The Rome Historical Society

The Madison County Historical Society, located in Oneida, NY, is dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich history of Madison County across its fifteen towns and one city. Housed in the historic Cottage Lawn, a meticulously designed Gothic Revival Villa built in 1849, the society offers a vast collection of artifacts, textiles, and documents that span over two centuries of the county's heritage. The society provides educational programs and changing exhibits that highlight the Victorian era and the local agricultural history, including a permanent hop exhibit. Established by charter members in the late 19th century, the Madison County Historical Society remains committed to its mission of documenting and celebrating the region's history for current and future generations. Generated from the website

HistoryOrganized in 1876 by prominent local citizens, the Society's first objective was to erect a monument at the Oriskany Battlefield. Community leaders, including Horatio Seymour and Frederick T. Proctor led the Society through its first fifty years of existence. The Society relocated several times in the past 130 years. In 1896, the Society moved into the Munson-Williams Memorial Building at the intersection of John and Elizabeth Sts. and Park Ave. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt, the building housed a collection of curios, paintings, portraits, and books and manuscripts associated with Oneida County. The vacated the building in 1956 and spent the next 30 years on the campus of the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute before purchasing its own building, the former Church of Jesus Christ, Scientist Building at 1608 Genesee St.SpecialtiesThe Oneida County Historical Society, located at 1608 Genesee Street, Utica, NY, preserves the rich heritage of Oneida County and the greater Mohawk Valley, from the Battle of Oriskany to the Boilermaker Road Race! Located at the corner of Genesee St. and Avery Place, the Oneida County Historical Society is easy to find with a cannon in the front yard. There is ample parking behind the building and entrances from Genesee St. and Avery Place. There is a ramp to the Avery Place entrance and an elevator inside the building. Downstairs, the OCHS building houses a research library and archives, perfect for researching your family or learning about local history. Most of our 10,000 photographs and negatives have been digitized and are available to browse through on the library computers. There is a $5 fee for use of the research library. Upstairs, OCHS puts its collection on display in fascinating changing exhibits. The exhibit gallery is free, but we wouldn't mind a small donation. Finally, the OCHS bookstore is at the front of the building, directly accessible from the Genesee St. front entrance and adjacent to the exhibit gallery. The bookstore sells many hard-to-find books on local history and written by local authors. We also have local postcards!