Richardson-Bates House Museum

06/07/2026

We are encouraging everyone to share in this celebration!

06/06/2026

Today, during the Lake Ontario Waterfront Festival at the H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego, we honor the 82nd anniversary of D-Day and the National Historic Landmark WWII tugboat, LT-5, that participated.

Join us 12-4 for the free festival that features Fred Legawiec of WZLGA who will be representing LT-5 as part of International Museum Ship Weekend - an event hosted by Battleship New Jersey ham radio operators contact museum ships from around the world.

06/05/2026

American Cruise Lines sent two excursion tours to the museum today. Guests were from all over the country and we were happy to host them and share our stories.

06/03/2026

Deb Allen, county historian, packed them in last night at History on Tap at GS Steamers Bar & Grill as she told stories of Revolutionary War veterans and their families who settled in Oswego County.
See that 3” blue binder behind her? That is 800 pages of research that she has done with the help of Shawn Doyle from the Half Shire Historical Society. She has documented Patriot burials or families in most of the county’s 61 cemeteries. Well over 400 veterans so far! A book will be published eventually!
Deb is chairman of the Oswego County America25Fort Ontario.
if you want to be on the mailing list for personal notifications about History on Tap, please send a message through this page.

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

History on Tap tonight!
County Historian Debra Allen will talk on the Revolutionary War soldiers and their families who settled in Oswego County.
7 PM at GS Steamers Bar & Grill on the Riverfront Room.
Free and open to the public.
Feel free to buy a drink to bring in with you and enjoy during the presentation!
Fort Ontario

06/02/2026

We look forward to seeing everyone at History on Tap, 7pm tonight at GS Steamers for Deb Allen’s presentation!

History on Tap is back — and this time with stories from the Revolutionary War right here in Oswego 🇺🇸🍻

Grab a drink and join us tonight at 7:00 PM as County Historian Debbie Allen shares some incredible stories of Oswego County's Revolutionary War soldiers!

Thank you to the Oswego County Historical Society and the Friends of Lake Ontario for helping host this event ✨

05/27/2026

The staff of the Dr. Mary Walker Health Center at SUNY Oswego came for a tour of the museum and the Dr Mary Walker exhibit. They were joined by George DeMass, the Town of Oswego Historian and former board member of OCHS, who told stories of Mary Walker and people who knew her.

05/20/2026

Thanks to the amazing volunteer Oliver Zaifnejad, who figured out how to put two sections of video together and get it on YouTube, Michael Park's presentation on "Painting Oswego" is now posted. The room was dark, and the focus goes in and out, but the slides are visible and the audio is excellent.

This talk by volunteer Michael Parks on his exhibit of Oswego County paintings for the Temporary exhibit in Spring 2026 at the Richardson-Bates House Museum ...

05/19/2026

The drawing room and part of the reception room were packed full for the presentation by Michael Parks of his exhibit “Painting Oswego.” Michael is a volunteer who has just completed his Masters in Art History from Syracuse University.
He explained why this carefully curated selection of scenes from Oswego were chosen to represent themes of landscape, childhood, marine life, and industry.  Fulton, Oswego, Mexico, and Minetto were all represented, and these were all local artists with familiar names like Kaskin, Burt, King, and Cummings.
The mystery of the origin of the almost 7 foot wide watercolor of Kingsford’s Oswego Starch Factory was explored and solved.
This very special exhibit runs through June and members are reminded if they want to visit for that alone, their entrance is always free!