Hillsdale, A History
by Herbert S. Parmet
Hillsdale Town Historian, 2005-2009
“At the time of the American Revolution, the Taconic hill country was still basically an “unbroken wilderness,” in the words of a standard history of New York State. Most of what is now the Town of Hillsdale belonged to the Van Rensselaer family, major beneficiaries of the Dutch patroon system, and much of the modern town was within the manor of Rensselaerwyck. Colonial maps show that “Renslaerwick” also included Nobletown and Spencertown. The present location of Route 23 follows the line separating Rensselaer lands from Livingston Manor. Baronial farmlands were leased to proprietors and rented to tenant farmers. Much of upstate New York, including the vast Upper Manor of the Livingstons on the west side of the Hudson, resembled the old European feudal system…”
– to read this document in its entirety, click here to download the PDF
Links Related to Hillsdale
Following is a list of links about Hillsdale and Columbia County history that are essential reading for anyone interested in the topics:
- Some interesting demographic information
- Early Nobletown history
- Interesting Columbia County history and genealogy with great links — a must
- James Agee buried in Hillsdale
- Reproduction of Collin’s History of Hillsdale on Google Books — a must read
- History of the Roe Jan Area with an extensive section on Hillsdale
Preserving Hillsdale’s History
Following is a list of people and groups preserving Hillsdale’s history:
Town Historian:
Jay Rohrlich
Email: jay.rohrlich [jay.rohrlich #AT# verizon.net]
(518) 325-4956
Hillsdale Preservation Committee:
In November 2007, the Historic Preservation Committee began work on a project, which culminated in the creation of the Hillsdale Hamlet Historic District, now listed on the State and National Registers. To learn more about our landmark designation, our history and Hillsdale’s unique architectural diversity click here.