Presidents Day, Chester A. Arthur's Local Connection and Clifford Oliver as Solomon Northrup
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It’s President’s Day today, so don’t expect to get the mail or do any banking, but we thought we’d mention at least two US presidents had touched our region. Here are their historic markers:
We all know who George Washington was, but how about Chester A. Arthur?
James Nolan wrote this piece for a past edition of our newspaper on this past president:
Chester A. Arthur’s Greenwich Connection
By James Nolan
Special to Journal & Press
Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. Previously the 20th vice president, he succeeded to the presidency upon the death of President James A. Garfield in September 1881, two months after Garfield was shot by an assassin.
The story of Chester Arthur’s time in Greenwich is inextricably connected to his father, William, and his father’s occupation. His father was born in Ireland and earned a college degree in Belfast. He sailed to Canada and then settled in Vermont and married. His intention was to work as a teacher while he studied law in the office of a promising attorney.
Living in Burlington, Vermont, the life of an aspiring lawyer abruptly changed course. New England was in the throes of the Second Great Awakening. In the 1790’s, New England pastors feared the French Revolution would spread godlessness to America’s shores. Many of these pastors embarked on a campaign of vigorous preaching to strengthen Americans’ spirituality.
It was a revival meeting in Burlington that ignited the religious fire in William. Convinced he had been “called,” William left behind the law and his Anglican upbringing to become a Free Baptist preacher. He was ordained in Waterville, Vermont in 1828. A short time later, William accepted an offer to lead a congregation in Fairfield, Vermont.
Chester was born in Fairfield in 1829. William’s dedication to the abolitionist cause did not endear him to church deacons, trustees, or parishioners. After just two years, he was no longer welcomed by the congregation. Fortunately, he was able to find another Baptist congregation but the same thing happened.
This led William to join the steady flow of migrants to Upstate New York. He moved his family to western New York where he once again encountered problems due to his abolitionist beliefs. In the autumn of 1839, the Arthurs moved yet again, this time to Union Village. The home they moved into was the Baptist Church parsonage.
Chester was nine years old. Up to that point, he had received his schooling at home from his father. In Union Village, Chester enrolled in the Lyceum of Union Village in 1839. In 1845 he enrolled in Schenectady’s Union College where he studied a classical curriculum. As a senior, he was president of the debate society and elected to Phi Beta Kappa, the highest academic honor.
After college he taught school for a while in Cohoes, New York.
The Baptist parsonage where the future president lived was located across the street from the current Baptist church where a park is now located. The house was moved to an area where the Greenwich Middle School building is now located. Around 1905, the house was moved again to a location across Woodlawn Avenue so the Middle School could be built. It is privately owned. A New York State Historical marker stands in front of the house today.
Today
In celebration of Black History Month, Hudson Crossing Park and the Historic Hudson Hoosic Rivers Partnership invites the community to an unforgettable evening honoring the life and legacy of Solomon Northup. Join the event at the Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitor Center for a special presentation by renowned reenactor Clifford Oliver Mealy (pictured) , who will bring Solomon Northup’s powerful story to life.
The event is today, February 17, 2025, 6pm, at the Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitor Center, 30 Ferry St., Schuylerville.
The event will offer a unique opportunity to experience history in a compelling, interactive way. Dressed in the character of Solomon Northup, Clifford Oliver Mealy will engage attendees with a first-person account of Northup’s life as a free Black man, his harrowing enslavement, and his remarkable journey to freedom.
In this immersive performance, Mealy will discuss the history of slavery, its lasting impact, and Northup’s connection to canal work. Guests will also have the chance to ask questions. While the subject matter is deeply important, Mealy promises to weave humor into the evening, with his signature blend of “Dad jokes” and education to make the experience engaging for all ages.
Solomon Northup, whose story inspired the Academy Award-winning film 12 Years a Slave, was born a free man in New York in 1808. His memoir chronicles his wrongful abduction and enslavement in 1841, as well as his resilience and eventual liberation. His connection to the canal region is an integral part of his story and the history of this area.
This event is free and open to the public.
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