Sherwood Inn's 200th Anniversary
The Sherwood Inn celebrates its 200th Anniversary this year! Originally built as a Skaneateles stagecoach stop in 1807 by Isaac Sherwood, the Inn has been a favorite resting place for travelers and locals for two centuries. Over the years, the original tavern has grown to include several rooms for overnight accommodations.
Near the end of the Civil War, John Packwood, a successful carriage manufacturer, bought and renovated the Inn by adding a third floor. During the 1918 influenza epidemic, the Inn served as a hospital that was supplied with food and provisions by the townspeople of Skaneateles. In 1945, the Inn was the site of many social events including a dinner honoring Army Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, commander of all U.S. forces in the Philippines during the early days of World War II.
The Inn was purchased in 1974 by its present owner and FLC member, Bill Eberhardt, who meticulously renovated the building to restore the Inn's stately elegance. President & Mrs. Clinton dined at the Inn while vacationing on the lake in 1999. Complete with antique and Stickley furniture, Oriental carpets, authentic fireplaces, Barrows landscape paintings and Victorian amenities, the Inn also offers stunning views of Skaneateles Lake.
During the Skaneateles Antique and Classic Boat Show, the Sherwood Inn will be open for casual and fine dining in the Tavern and Dining Room. Please be sure to visit to see a display of historic photos of the Inn over the years while enjoying this year's boat show.

Here's What I'd Do…

FLC Director and wooden boat restorer, Ham Armstrong, has agreed to provide some boat restoration articles for this newsletter under the above heading and based on the following format:

1. If you have a boat restoration problem or question, forward it directly to Ham at his surface mail address, or if you prefer to use e-mail, it can be sent to your editor, and it will be forwarded to Ham.

2. His response will be returned directly to you and will, along with your question, also be published in this newsletter. Ham's surface mail address is: 127 Highland Ave. Syracuse, NY 13203

Your editor's e-mail address is flcboats@aol.com No restoration question or problem is too small or too obvious to be sent in.

Give it a try and let's see if we can create an interesting and instructional dialogue while offering another benefit of membership in ACBS and FLC.

Did You Know…?
…that Dick Pitman, loyal representative from Partners Trust Bank on the Chapter's Boat Show Planning team, has been elected president of the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce? Congratulations, Dick, and best wishes for success in your new position.
…that a new tour boat service is expected to be inaugurated soon after June 1st on Seneca Lake? The 50-ft., 49-passenger boat will operate from a dock at Geneva's Lakefront Park, near the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce building. While the boat will be used primarily for charter dinner cruises for businesses, groups and fund-raisers, it will also be open to walk-on customers and be available six times a day for three-hour tours. More information about reservations, etc., can be found at www.flwa.com
…that the Glacier Lakes Chapter, ACBS which is based in Pewaukee, WI, has used Skaneateles and the Skaneateles Boat Show as its model in putting together a proposal for holding that chapter's boat show on the Pewaukee waterfront? FLC member Wil Vidal who lives on Pewaukee Lake, is the moving force behind the effort. The Skaneateles Press plans to carry an article on Wil's plans and the synergy he draws between the Wisconsin boat show venue and Skaneateles.

…that the 88-ft. Lois McClure, a replica of an 1862-class sailing-canal boat built in Burlington, VT and launched in 2004, will visit the Finger Lakes Region during the first two weeks of July 2007? The visit is part of a three-month Grand Canal Journey on the Erie Canal. The boat will only be under sail on Cayuga Lake during the week of July 1-6, including a stop in Ithaca for the Fourth of July. (When not under sail, the boat has its own private tug to move it along.) On July 7&8, the boat will be in Seneca Falls, then on to Geneva, back to Seneca Falls, and on to Lyons the following week. Tours of the vessel will be available while it's in port. This will be a good time to view an unusual part of our Erie Canal boating history.

.click here for photo's taken on cayuga lake by ford knight

…that the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY will be the official site of the First Day of Issue Ceremony for four new First Class Postage Stamps featuring four vintage mahogany boats? The ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 4th at 5:00 PM on the Museum's main campus and is open to the public