The New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center (ERHC) in Auburn celebrated its five-year Anniversary Wednesday night.
The center marked the occasion by inviting the public to enjoy food provided by local catering company Pure Catering, non-alcoholic drinks from Taste NY, a whiskey tasting from Auburn-based Cellar & Fowl, and music as well as look back on the center’s accomplishments over the past five years and get a glimpse as to what the future holds.
First opened on November 13, 2018, City Clerk Chuck Mason told Finger Lakes News Radio the five years have flown by.
City Clerk Chuck Mason says time has flown by.
“It’s hard to believe that it has been five years already; time has flown by,” Mason said. “This has been a great project, a great partnership amongst not only the City of Auburn but our Historic and Cultural Sites Commission, all of our museums and cultural centers. It is everybody working together in partnership to make greater and bigger things happen.”
Gillian Sears has worked for the ERHC for 2 1/2 years. Speaking with Finger Lakes News Radio, she said visitation to the downtown destination continues to grow.
“Looking at our visitation, we continue to grow, welcoming more visitors from the state, the country, and internationally, all parts of the world,” Sears said. “So, [we’re] very much looking forward to helping all those visitors and inspiring everyone with our message of equal rights.”
Next year is poised to be a big year for historic visitation in the city. 2024 is expected to see the creation of the West End Arts Campus – a collaboration between the Schweinfurth Art Center and Cayuga Museum of History and Art, the completion of restoration to the Parker Street Church complex as part of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, and the restoration of the Seward House Museum’s carriage house and barn.
With these transformative projects, the ERHC expects to see more visitors come to see them. The center will act as a guide to showcase not only these venues but sites across the Finger Lakes and state, to visitors.
