Historian

Town Historian Tom Moreland has retired, and we wish him well! His service as Town Historian has been invaluable. 

The appointment of David Harrison Jr. as the Town Historian of Austerlitz in 2024 marks a continuation of the town's tradition of preserving its history. With his roots in Spencertown and a longstanding interest in local and county history, using the strong foundation laid by his predecessors, such as Tom, David will work to carry on as Town Historian to ensure that the stories of the past remain accessible and informative for future generations.

David can be reached by email or phone (518) 392-3260 ext. 306 (VM not checked daily) to answer inquiries concerning any aspect of Austerlitz history. He is also interested in receiving (for the Town) any information, documents, photographs or artifacts pertaining to Austerlitz history or any of its prior residents.

The Austerlitz Historical Society, located at Old Austerlitz on Route 22 in Austerlitz, maintains a reference library for the study of local history. To make arrangements to visit the library call the Society's at (518) 392-0062.  

This page contains a short history of Austerlitz excerpted from the fuller history written by Tom Moreland as part of The Old Houses of Austerlitz, a book published in 2018 by the Historical Society. In 2024 the Austerlitz Historical Society published a revised, second edition of the book that can be purchased at the History Center or from the Society (also available from the Society on CD-rom). It contains individual histories of each of the 168 houses and other existing buildings in Austerlitz that were constructed between the 1760’s and 1888.