Towns & Villages

In the west of the County one can visit a revived City of Hudson with quaint shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars, cafes and restored 18th and 19th Century town houses. The County is steeped in history from day Henick Hudson's ships sailed up the river to what is now Stuyvesant through our Revolution, Civil and two World Wars.

                     Look westerly to the panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains from bluffs overlooking the Hudson River.

                     One may wind their way through picturesque little valleys lined with old farmhouses and estates in the
                     rural towns and villages toward the east to the foot of the Berkshire Mountains.

           These are the Towns, Villages & Hamlets of Columbia County, New York.

                   Map of Area - Click Here

             ZONING Ordinances vary from township to township throughout the County  Click Here

LINKS below provide an array of information on
Towns & Villages in Columbia County

Ancram -
Was part of the Livingston Manor. Named for the ancestral Livingston estate in Scotland, the town had an ironworks on the Roeliff Jansen Creek by the 1740s. Ammunition for the Battle of Saratoga was made here. In the 1800s a paper mill replaced the ironworks; specialty papers for the tobacco industry.

Ancramdale -
The Hamlet of Ancramdale was once a major lead-mining center. Today dairy farms, some in the same families since the 1700s. continue to operate in Ancram, but increasingly the town is attracting second-home seekers from the greater New York City area

Austerlitz - Click Here
Noted for its beautiful hilly terrain, ranging from the rocky crags of the Taghkanic mountains to the Green River in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains and near to Tanglewood. The community was named by Martin Van Buren, an admirer of Napoleon, after people in Seneca County, NY, named their community Waterloo. Well know resident: Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet.

Canaan - Click Here
Named for Canaan, CT by early settlers. It is on the Massachusetts border, at the foot of the Berkshires and   offers unspoiled Vermont-like quality with sweeping views of hills and mountains reaching elevations up to 1800 feet. Within 15-20 minutes of cultural and recreational centers in the Berkshires.

Claverack - Click Here       

Clermont - Click Here
Once the chief village of the lower Livingston manor. Historic sites and museums: Clermont State Historic Site

Copake - Click Here

East Chatham - Click Here

Gallatin - Click Here

Ghent - Click Here -- Named for the city in Belgium, the town was settled by Palatines, who fled Germany to escape persecution. It is dotted with farms on land that is gently rolling, gradually turning hilly as you drive east.

Greenport - Click Here
Offers unmatched and commanding views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. Mt. Merino rises from the river's edge. Greenport is heir to a portion of the glories of its luxuriant valley stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the mountainous world of the Adirondacks. The Town's recorded history begins in 1609 with the voyage of Henry Hudson, an Englishman exploring for the Dutch, who stumbled upon Greenport's river while looking for the Verrazano Sea

Hillsdale - Click Here
Hills and dales are prominent throughout the Town, from which the name Hillsdale is derived.  It's open spaces, rural character and scenic views, along with charming Bed and Breakfasts, Catamount Ski Area, Horse and Cattle Farms and Friendly People attract many visitors each year. 
     Hillsdale was formed from Claverack, becoming a town in March 1788. Its southern boundary is also the southern line of the Van Rensselaer Patent where it meets the northern line of Livingston Manor. The Town is sparsely populated except in five areas where settlement is more concentrated—the hamlet of Hillsdale, East Hillsdale, North Hillsdale, Harlemville, and Green River. The population of the Town today is about 1,800.

Hudson - Click Here
Once known as Claverack Landing, a busy port city, frequented by whalers carrying whale oil and sealskins. It
Claims the oldest volunteer fire department in New York.  It is the seat of Columbia County and is known for its antique shops: Ranked No. 8 nationally and No. 1 in the state, June 2001. Among the 50 plus antique shops found along Warren Street, one finds art galleries, restaurants and boutiques in a historic setting.

Hudson, Historic - Click Here

Hudson, Walking Tour - Click Here

Hudson - Click Here
Hudson was initially settled by the Dutch in 1662, at which time the community was known as Claverack Landing.  In 1783 a group of merchants and whalers from Nantucket and Rhode Island, seeking an inland port free of harassment by the British after the Revolution, purchased large tracts of land from the Dutch and in 1785 renamed the community the City of Hudson.  It was the first city to receive a charter in New York State under the new federal government.

Kinderhook, Town of - Click Here

Kinderhook, Village of - Click Here   -- From the Dutch meaning "children's corner."  An early Dutch settlement on Kinderhook Creek. Birthplace of Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the USA. Characters in Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" were patterned after local residents; students here attend the Ichabod Crane School and their mascot as a headless horseman. The Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Kinderhook, A Brief History - Click Here

Livingston - Click Here
The land grant for Livingston Manor was made in 1686 to Robert Livingston. The region was made a district in 1772 and the Town of Livingston was founded in 1788, being one of the original towns of the county.
In 1710, the area was used to settle Palatine Germans.
518 851-9441
518 851-2466

Malden Bridge - Click Here

New Concord- Click Here

New Lebanon - Click Here
On the Massachusetts border, Site of Shaker settlement at Mount Lebanon Shaker Village. The Shaker Mount Lebanon’s North Family Dairy Barn is the largest stone barn in the Northeast and the Old Chatham Shaker Museums new home.
     The first thermometers made in the United States were manufactured here. The warm springs were famous for many years. People came to New Lebanon to “take the waters” and cure their illnesses. The warm spring is at the top of Spring Hill Road in Lebanon Springs. Indians discovered the warm springs and brought the first white man, Lt. James Hitchcock, to the springs to bathe in the healing waters in 1756.
518 794-8888
518 794-9694
 

North Chatham - Click Here

Philmont - Click Here

Riders Mills - Click Here

Spencertown - When you drive east along Route 203 through the hamlet of Spencertown (Just a couple of miles east of the Taconic Parkway), you'll discover many original Colonial Homes dating to the early 1800's.

Stuyvesant - Click Here
Named for Gov. Peter Stuyvesant is set on the east bank of the Hudson River and was once part of the Town of Kinderhook.

Taghkanic - Click Here

Valatie - Click Here
The community name derives from Dutch, variously translated as "little falls" or "little valley"
Well-known residents have included Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas, letter writer who prompted the newspaper editorial, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."

To Our North:

Castleton-on-Hudson - Click Here

Nassau - Click Here --- and - Click Here
Originally named Philipstown, and taken from Petersburg, Stephenstown and Schodack, in 1806.  Located 11 miles SE. of Albany.

Schodack - Click Here

Columbia County Information

Map of Area - Click Here

Links below provide an array of County information

Agriculture - Click Here                                               

Antique Dealers Association, Hudson -Click Here

ARTS in Berkshire County - Click Here                       

ARTS in Columbia County - Click Here

ARTS to the Nearby North - Click Here

Columbia County NY Government -Click Here

Columbia County Chamber of Commerce - Click Here

Columbia County Living - Click Here

Dining - Click Here

Education - Click Here

Events - Click Here

Farm Fresh Produce & Markets - Click Here

Galleries - Click Here

G L B T  Friendly - Click Here

Historic Sites - Click Here

Lodging in the County - Click Here

Lodging in HUDSON - Click Here

Medical Centers - Click Here

Outdoor Resources - Click Here

    

 The Hudson Opera House
 

A Barn Yard
Typically picturesque of the County
 

 Clermont Historic Site
Viewed from the Hudson

   Columbia County Historical Society
Museum & Headquarters
 Kinderhook