Come to the Rock Hall Country Fair

Event this Saturday and Sunday

Posted

Get ready to experience history at the 29th annual Rock Hall Museum Country Fair on Saturday, Oct. 25 and Sunday, Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 199 Broadway in Lawrence.
Activities include a Civil War encampment with the 30th Virginia Infantry, Company B, and a performance by juggler and comedian Will Shaw. Bob Stump and the Roadside Attraction will provide musical entertainment. An antique car show is scheduled to take place. There will also be demonstrations of wampum making, where clamshells are broken into pieces to make beads, a harvest tent and craft vendors.
There were will be a craft area set up, a pumpkin patch, scarecrow making, farm animals and pony rides. Admission and parking are free. The museum is selling raffles and antiques with the proceeds to benefit the Friends of Rock Hall, a group that supports and assists the museum.
Rock Hall is both a monument to history and an architectural treasure that should be shared with the community, according to Linda Barreira, Rock Hall Museum’s director. “The country fair is the perfect vehicle and motivation to bring people out during the fall season when the weather is warm and the trees are turning color,” she said. “Visitors can share an opportunity to view the museum and enjoy the festivities of the fair. We hope that those who enjoy the fair will come back again for other events and bring their family and classmates with them.”
Rock Hall is looking to add on an education center. Increased interest in the museum has drawn more visitors, and more structured space is needed to accommodate them, museum officials said. 

The museum offers guided tours of the property, special programs of historic interest, special lectures and an educational program for students. There are several historic relics on display for viewing.
The Rock Hall Museum is a pre-Revolutionary War home that was built in 1767 for Josiah Martin, a West Indian plantation owner. A Georgian-style house — it was inspired by British architecture during the time period of 1720 and 1820, the home originally belonged to two of the area’s most famous families, the Martins and Hewletts. 
In 1948, the Hewlett family deeded Rock Hall to the Town of Hempstead. Then the home underwent extensive restoration. Since 1953, it has existed as a museum. The Town of Hempstead currently owns and operates the property.
Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kathleen Murray believes that the Rock Hall Museum provides visitors with the opportunity to step back in time to the colonial era. “It is a national landmark and a source of great local pride,” she said. “In addition, the museum’s special events and educational programs provide further opportunities for residents to experience the flavor of Colonial Hempstead Town.”
For more information about the fair, visit www.friendsofrockhall.org or call (516) 239-1157.