Germantown History Department

Name: Germantown History Department
Address: Germantown, NY, US
Telephone: +15185373600

Home
United States
Germantown, NY
Germantown History Department

Call Directions Website Contact the museum

The Germantown History Department is located in the First Reformed Parsonage, 52 Maple Ave., Germantown, NY 12526.

Hours are 9A-12P Saturdays and by appointment. The mission of the Germantown History Department is to collect, preserve and share the artifacts and the oral, documentary, personal and physical histories of the communities of Columbia County. The history of Columbia County remains alive in the memories of its older citizens, in official and family documents, in artifacts and buildings and other monuments still standing on the landscape. The goal of the Department is to keep this history alive by recording these memories, researching and interpreting these documents, collecting these artifacts, and by visiting, exploring and photographing these buildings and other landmarks before they are lost. By involving local people and institutions in its work, the Department aims to foster a sense of pride in the community and in our collective past and future.

10/13/2026

An exceptional sunset as always for the annual Cheviot block party on Friday!

10/10/2026

The great Jonathan Kruk portraying Chancellor Robert R. Livingston on Thursday.

One last chance to see him this weekend: Sunday afternoon at 1 PM at the Clarkson Chapel, a little south of 3691 Route 9G in the Town of Clermont.

This is the FIRST of a 3-part series which revolves around Columbia...

10/05/2026

Get a nutshell history of Livingston Manor directly from a poor, Protestant Palatine before Chancellor Livingston takes the stage at the Hudson Middle School Auditorium! Opportunities to see the little known 1844 map of the Manor as well as Clarkson Chapel being open for the first time in a few years. See you then!

09/30/2026

Taking the show on the road this morning! Association of Public Historians (APHNYS) conference in Utica.

09/21/2026

09/13/2026

Have you checked out the Hudson River Valley Ramble events brochure? Germantown is on the map!

If you are up for an approximately four-mile history hike through Germantown on Sept. 26th (rain date Sept. 27th), RSVP to [email protected]

09/07/2026

A wonderful Labor Day to dedicate the new Revolutionary War Monument and Liberty Pole in Palatine Park! The monument honors the Tenth Company of the Tenth Regiment of Albany County Militia as well as the sacrifices made by the people of German Camp during the particularly hard years of 1777 and 1778.

A very generous donation from Bill and Sue Droege to Friends of Historic Germantown made all of this possible. Additional thanks are due to Archtop Fiber for donating a vintage GTel telephone pole that we transformed into a Liberty Pole. Thanks also to the gentlemen of the Germantown Highway Department who installed the Liberty Pole, Hank and James Himelright Hover Farms who arranged transportation of the pole, Billy Shannon who scaled the pole last night to install the weathervane and flag pulley, and finally who designed the beautiful Germantown 250 logo. The granite and bronze monument was written by yours truly; produced and installed by Henderson Monuments of Catskill.

The Liberty Pole is loosely based on the one installed in New York City in 1770 after the Battle of Golden Hill. Channeling classical connotations of the assassination of Julius Caesar and freedom from slavery in the Roman context, the NYC Sons of Liberty and Liberty Boys built several Liberty Poles in the decade between the Stamp Act and Lexington and Concord. All were cut down by the same British soldiers the poles were meant to antagonize.

09/06/2026

08/21/2026

Join the Germantown History Department and the Friends of Historic Germantown on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7th at 1 PM to dedicate the new Revolutionary War monument and Liberty Pole. The monument describes the political importance of German Camp attaining district status in 1775, life in the Camp during the tense closing days of the Saratoga campaign, a June 1778 Loyalist raid, and specifically honors the soldiers of the Tenth Company of the Tenth Regiment of the Albany County Militia. The Liberty Pole is modeled after the several erected by the NYC Sons of Liberty and cut down by British soldiers in the years leading up to the Revolution. The monument was paid for by a very generous donation from the Droege Family Trust to Friends of Historic Germantown and installed by Henderson Monuments of Catskill.

Park near the pavilion or Town hall and walk over toward the north end of Lake George South.

08/20/2026

Curious about history hiding in plain sight along Main Street and Maple Avenue? This hiking tour will start in the heart of Germantown, following Main Street to Palatine Park, where we will pick up the trail system leading to the 1767 Parsonage and the brand-new Theodore Robinson Community Forest. A stop along the way will be the even-more-brand-new Revolutionary War monument. There will be a short break at the Parsonage. Approximate total walking distance of 4 miles. Walk time of about 3 hours, providing ample time for discussion. Led by Tom Shannon, Town of Germantown Historian. Please RSVP to [email protected] by Sept. 25th. Proudly part of Hudson River Valley Ramble

Address

Germantown, NY

Opening Hours

9am - 12pm

Telephone

+15185373600

Website

https://linktr.ee/germantownhistory

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Germantown History Department posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Germantown History Department:

Want your museum to be the top-listed museum in Germantown?