Since 1996, the Henderson Historical Society has been located in the former Henderson First Universalist Church. The church building serves as the main museum on our three-building campus and houses the majority of our 18th and 19th century artifacts, historical maps and documents, and genealogy records.
The Henderson Historical Society is located in the center of Henderson, NY, at the corner of County Routes 71 and 72. The museum season runs from mid-May to mid-October every year. We are open on Wednesdays from noon to 3pm and Saturdays from 9am to noon. Admission is FREE, but a small donation is appreciated to help us maintain the museum.
Inside our museum, visitors will find a wealth of Henderson-area history. Some of our permanent exhibits include:
- Local Native American artifacts, such as arrowheads, carved stones and tools
- The “Gadget Wall” — a collection of household tools and other implements from years gone by
- A collection of Tyler Coverlets — renowned woven blankets created by Henderson-native Harry Tyler between the 1830s and 1850s.
- Henderson Central School yearbooks, trophies, class photos and other memorabilia
The church itself, built in the 1830s, is an impressive piece of local history. Most notable are its numerous Horwood stained glass windows. Installed in 1909 during a major church renovation project, the windows were crafted by the Horwood Stained Glass company in Ogdensburg, NY, and were dedicated to numerous families from the congregation who made donations for their purchase. The windows were recently refurbished thanks to generous donations.
A Brief History of the Church
In 1819, the Henderson First Universalist Church Society was formed by 13 members. Three years later in 1822, with Reverend Pitt Morse and 19 members, the church organization was “effected.”
On September 18, 1838, the land for the church was given by Jedediah & Betsey McCumber. The following year, in 1839, the church was built by Hiram Harris, Peter Howard, Amasy E. Lawrence, Asa R. Sawyer and Harry Tyler at a cost a of $2,200. The church’s architect was Joseph Barnes.
On December 25, 1839, the first service was conducted with a congregation of 150 members. The first trustees of the church, as listed in A History of Jefferson County in the State of New York, were: Roswell Davis, Amasa Hungerford, and John S. Porter.
By 1994, the church’s congregation had shrunk to fewer than 10 active members, causing the Henderson First Universalist Church to disband after more than 175 years in service. The church’s land, and later the building itself, was gifted to the Henderson Historical Society in 1995.
Henderson Historical Society 