Welcome to the Schuyler County Historical Society. We are located in Montour Falls, Schuyler County, New York, just south of Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes Region. The Society maintains three properties and is headquartered at the Brick Tavern Museum, a large brick Federal-style building built in 1828 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Brick Tavern Museum and the adjacent Wickham Rural Life Center have exhibits relating to Schuyler County’s rich history. Our collections include artifacts, books and documents concerning the county’s people and events, valuable to genealogists and researchers. The Lee School Museum, a one-room school on Route 14 south of the Brick Tavern Museum, also is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Because decisions must be made in an ever-changing environment, it is important for the SCHS to be clear about the core principles and values that guide it. The following principles and objectives are the heart of the SCHS identity:

• Holding historic assets as a public trust
• Maintaining focus on Schuyler County history
• Preservation and interpretation of meaningful collections
• Ensuring collections are located in the most relevant museum
• Openness to the public and accessibility to the handicapped
• Dedication to teaching and learning
• Enabling and promoting research
• Being an “operating” museum
• Providing “hands-on” experiences to visitors
• Maintaining professional staff
• Maintaining a viable volunteer component
• Maintaining a policy of non-discrimination in all business activities
• Providing an affordable, educational and enjoyable visitor experience

Heather O’Grady Evans