Walter Elwood Museum

Rensselaer County Historical Society and Museum is a community service educational organization established in 1927. Based in Troy, N.Y., the organization collects, preserves, studies, interprets and makes accessible a variety of objects and documents and conducts educational programs to inspire public enthusiasm for the past. The museum offers its visitors and members a range of tours, exhibitions, educational programs and a comprehensive local history research library. Its historical collections include 19th century furniture, painting and sculptures, glassware, ceramics and silver ware, stoneware and collars, cast-iron stoves and ironwork, rototillers and scientific instruments, among others. Rensselaer County Historical Society and Museum s collection also include 19th century uniforms and related military accoutrements, photographs, papers and published materials.

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!