Welcome to the
Woodbury Historical Society

The Woodbury Historical Society (WHS) is a nonprofit organization, chartered by the NYS Board of Regents in 1984 with a purpose of collecting and preserving the heritage of the Town of Woodbury. The Society serves as a source of information for those who are interested in our local history.

If you would like to become a member of the Woodbury Historical Society, CLICK HERE to download the Woodbury Historical Society Membership and Donation Form. Your support for our mission is greatly appreciated.

543 Route 32 • P.O. Box 30 • Highland Mills, NY 10930
Phone: (845) 928-6770

E-mail: woodbury1889@optonline.net

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Hours: Tues. 2PM - 4PM, Thurs. 7PM - 9PM, Sat. 10:30AM - 12:30PM
or call for an appointment at (845) 928-6770 or 928-6479

Meetings, which are open to the public, are held on
the first Saturday of the month at 2PM

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OFFICERS
Alex Prizgintas, President • Neil Crouse, Vice President
Millicent Treloar, Secretary • Desiree Potvin, Treasurer

TRUSTEES
Robert Anzalone • William Doyle • Arlene Maher • Robert McCue
June Menkens • Viktor Prizgintas • Pat Reynolds • Walter Stanfield Jr.

Joanne Calore, Trustee, Gatehouse Museum and Learning Center Chairperson

Leslie Rose, Archivist, Permanent Trustee,
Town Historian (845) 928-6479

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS Is it time for you and your family to renew your commitment to the Woodbury Historical Society? We are deeply grateful for the generosity of our many supporters. Please CLICK HERE to renew your Membership for the Woodbury Historical Society. If you are new to the Historical Society or to Woodbury, we welcome you to join us. Your amazing support is essential in fulfilling our mission! Announcing Our 2025 Calendar For the first time in nearly forty years, the Woodbury Historical Society is producing a calendar for our membership and the general public. We look forward to these publications acting as both historical guides and community resources. With a limited run of 200 copies, order yours today! 2025 Theme: Railroads of Woodbury Price: $15 Donation (Cash or Check made out to Woodbury Historical Society)   The Woodbury Historical Society is pleased to announce "WOODBURY, ORANGE COUNTY" written by Sheila Conroy and Nancy Simpson. A product of Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series, "Woodbury, Orange County" is a pictorial history of our very own Central Valley, Highland Mills, and Woodbury Falls. The Woodbury Historical Society was honored to contribute towards the creation of this resource by supplying both information and images. The cost for each book is $23.78, including sales tax. If you need the book shipped, the cost per book is $27.82 (cash or check to "Woodbury Historical Society" - no credit cards). Proceeds from the sale of the book will go toward the work of the Woodbury Historical Society.    For more information, to order books in person or by phone, please call (845) 928-6770.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where are you located?

The Woodbury Historical Society is housed in the former Rushmore Memorial Library building, located at the corner of Weygant Hill Road and Route 32 (543 Route 32) in Highland Mills, NY. This structure was built in 1923 by the Charles E. Rushmore family so that Woodbury could have its own public library. Mr. Rushmore was a prominent and wealthy attorney who worked in New York City while maintaining a “gentleman’s farm” in Highland Mills. His estate, known as “Carmore” (the “Car” derived from Carpenter, Mrs. Rushmore’s maiden name, and the “more” from Rushmore), was built in 1908 and functions today as the Rushmore Estate Bed & Breakfast/Wedding Venue. Rushmore lived from 1856 to 1930, with South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore named for him.

What materials do you have to help people?
The Woodbury Historical Society has an array of artifacts designed to help those researching families, industries, organizations, municipal government departments, and more aspects of history from the Town of Woodbury. Such information is derived from our intricate genealogy files (including the manuscripts of noted local historian Emma McWhorter) our photograph collection, extensive files on both families and businesses, as well as our collection of between 500 to 1,000 regional postcards. Even though all vital records (birth and death records) are in the Town Clerk's office, we also have a complete set of burial records from the Cemetery of the Highlands which is available to the public, subject to statutory restrictions. Please contact us with your research questions and we look forward to assisting you.

Do you accept donations? What can be donated?
Yes, donations to our archives are generously accepted subject to their accordance with our Deed of Gift Policy. We entertain artifacts that have some connection to Woodbury’s past, though a list of commonly-accepted items can be found below
1. Family pictures, documents, and papers.
2. Documents from local businesses.
3. Local postcards and photographs.
4. Ephemera/give-aways from local businesses.
5. Tangible artifacts (glass bottles, stoneware, tools, etc.) from Central Valley/Highland Mills/Woodbury Falls

Do you have regularly scheduled meetings?
Yes, meetings are scheduled bi-monthly on the first Saturday of each month at 543 Route 32, Highland Mills, NY, and begin at 10:30 AM. For more information, contact (845)-928-6770.

What is the Proctor Gatehouse and the Gatehouse Committee?
As seen with the history of Charles E. Rushmore discussed earlier, many wealthy people saw Woodbury as a desirable location to build pastoral estates during the turn of the twentieth century. Among the rich and famous who settled here was Frederick Freeman Proctor who earned the title of the “Dean of Vaudeville”– devoting more than 50 years to the theatrical world. Owning more than fifty theaters along the east coast, Proctor pioneered the technique of “continuous vaudeville” which involved bracketing silent film screenings with live entertainment from the form’s heyday. In 1912, Proctor built his estate, Proctoria, on 1142 acres of land in Central Valley. He constructed five large homes, various barns, and “The Gatehouse” which marked the impressive entrance to the estate. Following Proctor's death in 1929, the estate was put up for sale and acquired by the United States Military Academy (West Point). All the buildings, except the Gatehouse and small Carriage House directly behind, were destroyed so the lands could be used for military and parachute maneuvers. 

In 1973, the U.S. Government deeded the Gatehouse to the Town of Woodbury to be used for youth activities. Until the 1990s, the Parks Commission used the Gatehouse for small group activities and the Boy Scouts used The Carriage House. However, budget restraints made it impossible for the Parks Commission to make major renovations to the building and the fate of The Gatehouse was unclear. 

In 1996, the Woodbury Town Board crafted an agreement by which the complex would be renovated by using only private funds. The Woodbury Historical Society, which was in need of additional space, and the Boy Scouts, who needed meeting rooms, worked jointly to achieve this goal. WHS currently uses The Gatehouse for additional exhibit space along with the Woodbury Community Association. Likewise, the Boy Scouts uses The Carriage House for their troop meetings.

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