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
Recent Updates…
NEWS:
Recent Press Releases
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TIN HORN:
Observations & Discoveries
Return of the Victory Garden
The battle against COVID-19 has prompted the return of an initiative that helped the US get through two previous wars of the shooting kind: The victory garden. Whether fearful of shopping amid crowds at grocery stores, wary of coming food shortages, or desirous of...
La Grippe of 1890
“’La Grippe,’ or the Russian Influenza, is heard from all parts of the world and creates the greatest public interest,” reported the Delaware Gazette January 1, 1890. “The fatal cases are very few, but the number of cases is very great and many of them very...
A priest with a flair for design
In early 1937, the Catskill Mountain News gave us a glimpse of one man’s efforts to brighten up two local churches and a cemetery. “The interior of the church of the Sacred Heart at Fleischmanns (now a private home) is being repainted and made ready for the summer....
EVENTS:
2026 Calendar
APRIL 26
“Fleischmanns’ Field of Dreams and a History of the Mountain Athletic Club 1895-2025.”
–Collin Miller
MAY 17
“Happy While United: Daily Life for the Esopus Indians in the Catskills, 1730-1777.”
–Justin Wexler
JUNE 6
“The Nature of the Catskills.”
–Slide show by photographer John Lehmann
JULY 11-12
“Middletown and the Revolution: Voices from the Frontier,”
—A Revolution 250 Commemoration. Eight local characters tell of their Revolutionary War experiences.
AUGUST 20
“Calico Rebellion:
The Second American Revolution.”
—Film and post-film conversation with filmmaker Victoria Kupchinetsky.
SEPTEMBER 19
Annual Cauliflower Festival
—Photo exhibit in the History Tent.
SEPTEMBER 20
“Of Wood and Wild Things”
—Hunters and outdoor enthusiasts welcome to share stories and photos. Two short films will be screened.
OCTOBER 17
“No Stone Left Unturned”
—A field history program on bluestone quarrying with John Biruk.
NOVEMBER 7
HSM Annual Meeting
— Guest speaker Bill Birns, editor of “Peter Pan in the Catskills and Other Historical Essays.” Annual report, board election.
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FEATURES
Histories and Photos of 16 sites listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places
Village of Fleischmanns Skene Memorial LibrarySee the Skene Memorial Library application for historic registration here Congregation Bnai IsraelSee the Congregation Bnai Israel application for historic registration here MaxBilt TheaterSee the MaxBilt Theater...
144th Civil War Regiment 1899 Reunion Roster
The Grand Hotel: An Architectural and Economic History
An illustrated lecture by Annon Adams.Sunday, July 25, 2010, 2:00 p.m.at the Skene Memorial Library,Main St., Fleischmanns.Greater Fleischmanns Museum of Memories (adjacent to library) open from 1 to 2 p.m. and following the program. Program admission free for HSM...
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Collections
Publications
Our Town
Civil War Soldiers
History Links
Projects
“Man is a history-making creature who can neither repeat his past nor leave it behind.”
W.H. Auden, The Dyer’s Hand
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