Thomas Paine National Historical Association facts for kids
The Thomas Paine Historical Association is a group in New Rochelle, New York. This organization works to keep the memory of Founding Father Thomas Paine alive. It started on January 29, 1884, which is Thomas Paine's birthday. This makes it one of the oldest historical groups in the United States. There are two groups in New Rochelle that honor Thomas Paine. The other one is the Thomas Paine Cottage Museum. It was started in 1886 and takes care of the Thomas Paine Cottage.
History of the Association
The first president of the Association was Dr. Moncure D. Conway. He was a writer and worked to end slavery. He was also a close friend of President Abraham Lincoln. Dr. Conway wrote the first full book about Thomas Paine in 1892.
On October 14, 1905, the Association held a special event. They rededicated the Thomas Paine Monument. Before that, on Memorial Day in 1899, the group had a large meeting. This was for putting up a bronze bust (a sculpture of a head and shoulders) of Paine. This bust now sits on a marble base. In 1905, the monument was moved to its current spot. It is now in the middle of Paine Avenue. The ceremonies included speeches and a parade. The U.S. Army also fired thirteen guns. This honored the thirteen original states. In 1906, the Association was reorganized. It became a formal organization under New York state laws. It is now known as the Thomas Paine National Historical Association.
Thomas Paine Memorial Building
The Paine Memorial Building is located near the Paine Monument. It is at the corner of North Avenue and Valley Road in New Rochelle, New York. Building this structure began on May 30, 1925. This happened under the direction of President William van der Weyde. Even famous inventor Thomas A. Edison helped. He turned the first shovel of earth for the museum.
The building used to be a museum. It showed items that belonged to Thomas Paine. It also displayed other things important to local history. These collections are now kept at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. In 1943, a new part was added to the building. This part was for the Hufeland Memorial Library. This library had thousands of items about the history of Westchester. Otto Hufeland of Mount Vernon, New York collected these items. This collection is currently on loan to the Westchester County Historical Society.
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