Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.

Published June 6, 2019.

With additional commentary by Jennifer VanRy, Communications & IT Manager at GCV&M.

Where are you originally from? How did you end up in the Greater Rochester area at this time in your life?

Becky, President & CEO: I grew up in Scottsville, down the street from the Museum. I left upstate New York to go study Political Science in Vermont for college. I came back to the area after college and worked at the University of Rochester for many years before moving over to my current role at the Museum.

How long have you been at GCV&M?

Becky: I’ve been in the President role for three years now. I had been on the Board before that since 1998. When the President of GCV&M stepped down, I started on temporarily to see if I liked it and if the Board would be happy. I was, and chose to stay in the role.

What is your connection to the Museum?

Becky: My grandfather, Jack Wehle, founded the Museum in 1966. He worked at Genesee Brewing and was seeing buildings being torn down and not being taken care of. He knew of Sturbridge and Williamsburg, the major living history museums of the time, and thought, Why not have one here? It was a good thought. All of the buildings we have here wouldn’t exist now if he hadn’t done this.

55 years ago, there was nothing here. It looks very settled now, but there weren’t even trees here then.

I’ve been coming here pretty much since this week after I was born. There’s a photo of me on the steps of the Livingston-Backus House in 1976!

How did your grandfather find the houses that are located here now?

An architectural historian helped my grandpa; he knew things we needed to have a true living village, like a church and a post office. We still get phone calls asking if we want old buildings, but we have our hands full now. It takes a lot to take care of all these different historic buildings. We have 68 of them!

How did your grandfather have the capital and resources to do all this? Was it difficult to get buy-in?

Becky: He used his own money and resources of the Genesee Brewing Company—they helped him move many of the buildings. You couldn’t recreate this all in 2019—there are so many rules and regulations now! There was a ten year time period when buildings were being brought into empty farmland. Helping out with building this place was the thing to do back in the 60s and 70s—it was a mystery and everyone was intrigued.

How do you describe Genesee Country Village & Museum to folks who have never experienced it before? 

Becky: We’re the largest living history museum in New York, and the third largest in the country. We have 68 historic buildings, trades, stores, a church, plus interpreters on-site and hands-on activities and events. We’re open 12 months/year. We have an art gallery, a historic clothing collection, and a Nature Center with trails and programs. No matter what your interest is, there’s something for everyone.

What's it like to work at GCV&M? 

Becky: It’s an adventure, in a really fun way! Yesterday we had a Civil War School Day that 700 or 800 kids attended and today we had a 5k race. There’s a ton of variety, and great people.

Jennifer: A lot of our interpreters came here as kids, went to camp, volunteered, and became paid employees. I think that says a lot about this place.

Becky: It’s hard not to love this place.

Jennifer: You never know what you’re going to be doing! I could be writing a press release or taking video of cannons being fired. It’s full of passionate, knowledgeable people, and it’s a family business! I feel lucky to experience it.

Becky: It’s not just me, it’s everyone. It’s hard to do—we work long days. But people love it and it’s rewarding.

Jennifer: We have a long winter, and when the first visitors come in spring, I get choked up to see that. It’s exhilarating.

Becky: We’re having an impact. We have 95,000 visitors a year from all over the world.

What types of exciting events are coming up at GCV&M? 

Becky: Our 4th of July celebration is our longest-running event, and we naturalize 40 citizens at that every year. We’re forever in their family history, then. In August, we’re doing a Lewis Carroll weekend. And in the fall, in October, we do our Agricultural Fair, which is my personal favorite—fall is a great time for our region, the leaves are charging, we have all kinds of demos, and there are apple and maple products and vendors selling their wares.

Jennifer: That’s the quintessential fall thing. I love that our events are so suited to the seasons. This place means 4th of July to my husband and I. We live in such a seasonal area, so we mirror it and capture the feeling of each season.

Becky: It’s what the people living in these historic buildings in those days would have done.

What is your favorite memory of working at GCV&M? 

Becky: I have a 14 and a 17 year old. Seeing my kids doing the things I used to do here at the Museum is really special. It’s another generation of our family involved in this place- the fourth generation. My son works at Scoop’s Ice Cream in the Village. It’s giving them an appreciation for the Greater Rochester area and our family’s history here.

Jennifer: My family watched this place be built, and my family was super interested. It’s been part of every summer for us. We bring our kids out here now. It’s cool to point out the details in the houses, like the curtains or wallpaper in the Livingston-Backus House, and they haven’t changed, and your kids are taking it all in for the first time.

What's the best aspect of running a business like this in the Greater Rochester area? 

Becky: There’s a network of people who come together to promote Rochester. We collaborate with other museums. We’re working with Writers & Books.

Jennifer: We’re featuring dresses from RMSC in the gallery right now.

Becky: Everyone is working together to do what’s best for the region.

Jennifer: It’s a great, energetic group.

What are some of the challenges GCV&M faces?

Becky: The weather. We had a hard time last year, between an initially rainy season and then extreme heat from the 4th of July on to the Agricultural Fair in October. And then it just started snowing. There’s lots of indoor activities, and there’s still stuff to do on a rainy day. You can talk to an interpreter for longer when it’s not as crowded. We also are competing with other organizations and events. It’s a catch 22, since that’s great for the region, but people have to choose.

What's your favorite place to visit in all of GCV&M?

Jennifer: Probably the pioneer cabin.

Becky: I’m fond of the Livingston-Backus House. It’s from Rochester, and it probably has the hardest story. It was taken down and stored. In December 1996, there was a fire, and much of the back part burned, so we spent 3.5 years reconstructing it. Now when you see it, you wouldn’t believe that it had gotten moved or had a major fire. It speaks to the history of Rochester and the amazing people taking care of it for 60 years.

What's an underrated attraction that's part of GCV&M?

Becky: The gallery, for sure. We have an outstanding collection of art (750 pieces) and historic clothing (3,500 pieces). You have to see it to believe it.

Jennifer: We rotate things, so the exhibit is a small slice of we we have in the collection. I’ve never seen anything like the storage area for the clothing collection.

Becky: It’s interesting—all the waists of the dresses and the shoes are so small!

What are your hopes for the future of GCV&M?

Becky: Sunny skies and lots of visitors! I hope we can continue to find ways to be educational, fun, and relevant to new generations. We’ve impacted so many generations!

To today’s kids, the world at GCV&M is totally foreign. There’s no telephone or internet, and so many chores. It opens their eyes.

We also need to expand the stories we tell. Abolitionism, women’s suffrage, and Native Americans have strong connections to this region and our historic buildings, so we’ll be aiming to tell those stories even more.

Tell me a little bit about the upcoming History on Tap event.

Becky: It’s taking place on Friday, 6/7 in the evening. It’s just starting to get dark out and we have about 1,000 people out on the grounds. It’s a different experience. We have 20+ local vendors, craft breweries, cideries, wineries, and small businesses that will be showing off what they have.

Any final thoughts?

Becky: Interestingly enough, so much of what we do is coming back into style. Today more and more people are interested in making their own beer, understanding where their food comes from, and knowing how their clothes were made. That’s exactly how life was lived in our Village!

This interview was sponsored in part by the Genesee Country Village & Museum.