NELSON — Last summer, the Erieville-Nelson Heritage Society (ENHS) was awarded a New York State Historic Marker Grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.
The marker recognizes the location of Nelson’s first town meeting, which was held April 7, 1807 on the Rufus Weaver Farm.
Weaver, who arrived in Nelson in 1793, was one of the area’s first settlers.
On Saturday, May 1, ENHS hosted a sign dedication ceremony outside an existing barn on the property.
Located at 3676 Erieville Rd, at the intersection of Erieville and Old State Roads, the marker reads:
FIRST TOWN MEETING
ON APRIL 7, 1807
CITIZENS MET HERE ON
RUFUS WEAVER’S FARM
TO ELECT FIRST TOWN
OF NELSON OFFICIALS.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2020
According to Town of Nelson Co-historian Laine Gilmore, the site is significant for multiple reasons.
“The first meeting was notable as it was an act of legislation of New York to incorporate Nelson and split it off from Cazenovia,” Gilmore said on April 28. “[The minutes also list] many of the townspeople who were at the meeting and involved in setting up the politics of the town. It is also significant because the barn where the meeting was held is still standing today.”
The property’s current owners are Diane Brandow and Rick Swope, who operate Spruce Valley Stables, LLC.
“I’m really excited to have the sign here,” said Brandow. “It gives some recognition to the farm and the property, but I also think it’s important to keep the history of the area alive. I have also gotten to meet some new people, which is great.”
During the dedication ceremony, Gilmore discussed the history of the Rufus Weaver Farm and distributed copies of the transcription of the April 7 meeting minutes.
Gilmore also acknowledged ENHS member Jim Georges for his research efforts, ENHS President Kevin Davies for installing the sign, and Brandow and Swope for the use of their property.
Georges then provided the group with an overview of the historic marker grant program and read a letter from Paula Miller, executive director of the Pomeroy Foundation.
The sign was unveiled by three of Weaver’s descendants: Town of Nelson Co-historian Fay Lyon, Libbie Graves Holmes, and her brother, Tom Graves.
The New York State Historic Marker Grant Program commemorates historic people, places, things or events within the time frame of 1740-1921. Since 2006, the Pomeroy foundation has awarded more than 1,300 grants for roadside markers. Nelson’s new sign is the second marker awarded to ENHS by the Pomeroy Foundation; the first stands at the site of the Syracuse and Chenango Valley Railroad depot in Erieville.
“We are delighted to receive these Pomeroy Foundation historical markers,” Gilmore said. “In order to receive them, we have to do quite a bit of research to prove the historical significance of a place or event, and by doing this, it adds to community awareness of our past, which enhances the community by having pride in a historical event or place.”
For more information on the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, visit wgpfoundation.org.
Formed in 1984, ENHS is dedicated to discovering, collecting and preserving historical records and other data relating to the Erieville and Nelson area, and to making the information available to the public.
To learn more about ENHS, visit facebook.com/ErievilleNelsonHeritageSociety/.