The Capital District “Symbol of Hope” Ornament Collection

Feeling festive this holiday season?  Feeling like you want to embrace your Capital District heritage when you decorate your tree?

Hope you still have your Capital District commemorative ornaments to do so.

Various communities throughout America have partnered with their local branch of Easter Seals to create beautiful annual ornaments of iconic buildings and memories of their local communities.  From 1989 and continuing for a dozen more years, the New York Easter Seals produced annual holiday ornaments – with each brass treasure honoring an Albany-based building or symbol.

Do you have all the ornaments?  If you’re not sure, here’s a partial checklist for you.

• 1989 the ornament featured the Empire State Plaza.
• 1990 the ornament featured the Capitol Building.
• 1991 the ornament featured the Delaware and Hudson / SUNY Administrative building.
• 1992 the ornament featured the Lakehouse at Washington Park.
• 1993 the ornament featured Union Station.
• 1994 the ornament featured the State Court of Appeals Building.
• 1995 the ornament featured Historic State Street.
• 1996 the ornament featured the State Education Building.
• 1997 the ornament featured the Cathedral of All Saints.
• 1998 the ornament featured the Albany Anniversary skyline.
• 1999 the ornament featured the Albany TulipFest.

And if you have more of these ornaments that you can add to this list, I’d be very grateful.

Now if you live in Cohoes and want to recall that town’s history, since 2004 the Rotary Club of Cohoes has also produced a series of commemorative ornaments.

• 2004 the ornament featured the Cohoes Falls.
• 2005 the ornament depicted the Harmony Mills.
• 2006 the ornament featured the Cohoes Music Hall.
• 2007 the ornament pictured the Cohoes Mastodon.
• 2008 the ornament pictured the Cohoes City Hall.
• 2009 the ornament depicts the Half Moon.
• 2010 the ornament depicts the Silliman Church.

I don’t know what the 2011 ornament is, but I’m sure there’s a collector out there who will want it.

Ah, the treasures of the holiday season.  Especially in the Capital District.