MISSION & VISION:
Our mission is to preserve and interpret Essex County’s collective past to inspire a shared future. Our vision is to be Essex County’s center for the stories that reveal the roots and values of its people.

ABOUT US:
The Adirondack History Museum is home to the Essex County Historical Society, an organization dedicated to the ever-evolving interpretation of Adirondack history so as to inspire reflection, scholarship, and comprehension of the land and its inhabitants. We strive to serve as an authentic presentation of the human face of the Adirondacks through our diverse collections, exhibits, and education outreach programs.

 

From early farming and frontier life, wilderness exploration and recreation, logging and mining to contemporary art and historical documents, our organization enables visitors to understand and appreciate the various connections made between the past and present.
 

At the heart of the Historical Society’s activities is the operation of the Adirondack History Museum.  Established in 1955, the museum features eight permanent exhibits, including Hiking in the High Peaks, Worked/Wild, Arto Monaco and the Land of Makebelieve, Fire Tower exhibit, and Transportation. The Museum also presents one or two seasonal exhibits every year. Our Rosenberg Gallery opened in 2016 and features exhibitions of historic and contemporary Essex County and Adirondack artists. 

 

The Historical Society’s work does not end with the museum. Each year genealogists, students, journalists, and scholars seek information from our research library and archives, with its vast collection of books, pamphlets, maps, newspapers, photographs, ledgers, manuscripts, and Adirondackana. Our staff also provides educational programs, traveling exhibits, public presentations, and technical assistance for organizations throughout the county.

 

The Historical Society is headquartered in a 1916 neoclassical-style former school in the center of the small hamlet of Elizabethtown, New York. The grounds include a formal colonial garden, a maple sugar house, and a farmer’s market pavilion.

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COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS:

Grace Hudowalski & High Peaks Collections

Iron Mining Collection

Farming & Industry Collection

Transportation Collection

George Bacon Wood Glass Slide Collection

Civil War Collection

Hand & Hale Family Collections

Arto Monaco Collection

And more!

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STAFF:

Aurora McCaffrey, Executive Director

Ellen Forgea, Office Manager

Elsa Koop-Angelicola, Collections Assistant

Don Wickman, Librarian

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

Peter Slocum, President 

Gerald Zahavi, Vice President 

Margaret Bartley, Secretary 

Tad Zelski, Treasurer

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Janet McDougal Cross 

Jen Lagor 

Scott Murray 

Frissie Reed

Sharp Swan

Charles Thompson

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