The Cornwall Historical Society was established in 1964, bringing together interested and involved citizens to have oversight of the long-existing Historical Collection of the Cornwall Free Library.

In an informational letter to fellow townsmen, the incorporators wrote that the Society “has been organized for the purpose of collecting, preserving and exhibiting the rare books, documents and other objects of interest that tell the story of Cornwall’s past. It is not only the privilege but the duty of our generation to take steps to protect and preserve the flavor and reality of our community. “To do this, we ask the cooperation of our fellow townsmen and former townsmen.” The letter expresses the expectation of a future historian, for whom material must be assembled. “As many of you know, there is already a valuable collection of Cornwall Historical materials, dating back to Indian days, in the vaults of the town library. . . . We hope to attempt a listing of such material. . . . We would like to help the present and succeeding generations understand how the Cornwall they know or will know came to be what it is.”



The Society recognized the need for a home for the artifacts and documents that had been collected and stored at the Cornwall Free Library under the direction of long-time librarian Miss Emily Marsh. When Miss Marsh died in 1966, the Society took steps to purchase her home for its own home, and with the help of the community and benefactors this hope became a reality. Archives were moved from the Library to the Society building, and in the early 1970s a vault was constructed to protect the most valuable items.

Over the years, the Society has produced exhibits during the summer and held programs on various historical themes. The Society’s has also published many books and pamphlets, including Cornwall in Picture, town meeting minutes, census and vital statistics, and several histories on sections and places in town. The archival collections of the Cornwall Historical Society include materials created, owned, or about General John Sedgwick, Armin Landeck, James Henry Moser, James Thurber, Mark and Carl Van Doren, Swami Abhedananda, the Foreign Mission School, and many others. Our collections can be further explored by visiting our website: www.cornwallhistoricalsociety.org

The Historical Society annual exhibit is open Saturdays 10:00am-4:00 PM, Sundays 1:00 PM-4:00 PM, and holiday Mondays 1:00 PM0-4:00 PM from late June through October. All research is by appointment only.

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