History of the Cook Museum of Local History
Built in the 1850’s, this house was first occupied by Alanson Mead who had his blacksmith shop in the large garage, several doors east of the house.
The next owner, Henry Holland was lost at sea on a trip to China. He had just finished rebuilding the saw mill north of Ludlow Swamp. The sawmill site is the present location of the Girl Scout Camp.
Another blacksmith, Jefferson Thomas, was the next owner. He sold to Alphonse Cote in the 1870’s. Cote and his wife, Diane, and had immigrated from Canada. Their nine children were born in the house.
In addition to being a blacksmith in the same building Mead had used, Cote was an axe maker and sword maker in Factory Village and also an inventor. An automatic railroad car coupler was one of his inventions. He served the public as overseer of the poor. During this time, Ed Willard raised the roof of this house to accommodate a bedroom over the hall.
In 1891, Cote moved to Brooklyn and sold the house to George Turner who drove the stage to Amsterdam. Turner sold to Walter A. Balch.
The next owners, the Lewis Cook family, purchased the house and moved to the Village from their Crane Road Farm in 1919, Fred Allen in the house to the west and Cooks’ son-in-law, Richard Brown, put the shingles on the outside of the house.
The Cook’s daughter, A. Eugenia, who was a teacher in the Amsterdam school system, lived in the house for many years. After Eugenia died in 1983, her sister, Gladys Cook Brown, owned the house and willed it to Earl and Phyllis Keeler. Present owners of the Cook Museum are William McHale, Maria Nolen, Patrick McHale, from Ojai, California.
The Cook Museum of Local History, a private museum, was established in 1984 as a living memorial to the community of Galway in honor of A. Eugenia Cook (1895-1983) and reflects her spiritual dedication and leadership within the Galway United Methodist Church.
This restored Victoria Home and library is devoted to history and art. Exhibits include old tools, Victorian rooms, dolls, clothing, dishes, and old bibles. Tours may be scheduled by calling Phyllis Keeler, Director. (518) 882-6765
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