To the Editor:

“Without a sense of history, no one can truly understand the past,” Winston Churchill famously declared.

As Town Historian Alice Begley wrote in Images of America:  Guilderland, NY, “The John L. Schoolcraft House is a unique local landmark on Western Turnpike…to be restored for use as a community cultural center.”  We are appealing to you today because the Schoolcraft House needs your help in order to achieve this dream.

It’s been several years since the exterior of the Schoolcraft House has been painted, and the majesty of this Gothic structure needs to be protected from the elements and restored to its full glory.

The town and the trustees of the Schoolcraft House have agreed that the time has come to complete the job of painting the exterior of the house and, to that end, we are hoping that you will consider purchasing a gallon or two (or more!) of paint.

If you would like to help and contribute to this drive to restore and protect our community’s gem, and are willing to purchase a gallon or two of paint, there are two ways to go about it.

You can send a donation of $25 for each can of paint to: The Friends of the Schoolcraft House, Post Office Box 779, Guilderland, NY 12084.

Or, better yet, you can go to Robinson’s Hardware on Western Avenue in Guilderland to purchase cans of paint and personally connect with the restoration effort.  Robinson’s Hardware has generously agreed to not only discount the paint but has also agreed to work with us on behalf of the Schoolcraft House by displaying the work to be done and to that end the paint can be purchased right at the store, and a member of the Friends group will pick it up.

So please consider contributing and putting your mark on history.

Thank you for your support of the Schoolcraft House and Cultural Center.

Kathy and Bruce Sherwin, Trustees

The Friends of the Schoolcraft House