Hillsdale Reformed Dutch Church: Columbia County Genealogy
Learn about Columbia County genealogy records associated with the Dutch Reformed Church and cemetery in Hillsdale, New York.
Also known as the Krum Church, the Hillsdale Reformed Dutch Church was formed in 1776. The name Krum seems to have derived from the association of the Krum family, whose property was in close proximity to the church.
At first, the church building serviced both Lutheran and Reformed congregations, and was known as the Reformed Lutheran Unity Church. Around 1806 or 1808, the church was reorganized as the Reformed Dutch Church of Hillsdale. Due to the formation of other Reformed churches in the neighboring town of Claverack, the membership of the Krum Church dwindled. The church was formally dissolved in 1851.
The church building was lost many years ago, but the cemetery is still in existence today.
Hillsdale Reformed Dutch Church Genealogy Resources
- Available Krum Church records span from 1776 to 1849 and include transcriptions of
- Baptisms
- Marriages
- Lists of congregants
The gravestones within the Krum Church Cemetery not only document dates of death, but a great deal of them provide ages at death, making calculation of birth years possible.
In addition, many of the inscriptions document family relationships, identifying wives, husbands, sons, and daughters.
The image to the left is the gravestone for “Caty, wife of Abraham Rivenburgh died Dec 28, 1837 aged 45 years 4 mos & 16 days“
Although most of the gravestones are in poor condition, about 75 of the graves have been documented on the Find A Grave website.
Inscriptions and epitaphs were also transcribed in a publication produced about 50 years ago and contain information on just over 110 gravestones that were visible at that time.
To the right: “In memory of Charity Hall daughter of John and Phebe Becker who died Dec 1, 1827“
The combination of these church and cemetery resources provide invaluable genealogical information on the early settlers of this part of Columbia County.
Genealogy Research Assistance
Do you have a question about ancestors who may have lived in the town of Hillside, or in other parts of Columbia County? Would you like assistance finding records? I would definitely be interested in learning about your family history research! Click the button below to submit your research question.
You could try reviewing the Columbia County genealogy links I have on my site: https://genealogybyholly.com/columbia-county-free-genealogy-resources/. Prior to Austerlitz, the area was known as Spencertown. You may also want to research Berkshire County, MA records. Many of the early residents from the eastern part of the county were members of churches in the Berkshires. If you would like additional assistance, and would like to start a research project, please feel free to contact me: https://genealogybyholly.com/contact-holly/.
Good luck with your research!
Hello.
I am seeking a possible Hillsdale Church marriage record between Martin Haner and Elisabeth Williams, probably occurring between 1780 and 1793.
Their two known children had Hillsdale baptism records: Martin Haner Jr in 1793, and Isaac in 1799.
Therefore I also wonder if Martin (Sr) and Elisabeth may have been listed congregants in that timeframe.
Thank you for your time.
Hi Adam,
In your comment, you didn’t mention a specific church in Hillsdale. There are Dutch Reformed Church records available on Ancestry.com: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6961/.
I am also a moderator for the Columbia County, New York Genealogy Facebook Group. Here is the link if you would like to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/columbiacountynygenealogy. There are currrently just over 200 members, who are also researching their Columbia County ancestors.