Historic Lectures: When Tillage Begins… The Adriance Legacy

Step back in time and dig into history! Join us for an engaging afternoon lecture exploring Queens’ Agricultural Past in our historic Adriance Farmhouse. Uncover the fascinating stories of the borough’s farms and families within the centuries-old rooms of this local landmark, featuring lectures by various Queens historians.

When Tillage Begins… The Adriance Legacy
Tom Padilla will discuss the Adriance paternal line and show how the Adriances in NYS reflected the changes occurring in the wider American society, including the mechanization of agriculture. From East Flushing to New York City and up the Hudson to Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County, we will see the rise of one Dutch colonial family as it ascends the ladder of upward mobility, then “cashes out” and becomes a philanthropic force with the founding of the Adriance Memorial Library that still operates and is entering its 130th year.