Local History Resources

We are fortunate in Columbia County to have a large network of historical organizations. If you are looking for information on a specific town or village, we encourage you to reach out to the local historical societies listed below or contact the appointed historian for that town or village. You’ll find the most up-to-date list of Columbia County historians here

Deeds & Real Estate Information 

Columbia County Clerk’s Office

https://www.columbiacountyny.com/countyclerk.html

This is an excellent place to start if you are looking for historical information about a specific property.

County & Municipal Historians

Columbia County Historians

William Better, County Historian

560 Warren St. Hudson, NY 12534   

Ph#: (518) 758-1511

william.better@columbiacountyny.com

An up-to-date list of all Columbia County historians and their contact information can be found here: historian.columbiacountyny.com

Local Historical Organizations

African American Archive of Columbia County
www.afamarchivecc.org 

Austerlitz Historical Society
11550 State Route 22
Austerlitz, NY 12017
(518) 392-0062 
admin@oldausterlitz.org  
www.oldausterlitz.org 

Canaan Historical Society
P.O. Box 111
13 Warners Crossing Rd.
Canaan, NY12029
(518) 781-4549
CanaanHistoricalSociety@gmail.com 
www.CanaanHistoricalSociety.org 

Claverack Historical Society
P.O. Box 325
Claverack, NY 12513-0580
(518) 929-2715
ClaverackHistoricalSociety@gmail.com 
www.ClaverackHistoricalSociety.com 

Germantown History Department
52 Maple Avenue
Germantown, NY 12526
(518) 537-3600 or (518) 822-7908 
GermantownHistory@gmail.com   
https://germantownnyhistory.org

Greenport Historical Society
Town Hall Dr.
Hudson, NY 12534
(518) 828-465
info@GreenportHistoricalNY.org 
www.GreenportHistoricalNY.org 

Hendrick Hudson Chapter, NSDAR
Historic Robert Jenkins House
113 Warren St.
Hudson, NY 12534
(518) 828-9764
hendrickhudsonchapterdar@gmail.com 
https://hudson-dar.org 

Historic Hudson
541 Warren St.
Hudson, NY 12534
(518) 828-1785
information@HistoricHudson.org 
www.historichudson.org 

Hudson Area Library – History Room
51 N. 5th St.
Hudson, NY 12534
(518) 828-1792 x106
history@hudsonarealibrary.org
historyroom.hudsonarealibrary.org

Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society
P.O. Box 145
Athens, New York 12015
(518) 828-5204
info@halps.org
www.hudsonathenslighthouse.org

Jacob Leisler Institute for the Study of Early New York History
P.O. Box 86
46 Green St.
Hudson, NY 12534
(518) 567-6490
info@jacobleislerinstitute.org 
https://jacobleislerinstitute.org 

Livingston History Barn
County Rt. 19
Livingston, NY 12534
(518) 851-7637
LivingstonHistoryBarn@hotmail.com 

Lebanon Valley Historical Society
P.O. Box 363
New Lebanon, NY 12125
(518) 794-8880
info@lebanonvalleyhistoricalsociety.org 
www.lebanonvalleyhistoricalsociety.org 

North Chatham Historical Society
P.O. Box 243
North Chatham, NY 12132
(518) 766-3058

Red Rock Historical Society
VNightingale@yahoo.com
www.facebook.com/RRHSNY 

Riders Mills Historical Association
112 Riders Mills Rd.
Old Chatham, NY 12136
(518) 794-7246
RidersMillsSchoolhouse@ridersmillsSchoolhouse.org 
https://ridersmillsschoolhouse.org 

Roeliff Jansen Historical Society
P.O. Box 172
8 Miles Rd.
Copake Falls, NY 12517
(518) 329-0652
RoeliffJansenHS@gmail.com 
www.RoeliffJansenHS.org

Van Hoesen House Historical Foundation
P.O. Box 254
Claverack, NY 12513
info@janvanhoesenhouse.org 
www.janvanhoesenhouse.org