As many of us celebrate Presidents Day today, we honor and remember our first President, George Washington, born on February 22, and our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, born on February 12. Both Commanders-in-Chief have deep roots in Peekskill. Washington visited Peekskill many times, and appointed Benedict Arnold to command West Point from the original Birdsall House on Main Street. On February 19, 1861, just two weeks before being inaugurated, President-Elect Abraham Lincoln visited Peekskill, stopping at the old railroad depot on his way to Washington, DC, to be inaugurated. It was Lincoln’s only speaking stop in Westchester County during his lifetime.
On Saturday, February 22, 2025, the Lincoln Society in Peekskill, the oldest continually active Lincoln Society in the United States since 1903, and the Lincoln Depot Museum in Peekskill will honor the life of Abraham Lincoln and his visit to Peekskill as co-sponsors of “Lincoln Remembrance Day” in Peekskill.
At 11 a.m. there will be a “Wreath-Laying Ceremony” at the Lincoln Exedra on South Street, which was originally dedicated on October 6, 1925 and rededicated on November 5, 2017, to mark Lincoln’s historic visit to Peekskill. The monument was constructed with funds raised by the Lincoln Society in Peekskill and is made from “Peekskill Granite” sourced from the Mohegan granite quarry in what is now Sylvan Glen Preserve in Yorktown.
Photo credit: LincolnSocietyinPeekskill.org
Shortly after the wreath laying ceremony, there will be a parade led by Civil War re-enactors. Its route will be down South Street, making a right onto Hudson Avenue, and then turning right down Water Street and proceeding to the lawn of the Lincoln Depot Museum.
Courtesy of LincolnSocietyinPeekskill.org
At 11:30 a.m., a “Lincoln in Peekskill Re-Enactment” will take place at the Lincoln Depot Museum at 10 South Water Street. The re-enactment will feature a reading of Lincoln’s speech to the 1,500 people who gathered from the village and surrounding areas to hear his remarks in 1861 from the original train depot.
Courtesy of LincolnSocietyinPeekskill.org
At 12 noon there is a special showing of a new Emmy Award-winning documentary The Hidden History of Slavery in New York at the Lincoln Depot Museum. The special showing of the documentary will feature Executive Producer Larry Epstein, former executive producer at MSNBC and senior producer at the Fox News Channel. Epstein is now a contributing writer for The River Journal and Peekskill Herald. After the film presentation there’ll be a question & answer session.
The events are free and open to the public. A donation of $10 for adults is suggested to support the work of the Lincoln Society, the Lincoln Depot Museum, and the indoor events including the special screening of the documentary film. Light refreshments will be served.
About the Lincoln Society in Peekskill and the Lincoln Depot Museum
Founded in 1903, the Lincoln Society in Peekskill is the only Lincoln group in Westchester County and one of the oldest Lincoln societies in the United States. Visit lincolnsocietyinpeekskill.org for additional information.
The Lincoln Depot Museum opened 10 years ago in 2014 and is the only Lincoln-related museum in the State of New York. Visit lincolndepotmuseum.org for more information on The Lincoln Depot Museum and follow their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Don’t forget to tell everyone at these events that you read about it in the Peekskill Herald.
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