The Quest

I've been working on a new brochure for the Troy Irish Genealogy Society . In the process, I've been looking at old photos of Troy. This city is one of the most interesting ones in this area, in my opinion. Looking at the skyline from the Hudson River is like stepping back in time. The church spires tower above a crowded matrix of row houses and historical 19th century buildings. It looks much like this, even today. View of Troy from Mount Ida (I think) This afternoon, I was going over to Troy to register for a drawing class at the Arts Center of the Capital Region , a gift from Kef. As I was sitting at the stop light to turn right onto River Street, my eyes were drawn to the Market Block building rising up at the corner of River and Fulton. The light changed, so I couldn't take a photo, but you can see it here on a Google Map street view . This amazing structure is characteristic of many buildings in the Central Troy Historic District . The Wikipedia article on this...

Tomorrow morning I'm going to a plein air class (painting outside) at Ann Lee Pond. Ann Lee was a Shaker and brought her faith and followers here in 1774. Her story is really interesting (read on Wikipedia ). Originally this pond was the mill pond at the Shaker settlement, which is now a historic site. I haven't had the chance to go out there yet, so I'm really looking forward to both the painting and the visit to this site.  Shaker heritage is very rich in this area as this was the site of the first Shaker settlement in America. I've read that the communities weren't sustainable because they practiced celibacy. Makes sense, I guess. You can read more about the Shakers on the Shaker Heritage Society website . Sorry for the short post today, but it's bedtime... I just wanted to get something out there.