Elmira HistoryForge

03/30/2026

📜 Love local history? Come volunteer with us! 🏡

We’re looking for a few more volunteers to join our Elmira History Forge project!

We are currently working on reading and entering data from the1950 Census into our searchable database. This project helps connect past and present by linking census records with both historic and current maps—so you can discover who lived at your address or where your relatives once called home.

✨ So far, we’ve completed most of the 1910 Census, and we’re hoping to expand even further by adding photos of homes and families to bring these stories to life.

👥 How you can help:
Bring your laptop or tablet.
Read census records aloud to the typist or type the information into the database.

Work in-person or from home
🕒 Flexible:
We meet 2 Wednesdays a month for about 2 hours, join us and bring a friend.
Or volunteer from home on your own time

It’s simple, meaningful work—and a great way to connect with local history and your community.

💬 Interested or want to learn more? Send us a message—we’d love to have you join us!

[email protected]

HistoryForge combines historic maps and photos with census records of the people who lived in Elmira, NY, creating a unique way to visualize the history of this community in the early 1900s.

01/03/2026

All of us at Elmira History Forge hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and look forward to seeing everyone.
If you'd like to volunteer with us just send a message or email and we will get you started. [email protected]

Our next dates are the following Wednesdays 6pm till 8pm at the Town of Elmira Community Center:
Jan 7, 21
Feb 4 & 18
March 4 & 18
April 1 & 15

09/05/2025

📣 Elmira HistoryForge is Back! 📣

We’re excited to announce that HistoryForge meetings are starting up again! 🎉
Join us on Wednesday, September 24th from 6–8 PM at the West Elmira Community Center.

Come be part of bringing Elmira’s history to life! Whether you’re a long-time volunteer or just curious about getting involved, we’d love to see you there.

👉 Have questions or planning to join us? Please message us or email [email protected].

What to bring - A laptop or tablet.

Let’s keep Elmira’s stories alive together — hope to see you on the 24th!

Next meeting dates - Oct 8 & 22, Nov 5 & 19. Join us when you can.

07/09/2025

Our summer break has commenced, and Elmira History Forge meetings will reconvene in September. We look forward to seeing you then.

05/27/2025

Meeting is Wed May 28th, 6pm-8pm at Elmira Comm Center. Please let us know if you can join us. We are working on the 1950 Census

03/28/2025

The answer to the previous post about Veteran Court in Elmira.

My initial assumption about Veterans Court turned out to be incorrect after further research. While entering data from the 1950 Census, the only reference we found to Veterans Court was linked to Woodlawn Avenue addresses. This led us to believe that Hathorn Court might have originally been called Veterans Court. However, a deeper look into old newspapers revealed a different history.

Hathorn Court officially opened in 1944 with 250 housing units spread across 44 buildings. It was named after a local family and was part of Chemung County’s effort to expand housing during and after World War II. Between 1940 and 1944, the county added over 1,400 housing units to accommodate returning servicemen.

Veterans Court was established in October 1946, directly across the road from Hathorn Court. It consisted of 140 units housed within 14 buildings. These structures were actually repurposed Army barracks from Fort Niagara and another military camp. The barracks were disassembled, transported over 100 miles, and reconstructed in Elmira. Most of the units were one-bedroom apartments, with rents ranging from $24 to $54 per month.

By January 1952, the government determined that the temporary buildings of Veterans Court were becoming unsuitable for long-term habitation. As a result, they began to dismantle them gradually. Some of the dismantled materials were repurposed for use at the Elmira Correctional Facility.

In November 1952, despite the ongoing dismantling process, Veterans Court was granted a one-year extension for the 34 families still residing there. Around the same time, Jones Court was nearing completion, offering these families a new and improved housing option.

Come join & help us enter the 1950 Census data.

03/12/2025

See you tonight! Contact the Project Coordinator to learn more about joining our community volunteers.

Join the group! This Wednesday, March 12th from 6-8 pm volunteers are meeting at the West Elmira Community Center. If you like local history, and want to get involved, contact coordinator Andrea Renshaw directly at [email protected] Photo: CCHS collection, Hanover Square, 1940s

02/19/2025

There's still time to join! If you're interested in volunteering to transcribe the 1950 census, join us tonight at 6PM.

Don't just stand there, get involved! This Wednesday, February 19th from 6-8 pm volunteers are meeting at the West Elmira Community Center. If you like local history, and want to get involved, contact coordinator Andrea Renshaw directly at [email protected] Photo: CCHS collection, Lake Street Bridge, May 1946

01/14/2025

Don't forget to come out and join us! Learn how we are mapping out local history, and how you can help. Bring a laptop or tablet.

Call your friends: It's the first HistoryForge meeting of the year! This Wednesday, January 15th from 6-8 pm volunteers are meeting at the West Elmira Community Center. If you like local history, and want to get involved, contact coordinator Andrea Renshaw directly at [email protected] Photo: CCHS collection,

11/19/2024

Join us in documenting Elmira's past!

All the smart ones know that it's time once again for HistoryForge. On Wednesday, November 20th from 6-8 pm, they're meeting at the West Elmira Community Center. They welcome new members interested in helping discover local history. For details in how to get involved, contact coordinator Andrea Renshaw directly at [email protected] Photo: CCHS collection, Cabinet Card photo, Miss Elizabeth Slee, 1900

09/23/2024

📢 Join Us as a Volunteer! 📢

Are you passionate about history and community service? We’re looking for new volunteers to help us enter the 1950s census data! 📜✨

🗓 Date: Wednesday, November 6th
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 Location: West Elmira Community Center, 31 Grandview Ave Elmira.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of an exciting historical project and make a meaningful contribution to our community. No prior experience is necessary—just bring your enthusiasm and curiosity and laptop or tablet.

Come join us and be a part of this interesting historical event. We can’t wait to see you there!

Contact Info - Email: [email protected]

09/15/2024

We're thrilled to announce that we have almost completed entering the 1910 Census records for the City of Elmira into the Elmira History Forge database! That’s almost 37,000 records now available, including those homes on the south side of the river. A huge thanks to our dedicated volunteers and supporters—your enthusiasm has made this achievement possible!

We still have a few records to input and some final editing to do, but we're nearly there. If you haven't tried searching our database yet, now is the perfect time! You can explore who lived in your home, trace your relatives, discover immigration patterns, and more. For example, check out the Langdon family—we’ve included all their census years and photos.

Elmira History Forge-
https://elmira.historyforge.net/

The Langdons-
https://elmira.historyforge.net/buildings/1001

1950 Census-
We’re gearing up for our next project: entering the 1950s Census records. We’d love for you to join us! No regular commitment is needed—just drop by when you can. We meet twice a month on Wednesdays from 6-8pm at the Town of Elmira Community Center, 31 Grandview Ave. Interested?
Send a message to [email protected] to get involved.

Enjoying History Forge? Imagine seeing it in your town! We’re eager to expand and would love your help in making that happen.