“If James Duane had his way, Duanesburg would have become the capital of New York; not Kingston, not New York City and certainly not Albany.
It didn’t work out that way, but while the western-most town in Schenectady County didn’t develop into the thriving metropolis Duane was hoping for, it has retained its rural charm and it does have a fascinating history. Thanks to the dedication of its townspeople who make up the Duanesburg Historical Society, particularly Leonard and Pat Van Buren, all that history will have a safe home inside the four walls of the brand new Duanesburg Historical Society Research and Archive Center at 450 Quaker Lane in Quaker Street.
A grand opening celebrating the new history center will be held Monday between 4 and 8 p.m., with a special dedication ceremony at 6 p.m.
“This is something that’s been talked about for a long time starting back in the 1950s,” said Pat Van Buren, who in the past has shared the title of co-president with her husband, Leonard, and is now a member of the board. “It kind of picked up some steam in 2001 when we had a board of directors that had some vision and began focusing on what had to be done. When my husband and I became co-president back then this was our vision.””
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Buell, Bill. Schenectady Gazette 16 August 2018.