About

In the late 1920s, a handful of Ossining’s leading citizens saw the need to preserve and celebrate the town’s unique history.  A museum would be just the thing.  But maybe, they said, a historical society should come first.  In 1931 the first meeting was held at the home of Mrs. John “Fanny” Kane, a wealthy civic leader and philanthropist whose roots went deep in Ossining.  The Democratic Register applauded the creation of the Ossining Historical Society, writing that “In the tales of yesteryear and the exhibits of historical importance will lie pleasure for many.”  Fanny Kane became its first president.  Subsequent meetings were held at the Ossining Woman’s Club on Highland Ave., which Fanny had also founded, along with the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.