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122 E.58th St. New York, NY 10022
The Holland Society of New York is composed of members
descendant in the direct male line from those who lived in the colonies under
Dutch rule in America before or during 1675. Founded in 1885 as a fraternal
organization, the Holland Society has grown into a nation-wide membership
with its headquarters and library in New York City. Members of the Holland
Society thus share a common interest and heritage in what has been recognized
by historians as "The Dutch Nation in New York, heretofore called "New
Netherland".
The Holland Society started in its founding year to collect the books and records about the Dutch in America and the families who settled before 1675 in the Dutch Colonial territory. That collection soon became a library which is now well housed at the Society's New York headquarters. Among its present 6,000 books and pamphlets on genealogy and history are many family manuscripts and genealogies prepared by members of the Society.
Outstanding among publications recording the history of Colonial America is the Society's quarterly magazine, de Halve Maen. Each issue, contains three or four scholarly articles describing the life and times in New Netherland or recounting the history of Dutch-American families.
The Society has also undertaken translation and publication of Dutch-American records, notably church records from various Dutch congregations. These volumes of lists and records from the churches are available in the Society's library. The Society is continuing to participate in the translation and publication of the official records of New Netherland.
Starting in 1922, the Holland Society selected a citizen of the United States or the Netherlands--- "not a member of the Society" ---to honor with a medal for "contributions to a field of human endeavor." Presidents, princes, pastors, generals and astronauts are among those who have been honored with this award. Other non-members of the Society, who are selected for honors are the scholars who are recognized as "Fellows of the Holland Society of New York".
In 1959, the Society inaugurated a medal for "Distinguished Achievement" presented only to members of the Society. Each year one outstanding member is honored at the Society's annual meeting.
What makes the Holland society so vital is not just the wide diversity of its activities, nor the prominence of so many of its members, nor its success in keeping alive traditions which would otherwise have long ago been forgotten, but its continuation of the strong bonds of fellowship and good-will formed over three centuries ago by those hardy pioneer families who settled New Netherlands.
For additional information regarding the Society, "Friends of the Holland Society" and specific membership criteria, please contact the Holland Society at the above address or send inquiries to: