Orange County is bordered by Ulster, Sullivan, Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester, and Rockland Counties as well as the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
County Formed: 1683
Parent County: Original county (however, the northern half of the present county was part of Ulster until 1798)
Daughter Counties: Rockland 1798
Major Land Transactions: Wawayanda Patent 1703; Minisink Patent 1704; Chesecock 1707
Table of Contents
- History
- Cities, Towns, and Villages
- Repositories, Resources, and Societies – County
- Repositories, Resources, and Societies – Regional
- Repositories, Resources, and Societies – Local
- Civil, Public, and Vital Records
- Federal Census Records
- State Census Records
- Online Resources
- Selected Bibliography
History
Established by Dutch settlers on November 1, 1683, Orange County, NY was primarily inhabited by native Munsee people, with a handful of Dutch in the area. Within the next few decades, influxes of European settlers arrived from Germany (Palatines), the Netherlands, and England, and quickly populated the area. Orange County’s name originates from the Prince of Orange at the time, who later became King William III of England. Following the Revolutionary War, county borders changed and land was both lost and gained; in 1798 the southern corner of Orange became Rockland County, NY, and the southern part of Ulster County joined Orange. The county seat is the village of Goshen, and its largest city is Newburgh which sits right on the Hudson River.
Repositories, Resources, and Societies – County
Orange County Clerk
Website: Orange County Clerk
Address: 255 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924
Phone: 845-291-2690
Orange County - City, Town, and Village Clerks
Website: Orange County – City, Town, and Village Clerks
Birth, marriage, and death records are maintained by the clerk of the municipality in which the event occurred; see Introduction to County Guides for details of other records which may also be held by municipal clerks.
Orange County Surrogate's Court
Website: Orange County Surrogate’s Court
Address: 30 Park Place, Goshen, NY 10924
Phone: (845) 476-3655
Orange County Public Libraries
Website: Orange County Public Libraries
Orange County is part of the Ramapo Catskill Library System. Many libraries hold genealogical material such as local newspapers. For example, Cornwall Public Library’s local history collection includes photographs, Goshen Public Library has an online obituary search, and Greenwood Lake Public Library and Tuxedo Park Library hold scrapbooks.
Orange County Historical Society
Website: Orange County Historical Society
Address: 21 Clove Furnace Drive, PO Box 55, Arden, NY 10910
Phone: (845) 351-4696
Email: info@orangecountyhistoricalsociety.org
Orange County Genealogical Society
Website: Orange County Genealogical Society
Address: 101 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924
Society Phone: (845) 291-2327
Historian Phone: 845-360-6978
Orange County Historian
Website: Orange County Historian
Address: 101 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924
Phone: 845-360-6978
Orange County - All Municipal Historians
Website: Municipal Historians
While not authorized to answer genealogical inquiries, city, town, and village historians can provide valuable historical information and research advice; some maintain collections and webpages which may include transcribed records, local histories, and other genealogical material.
Repositories, Resources, and Societies – Regional
Bard College Archives and Special Collections
Website: Bard College Archives and Special Collections
Address: Stevenson Library Archives and Special Collections, One Library Road, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
Phone: (845) 758-7396
Email: archives@bard.edu
Categories include Hudson Valley Archives (local history materials), Tivoli Photograph Collection, historical journals, and Bard College history.
Repositories, Resources, and Societies – Local
Alphabetized by location
Bullstone House Genealogy and History
Website: Bull Stone House Genealogy and History
Address: 183 County Route 51, Campbell Hall, NY 10916
Phone: (845) 496-BULL (2855)
Email: info@bullstonehouse.org
Hill-Hold and Brick House Museums
Website: Hill-Hold and Brick House Museums
Hill-Hold Museum Address: 128 Route 416, Campbell Hall, NY
Hill-Hold Museum Phone: (845) 291-2404
Brick House Museum Address: 850 Route 17K, Montgomery, NY
Brick House Museum Phone: (845) 457-4921
Chester Historical Society: Colletions and 1915 Erie Station Museum
Website: Chester Historical Society
Address: 19 Winkler Place, Chester, NY 10918
Phone: (845) 469-2388
Email: chester_historical@mac.com
New York Military Academy: Museum and Archives
Website: New York Military Academy
Address: 78 Academy Avenue, Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY 12520
Phone: (888) ASK-NYMA (275-6962)
The Neversink Valley Museum of History and Innovation: Collections and Library
Website: The Neversink Valley Museum of History and Innovation: Collections and Library
Street Address: 26 Hoag Road, Cuddebackville, NY 12729-0263
Mailing Address: PO Box 263, 26 Hoag Road, Cuddebackville, NY 12729-0263
Phone: (845) 754-8870
Email: nvam@neversinkmuseum.org
Town of Highlands Historical Society
Website: Town of Highlands Historical Society
Address: 303 Main Street • Highland Falls, NY 10928
Phone: (845) 446-0400
Email: sbailey@highlandfallsny.org
Woodbury Historical Society
Website: Woodbury Historical Society
Address: 543 Route 32, PO Box 30, Highland Mills, NY 10930
Phone: (845) 928-6770
Email: historian@woodburyhistoricalsociety.org
Middletown Thrall Library
Website: Middletown Thrall Library
Address: 11-19 Depot Street, Middletown, NY 10940
Phone: (845) 341-5454
Email: midhistory@rcls.org
Holdings include genealogies, church records, cemetery records, and directories.
City of Newburgh: City Clerk
Website: Newburgh City Clerk
Address: 83 Broadway, Newburgh, NY 12550
Phone: (845) 569-7311
Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands: The Captain David Crawford House and Helen Gearn Memorial Library
Website: The Captain David Crawford House and Helen Gearn Memorial Library
Address: 189 Montgomery Street, Newburgh, NY 12550
Main Phone: (845) 561-2585
Library Phone: (845) 561-3790
Email: historicalsocietynb@gmail.com
Newburgh Free Library: Local History and Genealogy Research Room
Website: Newburgh Free Library: Local History and Genealogy Research Room
Address: 124 Grand Street, Newburgh, NY 12550
Phone: 845-563-3617
Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site
Website: Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site
Address: 84 Liberty Street, Newburgh, NY 12551
Phone: (845) 562-1195
Minisink Valley Historical Society
Website: Minisink Valley Historical Society
Society Address: 125-133 West Main Street, Port Jervis, NY 12771
Society Phone: (845) 856-2375
Library: Port Jervis Free Library, 2nd Floor, 138 Pike Street, Port Jervis, NY 12771
Library Phone: (845) 856-7313
Sugar Loaf Historical Society
Website: Sugar Loaf Historical Society
Address: PO Box 114, Sugar Loaf, NY 10981-0114
Email: info@sugarloafhistoricalsociety.com
Historical Society of Walden and Walkill Valley: Jacob T. Walden House
Website: Jacob T. Walden House
Address: 34 North Montgomery Street, PO Box 48, Walden, NY 12586
Email: HSWWV@adprose.org
Historical Society of the Town of Warwick
Website: Historical Society of the Town of Warwick
Address: A.W. Buckbee Center, 2 Colonial Avenue, Warwick, NY 10990
Phone: 845-986-3236
Email: contact@whsny.org
Civil, Public, and Vital Records
Civil Records are those created, recorded and/or maintained by a governmental body and include births, marriages, deaths, censuses, property, and probate. NB: The New York State government began collecting vital record data in 1880. Birth, marriage, and death records from New York State (excluding the five boroughs of New York City) after 1880 on can be obtained from the New York State Department of Health. For vital records previous to 1880, consult the municipality in which the event took place. Learn more about New York's vital records in our online guide.
Federal Census Records
Population schedules: 1790-1940 (except 1890).
Online at Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Findmypast.com (free to NYG&B members).
Access on Findmypast:
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State Census Records
- County originals at Orange County Courthouse: 1825, 1835, 1845, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1915, 1925 (1892 and 1905 are lost)
- State originals at the NYSA: 1915, 1925
- Microfilm at the FHL, NYPL, and NYSL
- Many years are online at FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com.
Online Resources
General Resources
There are vast numbers of records on Ancestry.com that pertain to people who have lived in New York State. A search of the online card catalog by county may reveal lesser known resources that pertain to a locality, such as town records, abstracts, transcriptions, city directories, and local histories.
FamilySearch has extensive collections of New York records, including religious records, which are searchable by name and location, but not by county. The following collections include record images (browsable, but not searchable) that are organized by county.
Hudson River Valley Heritage (HRVH)
The HRVH website provides free access to digital collections of historical material from more than 40 organizations in Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, and Westchester counties.
NYGenWeb Project: Orange County
Part of the national, USGenWeb volunteer initiative, the website provides information and resources for county research.
Maps
- New York, Land Records, 1630-1975 - Includes land and property records
Newspapers
New York Heritage Digital Collections: New York State Newspaper Project
The website provides links to digital newspapers collections in 26 counties (currently) made accessible through New York Heritage, New York State Historic Newspapers, HRVH Historical Newspapers, and other providers.
Other Records
- New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971 - Includes wills, letters of administration, and guardianship papers
Selected Bibliography
Abstracts, Indexes & Transcriptions
- Barber, Gertrude Audrey, comp. “Cemeteries Located in Orange County, N.Y. (Including Greenville, Mt. Hope, Wallkill and Crawford, NY.” Typescript, 1932. NYPL, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary]
- Barber, Gertrude Audrey, comp. “Graveyard Inscriptions of Orange County, NY.” 4 vols. Typescript, 1930. [Ancestry.com]
- Barber, Gertrude Audrey, comp. “Orange County Patriot: Orange County, New York, Marriages and Deaths from 1828–1831.” Typescript, 1932. NYPL, New York.
- Brennan, Robert W. Goshen Independent Republican Marriage Notices, Volume One 1866–1883; Volume Two 1884–1903. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 2003–2006.
- Burrows, Dan, comp. Orange County Marriages and Deaths from the New York State 1865 and 1875 Censuses. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 2004.
- Bush, Cornelia W. “1823 and 1825 Muster Rolls from Chester, Orange County.” NYG&B Record, vol. 133, no. 3 (2002): 185–190. [NYG&B eLibrary]
- Carey, C. R. “Town of Deer Park 1798 Assessment Records.” Orange County Historical Society Publication, no. 8. (1978–1979): 13–25.
- Coleman, Charles. The Early Records of the Presbyterian Church in Goshen, NY, from 1767–1885. Goshen, NY: The Democrat Print Co., 1934.
- Coleman, James Cash. Coleman’s Orange County Tombstone Inscriptions. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 2011. Reprint of 1941 edition. Index by Joseph Lieby.
- County of Orange Abstracts. Syracuse: Central New York Genealogical Society, 2000. Abstracts for a range of genealogical records originally published in the quarterly Tree Talks.
- Daughters of the American Revolution, comps. New York DAR Genealogical Records Committee Report. Since 1913 DAR volunteers have transcribed many thousands of unpublished cemetery, church, and town records throughout New York. The reports are at the DAR Library; copies are at the NYSL and the NYPL. The DAR has a searchable name index to all the GRC reports at http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/?Tab_ID=6. See Jean Worden’s index.
- Dunning, Kenneth A. Orange County Jury Lists, Volume 1, 1798–1825; Volume 2, 1826–1837. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 2010, 2013.
- Gardner, George, and Virginia H. Gardner. The Whig Press Death Notices 1851–1865. Middletown, NY: Hartwell Associates, 1978. Includes over 15,000 entries.
- Gardner, Virginia H. “Persons of Color, Town of Wallkill 1825 Census.” Goshen, NY: 1977. Orange County Genealogical Society Quarterly, vol. 7, no. 3 (1977): 23.
- Gardner, Virginia H. The Whig Press Marriage Notices 1851–1865. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 1986. Includes over 10,000 entries.
- Joslyn, Roger D. “Indentures of the Poor Children of Orange County, 1829–1847, 1871, 1884, 1885.” NYG&B Record, vol. 137 (2006) no. 4: 294–303; vol. 138 (2007) no. 2: 227–231, no. 3: 144–150. [NYG&B eLibrary]
- Kelly, Arthur C. M. Index to Tree Talks County Packet: Orange County. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 2002.
- Kelly, Arthur C. M. Vital Records of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Walden, Orange County, New York, 1793–1906. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 2001.
- Krish, Jeanne, and Lee Krish. Official Vital Records from the Various Towns of Orange County, NY: Births, Deaths, and Marriages 1847–1849 with a Supplement of Additional Marriage and Death Returns. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 2003.
- Leslie, Augusta, comp. Record of Baptisms and Marriages, Copied From and Compared with the Original Entries in Stewards’ Book, Newburgh, N.Y., Circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1789 to 1835. Newburgh, NY: n.p., 1901.
- Mapes, Clarence Eugene. “Burials in Howells Cemetery, Howells, Orange County, NY.” Typescript, n.d. NYPL, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary]
- Moffat, Almot S. Old Churches of Orange County. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 1990. Reprint of 1927 edition. Includes histories of Goshen Presbyterian, Goodwill Presbyterian, Bethlehem Presbyterian, Blooming Grove Congregational, and Newburgh First Presbyterian with member lists from 1927.
- New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, comp. “A Group of Orange County, NY, Cemeteries: Alphabetically Arranged.” Typescript, 1922. NYPL, New York.
- New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Minisink Valley: Reformed Dutch Church Records, 1716–1830. New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1913.
- O’Callaghan, Edmund B. Documentary History of the State of New York. 4 vols. Albany, 1849–1851. Contains 1702 Orange Co. census in vol. 4: 366–367, List of the Inhabitants of the County of Orange, 1702. Also transcribed in “1702 Orange Co. Census,” Orange County Genealogical Society Quarterly, vol. 4, no. 3 (1974): 16.
- Orange County Genealogical Society. Cemeteries of Chester, NY. Monroe, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 1980.
- Orange County Genealogical Society. Cemeteries of Hamptonburgh, NY. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 1980.
- Orange County Genealogical Society. Early Orange County Wills 1731–1830. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 1991.
- Orange County Genealogical Society, and Edna D. Raymond. Cemeteries of the Town of Minisink, NY. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 1988.
- Orange County, NYG&B Church Surveys Collection. NYG&B, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary]
- Proceedings to Determine Boundaries of the Wawayanda and Cheesecocks Patents Held in 1785 in Yelverton’s Barn, Chester. Goshen, NY: Independent Republican Print Co., 1915. Book draws from records of the Orange County clerk that do not survive. Testimony of Orange County residents is given with their ages, dates of birth, and lengths of residence in the county.
- Shepard, Elmer I. Orange County, New York, Deaths: From the Independent Republican and the Goshen Democrat, Goshen, New York. New York: S. Weller and R. H. Siemers, 1967.
- Smeltzer-Stevenot, Marjorie. Old Burying Grounds within Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks. Goshen, NY: Orange County Genealogical Society, 1998. Reprint of 1992 edition.
- Stephens, John M. 1825 Census of Calhoun (now Mt. Hope) Township. Goshen, NY: 1977. Orange County Genealogical Society Quarterly, vol. 7, no. 3 (1977): 24.
- Thompson, Robert O. Census of Neelytown. Goshen, NY: 1975. Orange County Genealogical Society Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 1 (1975): 4–5. Transcribed by Helen Van Burgen, as noted in the brief introduction to the census.
- Weller, Caroline S., and Raymond H. Siemers, comps. Orange County, New York, Marriages: From the Independent Republican, Goshen, New York. Kew Gardens, NY: R. H. Siemers, 1967.
- Worden, Jean D. “Book 1, Subject Index.” In Revised Master Index to the New York State Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Records Volumes. Zephyrhills, FL: J. D. Worden, 1998. The Subject Index includes a listing by county of the cemeteries, churches, towns, and other sources of records transcribed by the DAR.
- Van Buren, Elizabeth R. “The Union Cemetery of the Presbyterian Parish of Middle Town.” Typescript, n.d. NYPL, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary]
Other Resources
- Beers, F. W. County Atlas of Orange, New York: From Actual Surveys. Chicago, 1875. [NYPL Digital Gallery]
- Brennan, Robert W. Genealogical History of Black Families of Orange County, New York. 6 vols. Goshen, NY: Orange County Historical Society, 2001–2006.
- Chapman Publishing Company. Portrait and Biographical Record of Orange County, New York: Containing. . . Citizens of the County, . . . New York: Chapman Publishing, 1895. Reprinted with index by Orange County Genealogical Society in 1995.
- Clark, Donna K. Orange County, New York, Field Trip Guide: Directory of Genealogical Depositories of Local Records. Arvada, CO: Ancestor Publishers, 1987.
- Clearwater, Alphonso T., ed. The History of Ulster County, New York. Kingston, NY: W. J. Van Deusen, 1907.
- Corning, Amos E. The Concise History of Orange County. Saugerties, NY: Hope Farm Press, 1993.
- Eager, Samuel W. An Outline History of Orange County: With an Enumeration of the Names of Its Towns, Villages, . . . Local Traditions and Short Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers, etc. Newburgh, NY: 1846. Indexed by Mildred Roberts and Samuel Eager in 1968. Reprinted by Orange County Genealogical Society, 1995.
- Foley, Janet W. Early Settlers of New York State: Their Ancestors and Descendants. 9 vols. Akron, NY: 1934–1942. Reprint, 2 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993.
- Greater Hudson Heritage Network. History Keepers’ Companion: Guide to Sites & Sources of the Lower Hudson Valley and Western Connecticut. Fleischmanns, NY: Purple Mountain Press, 1998. The Greater Hudson Heritage Network is in the process of updating and creating an online version of this publication; information is at www.greaterhudson.org/history-keepers-companion.html.
- Headley, Russel. The History of Orange County, New York. Middletown, NY: Van Deusen and Elms, 1908. Separate index published by Orange County Genealogical Society 1993.
- Hudson River Valley Review: A Journal of Regional Studies. Poughkeepsie, NY: Hudson River Valley Institute at Marist College, 2002–present. [hudsonrivervalley.org]
- Lathrop, J. M. Atlas of Orange County, New York: Compiled and Drawn from Official Records, Public and Private Plans and Actual Surveys. Philadelphia: H. A. Mueller, 1903.
- Laws of New-York, from the Year 1691 to 1751, Inclusive: Published According to an Act of the General Assembly. New York, 1752.
- Moffat, Almet S. Orange County, New York: A Narrative History: Descriptive of Its Places of . . . Its Historic Churches with Biographies of Their Pastors . . . Its Statesmen, Historians, Poets, Writers, and Distinguished People of the Past . . . Washingtonville, NY: n.p., 1928.
- New York Historical Resources Center. Guide to Historical Resources in Orange County, New York, Repositories. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 1989.
- Olde Ulster: An Historical and Genealogical Magazine. Kingston, NY: B. M. Brink, 1905.
- Orange County: A Journey Through Time. A Text on Local History. Prepared by Orange-Ulster Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Goshen, NY: The Board, 1983.
- Reamy, Martha, and Bill Reamy. Pioneer Families of Orange County, New York. Bowie, MD: Willow Bend Books, 2003.
- Ruttenber, Edward M., and Lewis H. Clark. History of Orange County, New York: With . . . Biographical Sketches . . .. Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1881. Reprinted by Orange County Genealogical Society in 2000. Separate index published by Orange County Genealogical Society in 1979.
- Smith, Philip H. Legends of the Shawangunk (Shon-Gum) and Its Environs, Including Historical Sketches, Biographical Notices, and Thrilling Border Incidents and Adventures Relating to Those Portions of the Counties of Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan Lying in the Shawangunk Region. Pawling, NY, 1887.
- Weygant, Charles H. History of the One Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Regiment, New York State Volunteers. Newburgh, NY, 1877.
- Zimm, Louise H. Southeastern New York: History of the Counties of Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Putnam. 3 vols. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1946. Index available from Berkshire Family History Association.
The materials above are a compilation of resources available, with an emphasis on online resources, which might be useful to someone doing research within this county. The inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement of its content or accuracy. Please send any additions or corrections to webmaster@nygbs.org.