Who We Are

In July 2016 the Congress of the United States passed (and President Obama signed) Public Law 114-196, the “United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016.”

The law’s purpose was to establish a Commission to provide for the observance and commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and related events through local, State, national, and international activities planned, encouraged, developed, and coordinated by a national commission representative of appropriate public and private authorities and organization.

Revolutionary Westchester 250 (RW250) is a charitable not-for-profit corporation organized to further the purpose of the Semiquincentennial Commission by providing for the observance and commemoration of the pivotal role of Westchester County in the American Revolution, the founding of the United States and related events.

Since the summer of 2018, RW250 has organized a series of popular and well-attended programs and appeared at numerous events and meetings. We are thrilled with the enthusiasm expressed by both families and history buffs who have joined us. We are fully committed to a grass roots local effort and an engagement with the many diverse voices in Westchester County.

We have partnered with the Westchester County Library System (WLS), St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, Revolutionary Hastings and other organizations.

We appreciate the cooperation and relationship with the Westchester County Historical Society and the County of Westchester, the Honorable George Latimer, County Executive, in this effort.

RW250 President Constance Kehoe (center) with Eliza and Eric Lichack at the dedication of Revolutionary Walk: Exploring the Battle of Edgar’s Lane in Hastings.

Our Mission

We strive to build awareness and excitement for the events, places, ideas and people — both the unsung and the famous — of the Revolutionary War period in Westchester County.

We collaborate with local and regional groups — heritage and historic, art and cultural, and educational — as well as libraries, veterans’ organizations, municipalities, private businesses and others — to promote heritage tourism and to enhance the general pleasure and well being of Westchester residents.

We liaise with county, regional, State and national groups to plan and implement 250th Anniversary events and programs.

We publicize events in the areas that relate to the story of the Revolutionary War period and the founding of the United States.

We strive to build thoughtful reflection during this commemoration about enduring contemporary themes such as: freedom, tyranny and democracy, patriotism and American identity, leadership, citizenship, equality, inequality, opportunity and oppression, class, race and gender, media and public opinion, history, folklore and myth and public memory.

 

RW250 President Constance Kehoe with Westchester County Executive George Latimer

 

Officers and Board of Directors

  • Constance M. Kehoe, President and a Director

  • Marc Cheshire, Vice President and a Director

  • Char Weigel, Vice President for Special Projects

  • John P. Ryan, Treasurer and a Director

  • Bruce E. Clark, a Director

  • Franklin R. Kaiman, Secretary

  • Erik Weiselberg, Ph.D., Principal Historian

  • Patricia U. Bonomi, Ph.D., Professor of History Emerita, NYU, Consulting Historian

Advisory Committee

  • The Honorable George Latimer, Westchester County Executive

  • The Honorable Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Majority Leader of the New York State Senate

  • The Honorable Shelley B. Mayer, State Senator for the 37th District

  • The Honorable MaryJane Shimsky, New York State Assemblymember, 92nd District

  • The Honorable Thomas M. Roach, Mayor, City of White Plains

  • The Honorable David Imamura, Legislator, Westchester County Board of Legislators, 12th District

  • Dr. David Osborn, Site Manger, St Paul’s Church National Historic Site

  • Heather Iannucci, Director, John Jay Homestead State Historic Site

  • Dr. Elizabeth Bradley, Vice President of Programs & Engagement, Historic Hudson Valley

  • Dr. Lisa Keller, Professor of History, Purchase College, SUNY

  • Dr. Michael Crowder, Public Historian, Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, Iona University

  • Priscilla Brendler, Executive Director, Greater Hudson Heritage Network

  • Stephen Tilly, President, Westchester Hudson Valley Chapter, American Institute of Architects

  • Susan Seal, President, Friends of the Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters

  • Susan Soussan, Regent, Mohegan Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution

  • Niles Jaeger, Trustee, Hastings Historical Society and Vice Chair Revolutionary Hastings

  • Dr. Iris de Rode, Independent researcher, author and Research Fellow at George Washington's Mount Vernon

  • Dr. Sara Mascia, Executive Director, The Historical Society serving Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown

  • Evelyne Ryan, Executive Director, Bedford Historical Society

  • Joyce R. Cole, Historian Village of Ossining

  • Barbara Davis, Co-Director, Westchester Historical Society

  • Milagros “Milly” Peña, Ph.D., President of Purchase College SUNY

  • Natasha Caputo, Director of Westchester County Department of Tourism & Film

  • Anne Gold, Executive Director of the Rye Historical Society

RW250 provides support for and directly applies funds to coordinate and execute local programming focused on raising awareness about the role of Westchester County in the Revolutionary War.

RW250 is a public charity described in Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is registered with the Charities Bureau of the New York State Office of the Attorney General under Article 7-A of the New York Executive Law. RW250’s IRS determination letter, application for tax-exempt status, registration and supporting documents are open to public inspection, and RW250’s latest annual report and Form 990 may be obtained, upon request, from RW250 (19 Jaffray Park, Irvington, New York 10533) or from the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau (28 Liberty Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10005).

Donations to RW250 are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.