Lecture on Historical Neighborhoods of Newburgh

NEWBURGH – Historic preservation consultant, Marissa Marvelli of Kingston, has worked diligently researching Newburgh’s neighborhoods for their cultural and ethnic uniqueness as they changed during the last 175+ years. She will present a detailed and beautifully illustrated study of the Newburgh neighborhoods south of Broadway on Thursday, October 9, 2025 in Kaplan Hall’s Orange Bank and Trust Co. Great Room 101 at SUNY Orange. The presentation of A Place To Call Home: Historic Neighborhoods of Newburgh’s South Side begins at 6:30pm.

This area of Newburgh has long been overlooked for its historic value. Now, with this research and subsequent written study and presentation, the story is being told. Marvelli has mapped the area through the decades showing its growth of ethnic migration where a dramatic population growth occurred between 1845 and 1865, as Newburgh became a regional manufacturing center. She has also chronicled the many enterprises that thrived in buildings along these busy but less celebrated commercial corridors between William Street and Robinson Avenue which were filled with a variety of ethnic and economic neighbors and their stories. The immigrants were German and Irish and were neighbors to prominent Black Newburgh families like the Alsdorfs, Thompsons, Johnsons, and Deckers.

Marissa Marvelli will be illustrating her talk with photographs and drawings of period buildings, many of which relate directly to today. In addition, a small exhibit of photographs of houses, commercial buildings, and architecturally interesting buildings will complement the presentation.

The Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands in cooperation with SUNY Orange Cultural Affairs is sponsoring the lecture presentation. The survey was undertaken by Marissa Marvelli on behalf of The Fullerton with funding from the Preservation League of New York’s Preserve New York Grant Program. The Fullerton Center for Culture and History collaborates on cultural programs and promotes research that celebrates Newburgh’s history and diverse culture. Kaplan Hall is located at 73 First Street, Newburgh. Free and secure parking is available in the college garage entered at that address.