MARGARETVILLE – The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM) will welcome visitors to the Nicholas J. Juried Archives Sunday, Oct. 13 from 1 to 4, when it will also accept donations of materials to add to its collection.
Those who can’t come at that time may make an appointment to do research or donate at 845-586-2400 or historicalsocietyofmiddletown@gmail.com.
Located at the newly expanded Middletown History Center, 778 Cemetery Rd., Margaretville, the archives preserves documents, photographs and remnants of the town’s past so that future generations may understand its unique history. From maps to business records, postcards to paintings, family genealogies to farm account books, the archives can be considered “Middletown’s attic,” says HSM President Diane Galusha.
“We are honored to protect these things because they tell the stories of people who have lived, worked and died here,” Galusha commented. “Now that we have adequate climate-controlled storage and work space, we are actively looking for more items to add to the collection. If people have materials related to Middletown and neighboring areas, like Hardenburgh or Halcott, and they don’t know what to do with them, please bring them to the archives!”
Many physical items will be on display during the open house, a National Archives Month event. Visitors may also see digital records and information available on the HSM computer. These include files on individual properties in Arena and Dunraven taken for the Pepacton Reservoir, photographs, diaries, deeds and community history compilations.
The digital collection was recently augmented with the addition of scans of 25 individual issues of area newspapers dating back to 1864. The originals and microfilm reels are stored in the archives, while the scanned versions can now be safely read and searched.
For more information on HSM and its programs, visit mtownhistory.org.