.com/historic-sites/37/details.aspx.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. A recent study found that New York State Parks generates $1.9 billion in economic activity annually and supports 20,000 jobs. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.