Home of The Historical Society of Walden & the Wallkill Valley since 1958.
The Jacob T. Walden House
34 North Montgomery Street, Walden, NY
( PO Box 48, Walden, New York 12586 )
The Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of
local history and is chartered by the State of New York.
We are the sole caretakers of the American
Revolutionary War era Jacob T. Walden House
and the Shafer House Museum.
Come Home to the Walden House!
Welcome to the rich history of the Jacob T. Walden House located in Walden,
Town of Montgomery, Orange County, NY (part of Ulster County until 1798).
Our Mission Statement:
The Mission of the Historical Society of Walden and the Wallkill Valley
is to preserve
the Jacob T. Walden House, collect items related to
Walden and the Wallkill Valley, and to advance public knowledge
of our history, past and present.
The old stone house, former home of Jacob T. Walden and now the home of the Historical Society of Walden and the Wallkill Valley, has undergone many updates, repairs and restoration projects since the building was purchased by a group of concerned Waldenites
in 1958. The Historical Societyformed the same year.
Our 230+ year old stone home needed a new roof in the worst way. And we are thrilled to announce that a new roof was just completed in May/June, thanks to an unbelievable gift by Mr. Bill Glass of Max Construction, who completely DONTATED the beautiful new roof (Old style tiles but made of new and recycled products that will last). We can't begin to thank you and Max Construction, your partners and staff for all the time and all the products.
"Old Hearthstone," as J. T. reportedly called his home, is looking pretty sharp.
In addition to owning and maintaining this beautiful old stone home, the Society also owns & maintains the Shafer House Museum, located around the corner at 12 Wait Street. Both properties are open for tours on specific dates and genera; meeting dates are the 3rd Wednesday of each Month--or by appointment. As an all-volunteer organization and no outside funding, we are the sole volunteer caretakers of the two properties as well as spending many hours on historical research, maintaining an archive of donated items, and reporting on our rich local history.
Trustees are voted in from the Volunteer roster. Your interest and membership means everything to our ability to continue to serve the community and preserve our history. The Shafer House Museum is an over 100-year old home. The downstairs is occasionally used for meetings and special exhibits as larger ground floor space allows for easier displays. Please consider suggesting Membership to friends, donate local historical items, and join the Society or give Memberships as gifts to reap the full benefits of our local museum and of being a member.
We welcome you and invite you to our monthly guest speaker meetings which are held on the 3rd Wed of most Months beginning in March unless noted otherwise.
Spring Calendar being planned now.
Check back soon for dates.
We are currently searching for a two Board Members. Board Trustees are voted into service from our active Volunteer Members.
If you have interest, we would be interested in talking with you.
Please Contact Society President, Barbara Imbasciani.
We are an all-volunteer organization supported completely
by donation and membership.
Contact any of our Trustees or download the Membership Form which can also be used to renew your membership. A reminder that ...
Memberships make great gifts!
Dear Members,
As an all volunteer organization, we are continuing to raise money for maintenance and upkeep of the Walden House and Shafer House. In 2023, we received a generous offer and gift from MAX Home Improvement. They are donating a new roof for the Walden House, including all supplies and labor. We are anxiously waiting for this to begin. During a recent conversation with the Company they said they are very busy but looking for a spot/date to get our roof done. They already have the shingles. They are made of a fairly new product called Eco Star - which is a synthetic roofing product.
Even with the generosity of MAX Home Improvement, the Society has many general expenses – oil, insurance, snow removal, alarm, and electricity, to name a few. Our house insurance went up 19% this year. Our expenses are running about $10,00-$12,000 per year. We continue to brainstorm new fundraising ideas – and we are open to suggestions. We have 3 main goals this year:
-
Increase membership -- Membership is very important to any organization. The membership dues help to offset some of the expenses. Plus the old adage “many hands make light work” is very true.
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Change Displays - which we hope will bring many new visitors to the Walden and Shafer House. We are planning a new display on Walden Business Memorabilia that will be on display in the Shafer House. In our archives room is a large collection of local business memorabilia just waiting to go one display!
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Fundraising -The Archives committee is currently researching a number of old maps, of varying sizes, from surrounding areas and counties. These maps are not from the Walden area. Once we have researched the maps, they will be offered to the public via a Silent Auction this Spring.
Please be sure to renew your membership and participate in our Programs and Activities. We are once again publishing The Tattler. If you have not received a hard copy or a digital copy, please contact us, or download them from the website, thewaldenhouse.org. Check the website, Facebook, The Wallkill Valley Times and The Tattler for upcoming events.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees – Thank you for your continued support. Here is the link to our Membership Form (for New Memberships or Renewals)
~ Barbara Imbasciani, President
Fundraiser--Everyone is always invited!
Dining-to-Donate at Franco's
Restaurant and Pizzeria
(last Tuesday of each month)
~ Next date: Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025
~ Eat In - or Take Out ~
PDF file to Print 3 Franco's Coupons (3 on one page)
Thank you to Franco's for continuing this program for us. Franco's donates 20% of
your meal cost to the Society. Thank you for participating and to Franco's for this generous fundraiser!
Coupons are available at the link above and at the Josephine-Louise Public Library.
Complimentary back issues of
The Walden House Tattler Newsletter
Welcome Home & Menu 
