Historical Society of Middletown

Town of Middletown, Delaware County, NY

Welcome to the home of the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM)

The only website dedicated to the history of our town, located in Delaware County, in the Central Catskill Mountains of New York State

To donate items relevant to the history of Middletown and contiguous towns, contact us at historicalsocietyofmiddletown@gmail.org; or 845-586-2400.

HSM is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the villages, hamlets and the contiguous area of Middletown:
The Town of Middletown, in eastern Delaware County, includes two incorporated Villages, Margaretville and Fleischmanns; several hamlets — Arkville, Dunraven, Halcottsville, Kelly Corners, and New Kingston; and outlying settlements with their own unique histories — Redkill/Bedell, Millbrook, Dry Brook and the Denver Valley.

Because history doesn’t always follow political boundaries, HSM also collects and preserves stories and historic materials from contiguous towns — Roxbury and Andes in Delaware County, Hardenburgh and Shandaken in Ulster County, and Halcott in Greene County (which can only be reached through Delaware County). And of course we seek to preserve the heritage of a Middletown community that is no more — Arena, lost more than half a century ago to the Pepacton Reservoir.

WELCOME to the MIDDLETOWN HISTORY CENTER

SAVE OUR STORIES

Recent Updates…

NEWS:
Recent Press Releases

Author discusses history-based novel at August 11 talk in Margaretville

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM) welcomes Halcott resident and author Peg DiBenedetto who will discuss and read from her book “Silver Dollar Girls” in a Second Sunday program at the Middletown History Center August 11 at 1 p.m.

HSM offers talk on history of Denver-Vega Valley July 14

An illustrated talk, “Homesteads to Go-Karts: A History of the Denver-Vega Valley,” will be presented at the Middletown History Center in Margaretville July 14 at 1 p.m.

HSM to open Middletown History Center

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown will hold an Open House at the new Middletown History Center, 778 Cemetery Road, Margaretville, on Sunday, June 9 from 2 to 4 p.m.

The celebration will begin with a 2 p.m. ribbon cutting on the doorstep of the expanded facility which includes an archives and reading room named for HSM benefactor Nicholas J. Juried.

Fires, floods focus of Margaretville walking tour May 18

On Saturday, May 18 at 11 a.m., the May 18 – Historical Society of the Town of Middletown will host a one-hour walking tour of Main and Bridge Streets to explain the impact of disastrous fires and floods over more than a century.

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TIN HORN:
Observations & Discoveries

Home from The War

Orville Baker led an ordinary life. One of six kids in an ordinary family who grew up in an ordinary town, his death was ordinary, too, for the times. Orville succumbed in 1918 to pneumonia in the murderous worldwide influenza pandemic while serving with thousands of...

Hard luck brings out the neighbors

If you live in the Catskills chances are you’ve attended a benefit supper, concert or ball game to help a sick neighbor or a family fallen on hard times. It’s what we do. Sometimes it’s all we can do. ‘Twas ever thus, it appears. In 1909, Margaretville came together...

Cemetery Drive Tour Offers Escape

Looking for a reason to get out of the house without worrying about catching or spreading COVID 19? Our self driving tour of 9 cemeteries in and around Middletown is just the ticket. Scenery, history and freedom on four wheels! This poignant memorial to a child can be...

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