Poughkeepsie’s History
4-weeks (first 4) | Registration closed 3/19/2026
This course will take a deeper dive into the history of Poughkeepsie and some surrounding areas. Presentations will include “Poughkeepsians: Artists, Eccentrics, and Weirdos,” which looks at some of the city's most interesting characters; “Historic Murders in Dutchess County,” not for the faint of heart; “Long Lost Buildings of the City of Poughkeepsie”; and “Early Cemeteries and Burial Grounds of Poughkeepsie.”
Shannon Butler
Shannon Butler is the historian for the Poughkeepsie Public Library District. She has served in this role for nearly six years. Previously she served as the historian for the Town of Hyde Park and worked as a park ranger at the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site. She is the author of two books, Hyde Park in the Gilded Age and Roosevelt Homes of the Hudson Valley: Hyde Park and Beyond. She is the co-host of the podcast All My Favorite People Are Dead and lives in the city of Poughkeepsie.
Nora Quinlan
Nora Quinlan holds a B.A. in history from Queens College, CUNY, an M.S. in Library Service and an M.A. in art history from Columbia University. She was the head of special collections at the University of Colorado at Boulder, worked as a rare book cataloger at the University of Miami, and was an assistant special collections librarian at the University of Kansas. She has extensive training and experience working with art, rare books, manuscripts, early photographs, and ephemera. In addition, Nora was the head of Reference and Instructional Services at Nova Southeastern University’s Alvin Sherman Library and oversaw their gallery.