Remembering Dorothy Morris
Highland Mills. A legacy of history and community at Woodbury’s Gatehouse Museum & Learning Center set for April 26.
| 18 Apr 2025 | 04:15
The Woodbury Historical Society’s Gatehouse Museum & Learning Center. The Gatehouse marked the impressive entrance to the estate built in 1912 by Vaudeville pioneer Frederick Freeman Proctor on 1,142 acres of land in Central Valley. Your can find out how it came into the hands of the Town of Woodbury by reading the story below.
Join the Woodbury Historical Society’s Gatehouse Museum & Learning Center on Saturday, April 26, from 1 to 4 p.m., for their Spring open house.
The theme for this exhibit will be “Remembering Dorothy Morris,” a former leader of the Gatehouse who committed much of her life to building communal ties in Woodbury.
Exhibits on Dorothy’s family, the Gatehouse history and local military history will be shown in addition to light food and refreshments served.
This event is open to the public at 224 Smith Clove Road, Highland Mills.
In 1912, entertainment and Vaudeville pioneer Frederick Freeman Proctor built his estate, Proctoria, on 1,142 acres of land in Central Valley. He constructed five large homes, various barns and “The Gatehouse,” which marked the impressive entrance to the estate.
Following Proctor’s death in 1929, the estate was put up for sale. It was acquired by the United States Military Academy at West Point shortly after World War II.
The majority of the buildings, except the Gatehouse and small Carriage House directly behind, were destroyed so the lands could be used for military and parachute maneuvers.
In 1973, the U.S. Government deeded the Gatehouse to the Town of Woodbury and, in 1996, its use was split between the Woodbury Historical Society and the Boy Scouts.
Today, the Gatehouse Museum & Historic Site continues to organize exhibits that preserve the region’s rich history.
For more information, call 845-928-6770 or email woodbury1889@optonline.net.