Public Art Tour

Port Henry, The Village of Public Art

Port Henry is an historic town with a creative future. We welcome you and hope that you will take a tour of our public art!

Our citizens create art in many forms...from historic signs restorations to murals and directional signs.   Read about it here, or download and print your own copy (text and map), and then take the tour and enjoy! 

1.  Village Park  

Port Henry's downtown park is a hub for village art activities. The Information Booth has an enticing front porch. To the left, there is a large mural depicting the grand Witherbee Sherman Company headquarters that is now the Town Hall. Just to the north, a new mural lists important dates in Port Henry's history. Currently, the park is hosting "Funky Folk", a collection of wooden folk dressed to express the eclectic range of personalities to be found in Port Henry.

2.  Church Garden Mural 

Just behind the Mt. Moriah Presbyterian Church you will discover a small piece of the Tropics. Painted in the summer of 2012, this mural is a jungle of exotic plants and animals including primeval grasses, a ladybug, and a very bright flamingo. See if you can count the number of colors that appear here.

3.  ShermanFree Library

Port Henry has one of the most beautiful libraries in Upstate New York. Step inside and you will discover an immense vaulted ceiling that recalls the hull of an old wooden boat. There are paintings of Crown Point, prominent citizens, a marble statue of a young girl, and a fascinating Birdseye view of Port Henry showing many buildings and houses that still stand today.

4.  Flower Paintings and Quilts 

Inside the lobby of the historic Lee House hotel, you will find a collection of square paintings by local artists—each depicting a flower with an individual style.  Next door, in the front windows of the Bell Block, you will discover a changing display of fine quilts.

5.  Bragg Brothers Vintage Sign 

Dating back to around the 1930s, Port Henry artists recently restored this old "ghost sign" for the Bragg Brothers appliance store. Note the wonderful "GE" logo and the art deco style lettering.

6.  Foote's Port Henry Diner 

An artwork in itself, Port Henry's Diner is one of the oldest in the country and one of the few with wheels. Its design was patented in the 1920s and you can see the original patent application drawing inside. Stop in for breakfast or a lunch with a Mexican flair. Local residents recently helped with the historic research into colors and the painting of the exterior.

7.  Johnny Podres Entry Sign 

Located on the south entry to Port Henry with a lovely lake view, this new sign honors Johnny Podres who was born in 1932 and grew up in Witherbee, where he learned to play baseball. He was a left-handed pitcher with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. He is best remembered for being named the Most Valuable Player of the 1955 World Series when he pitched a shutout in Game 7 against the New York Yankees.

8.  Farmer's Market Sign

Every summer, Port Henry hosts a farmer's market that this bright sign advertises. Look for a bright yellow sign with a corncob, tomato and strawberrys that hang over the edge.

9.  Johnny Podres and Moriah History  Mural   

Located on the former Wheelock's Chevrolet building, this panoramic mural depicts Port Henry's lakeside location, railroad history and grand architecture. On the left, the famed pitcher and native son, Johnny Podres throws a ball that seems to come right at you. On the right, an iron miner shines his headlamp.

10.  Historic Street Scene Murals     

Placed into the front windows of the former Belden-Edwards Ford Garage, these two grey-scale murals recreate historic photos of downtown Port Henry. The painting on the left shows Main Street looking north circa 1910. The painting on the right shows the elegant old bandstand and fountain at the center of town. 

11.  Iron Center Interpretive Museum

Set in the carriage house of the former Witherbee-Sherman headquarters, this exceptional museum tells the story of Moriah and Port Henry's iron mining history. There are historic artifacts inside and out along with a stunning walk-around model and diorama explaining how the mines operated.

12.  Downtown Fountain 

Port Henry's artistic talents include stone masonry. Recently, local citizens volunteered to rebuild the circular garden where historically, the downtown bandstand had been located. With superb detail, this new circle garden includes fine stonework and a lion's head fountain recalling the original on the old bandstand.

13.  Directional Sign to the World 

Located at thee entry to Port Henry's Village Beach, this colorful sign has homemade arrows pointing to places around the world and close by. Made of found wood and driftwood from the lakeshore, the sign is sure to get you where you want to go.

14.  Mountains of History Banners by Local Children 

On the north and south entries to downtown Port Henry, there are twelve charming banners with paintings of historic sites and stories chosen by local children. They include everything from iron mining to baseball to maritime history. The stories of each banner can be found here.  (Note: banners are removed and stored over the winter). 

15.  Catch-Penny Windows

Recently, some of Port Henry's citizen artists created four "window" paintings to adorn the facade of an historic storefront just to the north of the downtown Village Park and fountain. The four wooden panels bring color and flowers to downtown in all seasons. With a balcony and angled shape, the "Catch-Penny" building was a hotel in the 19th century.   (This recent addition is not on the map, but can be found on Hiway 9N, less than a block north of the Fountain, item 12 on the map).