The "Huntfest" will be held Saturday, October 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the lawn of the Hunt Memorial Building on Ellenville's Liberty Square. It is sponsored by the Hunt Memorial Preservation Committee, a community organization formed to preserve and restore the George and John R. Hunt Memorial Building.

Saturday's activities will include a new and used book sale, baked goods, and entertainment that will include music by Kurt Henry, plus Ellenville's Coffeehouse crowd. All funds raised will go toward the current roof project and future restoration activities.

The site of the Hunt Memorial Building has a long heritage, beginning when Ellenville was called "Fairchild City," or just "The City." Alpheus Fairchild, who bought most of today's village in 1798, had a dwelling erected on part of the site where the Hunt building stands today. Nathan and Maria Hoornbeek bought the dwelling and enlarged it, converting it to an inn. The Hoornbeek tavern was a gathering place for the citizens and many important decisions about the community were made at meetings held there. Indeed, the decision to change the name of the community to "Ellenville" was proposed at the Hoornbeek Tavern.

Charles Hartshorn came to "The City" to try a case in the Hoornbeek tavern in 1823, and liked the community so much that he decided to stay. He was young, energetic, and forceful. He opened the first store, led the drive to choose a "real" name for the community and apply for government approval of a post office. He erected a home for his family on the former site of the Hoornbeek tavern and was elected first President of the newly incorporated village in 1856.

After his death in 1883, his daughter and son-in-law, Maria and Joseph Tuthill, continued to live in the house which Maria later bequeathed to her daughters, Rose H. Eaton and Anna H. Saxton. They transferred ownership to the Ulster County Woman's Christian Temperance Union, of Ellenville, New York in 1916.

The George and John R. Hunt Memorial Building was erected 1915-1917 by the Women's Christian Temperance Union at the bequest of John R. Hunt, a local businessman and community leader who was a supporter of the Union. The bequest included specific guidance: the gift would be used for the construction of the building, and that a portion of the building would be used for rental/business income to help financially sustain the structure.

The architect for the building was Frank E. Estabrook of Newburgh and the design included space for the public library (the exterior bears the words "Public Library" in the mortar over the Canal Street door), WCTU meetings, lectures, and community events, as well as rental space.

The public library trustees did not agree to move the library to the space provided in the Hunt building at its opening, so the Home National Bank rented that space for about 10 years. The Ellenville Public Library actually made Hunt Memorial its home in 1928 when the WCTU deeded a section to them until the premises "cease to be used for such library purposes." The Library remained there until 1975 when they moved to their new building at 40 Center Street.

In 1982, the WCTU sold Hunt Memorial to Seymour Friend, who removed the Hunt Memorial name from the Liberty Square entrance, changing it to Friend Center. Friend sold to Howard Hellman in 1987 and Hellman to the Village of Ellenville in 1999.

Once the Library moved out of the building and long term tenants vacated their offices, the building began to deteriorate. Parts of the building were rented to various entities over the twenty years after the sale to Seymour Friend but, in 2002, a group of local citizenry gathered to create the Hunt Memorial Preservation Committee, Inc.. The HMPC, as it is frequently called, stated that its purpose is "to restore and preserve the architectural integrity and historical significance of the Hunt Memorial Building" and "to return it to a combined community/business use in keeping with John R. Hunt's original purpose."

The HMPC is incorporated, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt membership organization which seeks funding for restoration activities through grants, member items, donations, and activities. It is governed by a 9 member Board of Directors, three of whom are elected annually for three-year terms at an annual meeting in November.

The Hunt Memorial Building continues to be owned by the Village of Ellenville. The HMPC and Village are working together on building restoration. The first major project, roof replacement and asbestos removal from the roof area, begins Monday, October 16. Chimney repair is also part of the project. Funding for the roof project comes from several sources: a reimbursement grant from Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, HMPC fund raising which has included raffles, art tours, a dinner dance, sales, and now the HUNTFEST. The Noonday Club's Golf Tournament benefited the HMPC in 2006 and provided a substantial $5,000+ to the project.

For further information, call Phyllis Rubin, President, at 647-7582. Other members of the current Board of Directors are Steve Bradley (Vice President), Barbara Hoff (Secretary), Marion Dumond (Treasurer), Eric Aiese, Iris Friedman, Phyllis Lennert, Irwin Rosenthal, and Stan Rubin.

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