Chemung County Historical Society
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| Established | 1923 |
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| Location |
415 East Water Street |
| Accreditation | American Alliance of Museums |
| Website | Official website |
Coordinates: 42°5′19.5″N 76°48′2″W / 42.088750°N 76.80056°W
415 East Water Street
The Chemung County Historical Society is headquartered in the historic Chemung Canal Bank Building in Elmira, New York. It is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and presentation of the history of the Chemung River Valley region. The society was founded in 1923 and first chartered by New York State in 1947. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and currently operates two cultural repositories, the Chemung Valley History Museum and the Booth Library, both as non-profit educational institutions.
In early November of 1923, following a meeting of the Sons of the American Revolution, Dr. Arthur W. Booth, President of the local chapter, recommended that a historical association be founded within Elmira to preserve many of historical documents and other items found throughout the city for future generations. At this preliminary meeting to form this new historical society, Dr. Arthur W. Booth, who presented the Society's new proposed Constitution and By Laws, and was joined by Harry Hoffman, Chester Howell, Jabin Secor, Harrison Chapman, Joseph H. Pierce, H. H. Bickford, and Edward B. Billings. Following this, the Society was organized by volunteers who formed small archival and artifact collections.
In 1947, the Society was chartered by New York State and, in 1977, the Board of Trustees reorganized their by-laws. At this time, it was also agreed upon that the Society needed to expand and into a bigger space to meet their educational, curatorial, and administrative needs. The former Chemung Canal Bank building at 415 East Water Street was selected, both for its space and its historical value. After seventeen years of planning and a National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant, renovations to the museum and head office building were completed in 1993. During the renovation process, the Society was first accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 1986. The Society was re-accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 1999. At present the Society has 5 staff positions. The Society also has members from across the United States and in Canada.
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