School Tours
SCHOOL TOURS
Admission is $4 for students. Teachers, chaperones, and bus drivers are free of charge. Teachers can request our Resource Guide at info@the1890house.org.
TOUR OPTIONS
We’re happy to offer specialized school tours that may be customizable for your grade level and history focus. Please contact info@the1890house.org for more information regarding any of the options below:
19th Century Life Tour
Our main house tour will transport students back to June 1, 1890, when the Wickwire family moved into 37 Tompkins Street. Learn about Victorian daily life from the perspective of an industrialist, an upper class woman, children, and servants. Tour guides will challenge students to consider what innovations they can create in their own community.
Twitter Tour
What if the Victorians used Twitter? On this tour, students will learn the house’s history through the “tweets” written by the Wickwire family, the house’s servants, and even their pet Pionus parrot, Jac.
Architecture Tour
From stained glass to cupolas, hand stenciling to parquet flooring, students will investigate how architect Samuel Burrage Reed designed the Wickwire mansion. Students will discover how Victorians made architectural choices for social reasons, from “dressing up” their home to impress guests, to keeping the servants unseen and unheard.
Feared Weird Tour
Students will investigate Victorian life by playing parlor games, and learn the meaning behind many “unusual” Victorian customs, such as weaving hair into jewelry, painting dead children, and using fans to communicate. Students will leave the house with a better understanding of why Victorians acted in ways that may seem strange to us today.
Support Cortland's Landmark Building
The impressive collections found throughout the 1890 House Museum offer visitors the opportunity to step back in time to 19th century Cortland. The unique history within the walls tells the stories of the Wickwire family, their servants, and the factory workers who toiled in Wickwire Wire Mills Factory.
The museum strives to educate and inspire every visitor through diverse programming and exhibitions. With your help, this Cortland County landmark will be preserved for present and future generations.
OPEN HOURS
Thursdays - Saturdays
11 am – 4 pm
Sundays
12 pm - 4 pm
CONTACT US
37 Tompkins St. Cortland, NY 13045
Telephone: (607) 756 7551
Email: info@the1890house.org
(C) THE 1890 HOUSE MUSEUM
SUPPORT CORTLAND'S HISTORIC BUILDING
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
What does the 1890 House mean to you?
Some say it is a jewel in our crown city, showcasing Victorian culture, as well as the Wickwire family’s legacy in our community. We agree, but as with any jewel, it needs great care and polishing. And for The 1890 House, that means upkeep and repairs to an ever-aging house.
Because of this, the current Board of Trustees has embarked on a $250,000 Capital Campaign.
We have identified three long-overdue projects and repairs that need attention:
-
- "Carriage House" (Barn) including a new roof, window repairs, and painting;
- The 1890 House Exterior including stonework repairs and painting; and
- The 1890 House Interior including restoration, plaster work and painting.
Please consider donating in one of these categories or make your own suggestion and help to preserve this local treasure and much-loved Cortland landmark for many generations to come.
$25: Can of paint
$50: Various restoration supplies
$100: Stone Repair (a la “Buy a Brick”)
$250: 10 hours of labor
$500: Equipment Rental
$1,000: Restore a window
$1,500: Restore a stained-glass window
$2,000: Restore a wood floor
$2,500: Paint a small room
$25,000: Adopt a large room
SUPPORT OUR FRAMING THE PAST PHOTO PROJECT
Founded in 1975, and receiving its NYS Charter as a historic house museum in 1984, the 1890 House Museum boasts an impressive collection of photographs. These photographs document the lives of the Wickwire family and their friends from the late 19th century through the 20th century. When inventor & industrialist Chester F. Wickwire moved into his home on June 1, 1890, he photographed each room as it was. These photographs have now been digitally preserved by Roger Theise from Roger Williams Photography. Some of these interior photos had never been on view to the public before.