Local History & Genealogical Research

We have a collection of books, photos and other materials that are kept protected under lock and key. Genealogists and Local History researchers are encouraged to call ahead so we can have staff available to assist. We ask that you review and sign our use policy of local history materials at the Circulation Desk. Telephone and e-mail inquires are handled as soon as we can get to them. We ask for a donation from researchers to cover the cost of photocopying and time spent by staff.

An exciting new resource at the Library is HeritageQuest Online. HeritageQuest offers many resources for genealogical research including U.S. federal censuses from 1790, 1800, 1810, 1840, and 1870; over 16,000 downloadable titles from the UMI Genealogy & Local History collection; expert verification and indexing, and much more.

Other special collections include the Frederic Goudy Collection and Italian language books and videos.

Hudson River Valley Heritage

Collections of digitized objects of historical relevance in the Hudson Valley. Browse the Marlboro Free Library Collection.

"The Seasons"

This is a series of paintings by Neil Eckerson, the first president of the Marlborough Free Library.

This picture was painted in the early 1920's by Neil Eckerson, the first president of the Marlborough Free Library. He painted four pictures of local women. Each group was set in one of the four seasons. The notes were taken from a document dated 1978.

Spring Group

March

Grace Lockwood Manion
Then living at the present site of the Catholic Rectory on Bloom Street, she married John Manion. They are the parents of Dr. James J. Manion, whose wife was President of the Board of Trustees of the Marlboro Free Library in 1978 when the new Library building was dedicated.

April

Evelyn Tuthill Harcourt
She lived in the present home of the Tuthill-DiDonato Funeral Home. Her father was an undertaker, and a member of the school board. She married Stanley Harcourt.

May

Alice Dubois Harrison
She lived on Hudson Terrace in Marlboro. Her father was custodian of the Marlborough School, which was located at the site of the firehouse on Grand and Church streets.

Summer Group

June

Helen Staples Smith
She lived on Birdsall Avenue in Marlboro with a widowed mother. Often school teachers were happy to find a boarding place there.

July

Louise Dall Vechia Signorelli
Louise is a sister of the late Joseph Dall Vechia, a former board member, and aunt of Mrs. Daniel Martuscello, a former library trustee.

August

Helen Carpenter
Helen was the sister of Edmund Carpenter, president of the Marlborough Bank (now Key Bank). She was a graduate of New Paltz Normal, a teacher in Marlborough, and for years a secretary to the principal of the High School in Summit, New Jersey.

Fall Group

September

Julia McMullen Hawkins
Julia was the daughter of Sidney McMullen. She was a school teacher in Roseton, and later a nurse in Albany. She married Mr. Hawkins. Her brother Ralph and her nephew Ralph, Jr. lived in Marlboro.

October

Arlene Hepworth Dunn
Arlene was the wife of Fred Dunn, a fruit farmer, and was the daughter of Augustus Hepworth of Milton. After he retired from fruit farming he was, for a time, president of the Marlborough Bank.

November

Virginia Baxter Postel
Virginia is the daughter of Howland Baxter. Her brother, Stanley and sister Roberta resided in Marlboro. She married Wilfred Postel who operated a harware store on the site of the Baxter Feed Store in the center of town.

Winter Group

December

Madolyn Hartshorn
Madolyn was the daughter of the owner of a local store who moved to Poughkeepsie, where Madolyn eventually was in business with her brother Burton.

January

Sadie Brogan
Mrs. Brogan was not a native of Marlborough, but was welcomed as a friend and neighbor. After the death of her husband and son, she became the housekeeper for Father Simmons.

February

Sarah Clark Mackey
Sarah married Gedney Mackey, a Milton fruit farmer, who was at one time the director of the Marlborough Bank. Her brother, Ralph Clark, also lived in Marlboro.