State History

This article was written by Village of Whitesboro Clerk Dana Nimey-Olney and Village Historian Judy Mallozzi

The Whitestown Town Hall is situated in the Village of Whitesboro on Park Avenue in the Village Green. In 1784, Hugh White of Middletown Connecticut purchased 1,500 acres within the Sadaquada Patent. He cleared land, built a cabin with the help of his sons, and enticed his fellow townsmen of Middletown to settle the fertile land of the Mohawk Valley.

In 1788, the Town of Whitestown (named after Hugh White) was separated from the Town of German Flatts which, at that date, was within Montgomery County.  In 1798, Oneida County was established and Hugh White was appointed Judge of Common Pleas. Court was held at a schoolhouse in Whitesboro.

In 1801, Hugh White deeded one acre of his land to Oneida County for a site to build a court house and jail. Oneida County was authorized by New York State in 1803 to hold court in both Rome and Whitesboro and in 1806, the county was authorized to raise $4,000 to build a court houses in both locales. The Whitesboro building stands today as it did upon completion in 1807.

After the building served as a County Court House for 46 years (1807-1853) the courts were moved to the City of Utica. The property then reverted to the heirs of Hugh White for a brief time until his grandson, Philo White, re-donated the site to the Town of Whitestown and Village of Whitesboro in 1860.  The building has served as a court house ever since for the Town of Whitestown and currently the Village of Whitesboro. In its 208 year life, the Town Hall building has housed a court for 202 of those years.

The image the Town Hall presents is one of dignity. The Town Hall is a two story timber frame structure with a brick and mortar exterior on a stone foundation. The design of the five-bay façade is emphasized toward the center by four two story pilasters terminating at the top by wood cornices. Equally appealing is the triangular pediment which joins the roof. Atop the roof is an octagonal cupola flanked by a large chimney on either end of the building. The contracts to frame perform the masonry work, supply timber, bricks, lime and stone were overseen by Jonas Platt, Abraham Camp and William G. Stone as agreed upon from the Plan furnished by John Hooker.

The citizens of the Town of Whitestown and Village of Whitesboro are proud of their contributions over the last two hundred years to the County of Oneida and to the Greater Utica area. The Town Hall building is not just a piece of Whitesboro history; it is a piece of Oneida County and even New York State history. Settlers like Hugh White came to the area and opened up a new part of the world to others that followed in their footsteps.  This immigration to the state in the late 1700s helped New York to grow and become a leader in agriculture, industry and transportation. In fact, Hugh White’s grandson, Canvas White, was integral in the building of the Erie Canal by creating hydraulic cement that helped make creation of the Canal possible. The Town Hall building has long been an icon of New York’s history and progress for more than 200 years and we hope it is for at least another 200 years. The Village of Whitesboro is in the process of seeking grants to help preserve the building as it has many maintenance needs. On the National Register of Historic Places, the Town Hall continues to be a community icon and functioning court house that now houses the new Whitesboro Historical Museum.