The building's history. The Palmyra Historic Museum in Palmyra was a 23-room tavern, hotel, and restaurant that was built in two sections. The back section was the original house, built in 1828. The newer section, built in 1897, is at the front and was added onto at the same time the original section was remodeled. The addition was added by Mr. John Rifenburg and because of that, the museum is often referred to as the Rifenburg Hotel. The addition had tin ceilings (which are still visible) in the three main rooms of the first floor.

This museum was moved from its original location near the Alling Coverlet Museum in 1976 to prevent the building from being torn down.

The museum if packed with things owned or given by generous people and families with roots in the Palmyra area. The furniture and layout are not original to the building, but have been arranged more like a comfortable home with a living room and bedroom on the first floor.

Because of the Museum's former life as a hotel, several rooms have been made into mini-museums, housing a variety of related items such as Erie Canal related items, items by local painters, local merchants, local organizations, different styles of furniture, etc. In the Dress and Sewing Room you will find beautiful gowns worn by local ladies of years long ago, antique samplers, beaded needle holders and numerous other antiques. The Tool Room holds tools from the early to late 1800s. Another room, the School Room, contains artifacts from the schools in the area. The War Room is a tribute to local soldiers and contains items from all American wars, local police uniforms and information, along with Palmyra's Wall of Presidents.

Churchill, Winston. Winston Churchill's grandparents were married in the Western Presbyterian Church.

Eaton, D.D., Rev. Horace. The Reverend Horace Eaton, D.D. was the Western Presbyterian Church minister in 1849. He was also a known abolitionist along with Pliny Sexton. A bookshelf located in the living room of the museum belonged to Rev. Eaton.

Elton, George M. George Elton was an award winning photographer from Palmyra. Many of his photographs included people of the Palmyra area. Located in the Photographer's Suite of rooms are many photographs Elton took.

Gilbert, Major John. Found in the Canal, Merchant, and Village Room is a large painted portrait of Major John Gilbert done by E.J. Read. Major Gilbert set the type for the first Book of Mormon printed at the Grandin Press in the Grandin Building. The Grandin Building has recently been restored and is found on Main St. in Palmyra.

Jerome, Jenny. Jenny Jerome was the Winston Churchill's mother. Jerome's parents, grandparents to Winston Churchill, were married in the Western Presbyterian Church. The site of the Jerome's home is noted with a marker on Canal St. Jenny Jerome later became known as Lady Randolph Churchill. Pictures of Jenny Jerome can be found in the living roomof the museum.

Read, E.J. Painter E.J. Read lived in Palmyra during the 1870s through the 1920s. He was a teacher of art at Syracuse University. Read painted the digging of the Panama Canal and the people of the Caribbean. He was a superb artist and a books is in the museum showing his watercolors of the Panama Canal and the Caribbean.

Sexton, Pliny. Pliny Sexton was a great abolitionist and store owner. He was also the father of Pliny T. Sexton, Palmyra banker and benefactor. Pliny Sexton, along with Stephen Ackley and Benjamin Throop were Palmyra's first Fire Wardens, nominated early in 1828. Later that same year, in May, Palmyra's first fire company was born. In 1843 Pliny Sexton, the elder, started a bank with G. W. Cuyler. Pliny Sexton built his home on East Main Street in 1827. The home now is the office of Attorney Paul Rubery. The home was a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Sexton, Pliny T. Pliny T. Sexton was the son of abolitionist father, Pliny Sexton. Pliny the younger was a banker and benefactor of many village sites, including the Village Park and the Club Rooms, both still used today. Pliny T. Sexton was known for many things, one of which was a dinner party held at his home in 1882. The guest of honor was none other than Samuel Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, author of Huckleberry Finn. At one time, Pliny T. Sexton lived at the corner of Canandaigua and Jackson Streets in the colonial home with the stately pillars. T

Photography. ......

The Aldrich Change Bridge. ......

The Declaration of Independence. On June 28, 1776, a draft of the Declaration of Independence was submitted to Congress. Changes were made to this draft until a vote was finally taken on July 1, 1776. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed this resolution to the Congress in Philadelphia which said, "That these Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

Only nine of the thirteen colonies voted yes, New York abstained and Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted no and Delaware had two delegates who disagreed and deadlocked. Why did New York abstain? New York's delegates had not received any instructions from their assembly. After such a long and hard struggle for freedom, you would think that automatically after the determination of victory all ties would be broken with Great Britain and the United Sates would be totally free. Politics even back then, were a way of life and affected the workings of government. Another vote was taken on July 2, 1776 because it was felt that no colony should be forced to break connection with Great Britain unless it votes to do so. Twelve of the thirteen voted yes, but once again New York abstained. The two gentlemen from Pennsylvania who disagreed with the break from England agreed to be absent during the vote, and the State of Delaware sent another delegate who traveled 80 miles on horseback to break the Delaware delegates' deadlock.

On July 4, 1776, the Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence. New York still abstained which was not a "no" vote, but a voided vote, not to agree or disagree. Thomas Jefferson had drafted the original Declaration of Independence and included the condemnation of slavery and the censure of the people of Great Britain, these two passages were removed from the final draft. This Declaration was only signed by John Hancock, President of the Congress, and Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Congress.

Many copies of the document were printed and distributed by order of Congress. On July 8, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was first read in public in front of Independence Hall which was the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia. The official signing was not done until August 2, 1776, with fifty signatures. The newly signed Declaration copies were not to include the names of the fifty men until January of 1777 because of fear to their safety. There were a total of 56 signatures with six of them added later. Was this the end of it? Were the colonies free? Not yet, as some still did not agree with their need for a break with Great Britain. Another battle was fought on August 27, 1776, called the Battle of New York. This battle dissolved most doubts and increased the need for total freedom.

The Palmyra Historic Museum has one of the copies of this signed draft. The copy was found in a tin box time capsule placed in the cornerstone of the Union School on Canandaigua Street. The copy is in draft form with the changes noted with all 56 signatures. The people that put the time capsule together wanted us to remember our Declaration of Independence. (Information used for this article was from AOL's Academic Assistance Center by AACTchrKAP, Aac Staff.)

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