Dutchess County, New York Cities, Towns, and Villages

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List of towns, formation dates, and other details

Amenia  
  Part of Great Nine Partners Patent and the Oblong tract
  1711 Settled
  1719 Included in North Ward and Middle Ward
  1737 Part of new Crum Elbow Precinct
  1762 Formed as a precinct from Crum Elbow
  1788 Recognized as a town by the State of New York
  1823 Ceded northern part of town to Town of North East
Beacon (city)
  1913 Incorporated as a city from Fishkill Landing and Matteawan in Town of Fishkill
Beekman  
  Part of Beekman Patent
  1710 Settled
  1719 Included in Middle Ward and South Ward
  1737 Patent renamed Beekman precinct
  1743 Precinct extended east across the Oblong tract
  1768 Daughter precinct Pawling formed
  1788 Recognized as a town by the State of New York
  1821 Town of Freedom (now LaGrange) formed from towns of Beekman and Fishkill
  1827 Town of Union Vale formed from towns of Beekman and LaGrange
Carmel  
  In Dutchess County 1795–1812
  Charlotte (precinct)
  Part of Great Nine Partners Patent
  1719 Included in North Ward and Middle Ward
  1761/2 Formed as Charlotte precinct from Crum Elbow precinct
  1786 Divided into Clinton and Washington precincts
Clinton  
  Part of Great Nine Partners Patent and several smaller patents
  1719 Included in North Ward and Middle Ward
  1737 Part of Crum Elbow 
  1762 Part of Charlotte precinct, which was formed from Crum Elbow and Rhinebeck precincts
  1786 Formed as Clinton precinct from Charlotte and Rhinebeck precincts
  1788 Recognized as a town by the State of New York
  1821 Daughter towns Hyde Park and Pleasant Valley  formed 
Crum Elbow (precinct)
  Part of Great Nine Partners Patent
  1719 Included in North Ward and Middle Ward
  1737 Great Nine Partners Patent renamed Crum Elbow precinct
  1762 Divided into Charlotte and Amenia precincts
Dover  
  Part of Beekman Patent and Oblong tract
  c. 1721 Settled
  1807 Formed from Town of Pawling
East Fishkill
  Part of Rombout Patent
  1730 Settled
  1849 Formed from Town of Fishkill
Fishkill  
  Part of Rombout Patent
  1682 Settled
  1685 Rombout Patent granted
  1719 Included in Middle Ward and South Ward
  1737 Rombout Patent renamed Rombout precinct, later Fishkill precinct
  1788 Recognized as a town by State of New York
  1806 Annexed land from Town of Philipstown
  1821 Town of Freedom (now LaGrange) formed from towns of Fishkill and Beekman
  1849 Daughter town East Fishkill formed
  1875 Daughter town Wappinger formed
  1913 Fishkill Landing and Matteawan became the City of Beacon
Franklin  
  In Dutchess County 1795–1812
Frederickstown
  In Dutchess County 1772–1795, as Fredericksburgh precinct 1772–1788
Frederick  
  In Dutchess County 1795–1812
Freedom  
  Name for Town of LaGrange 1821–1828
Hyde Park  
  Part of Great Nine Partners, Pawling, and Fauconnier/Hyde Park patents
  1720 Settled by Dutch
  1737 Part of Crum Elbow and Rhinebeck precincts
  1762 Part of Charlotte and Rhinebeck precincts
  1821 Formed from Town of Clinton
LaGrange  
  Part of Rombout and Beekman patents, later Fishkill and Beekman precincts
  1800 Settled by Society of Friends
  1821 Formed as Freedom from towns of Beekman and Fishkill
  1827 Town of Union Vale formed mostly from Town of Beekman and partly from Town of Freedom (LaGrange)
  1828 Name changed from Freedom to LaGrange
Livingston Manor
  1686 Patent granted to Robert Livingston by Gov. Dongan
  1717 Land annexed by Albany County from Dutchess County
Milan  
  Part of Little Nine Partners Patent
  1760 Settled
  1818 Formed from Town of North East
North East  
  Part of Great Nine Partners Patent, the Little Nine Partners Patent, and the Oblong tract
  1719 Included in North Ward
  1725–30 Settlers from Connecticut
  1737 Little Nine Partners Patent renamed North precinct; Great Nine Partners Patent renamed Crum Elbow precinct
  1743 Boundary extended east across the Oblong tract
  1746 North precinct renamed Northeast precinct
  1788 Recognized as a town by the State of New York
  1818 Daughter town Milan formed
  1823 Annexed northern part of Town of Amenia; daughter town Pine Plains formed
Oblong (tract)
  1731 Opened to settlement
  1743 Divided between Beekman, Crum Elbow, North, and South Precincts
Patterson  
  In Dutchess County 1795–1812, as Philips precinct 1772–1788
Pawling  
  Part of Beekman Patent and the Oblong tract
  1719 Included in Middle Ward and South Ward
  1720–30 Settled by Quakers from Long Island and Westchester County at Quaker Hill
  1768 Formed as a precinct from Beekman precinct
  1788 Recognized as a town by the State of New York
  1807 Daughter town Dover created
Philipstown
  In Dutchess County 1772–1812, as Philips predinct 1772–1788
Pine Plains
  Part of Little Nine Partners Patent
  1740 Settled by German Palatines
  1823 Formed from Town of North East
Pleasant Valley
  Part of Great Nine Partners Patent
  1737–62 Settled by Presbyterians and Quakers
  1821 Formed from Town of Clinton
Poughkeepsie (city)
  1799 Formed as a village in the Town of Poughkeepsie
  1854 Incorporated as a city
Poughkeepsie (town)
  Part of Schuyler and Sanders & Harmanse patents
  1660s Settled by Dutch
  1717 Made county seat
  1719 Included in Middle Ward ✻
  1737 Formed as Poughkeepsie precinct
  1788 Precinct recognized as a town by the State of New York
  1854 Daughter city Poughkeepsie formed from Village of Poughkeepsie
Red Hook  
  Part of Schuyler Patent
  1713–27 Settlements by Dutch
  1812 Formed from Town of Rhinebeck
Rhinebeck  
  Part of several small patents including Kipsburgh alias Rhinebeck
  1713 Became known as Rhinebeck
  1719 Included in North Ward ✻
  1737 Formed as Rhinebeck precinct
  1786 Ceded southern portion to Clinton precinct
  1788 Recognized as a town by the State of New York
  1812 Daughter town Red Hook formed
Southeast  
  In Dutchess County 1772–1812
South(ern) (precinct)
  Formed 1737 in Dutchess County, in 1722 it was divided into Phillips, Fredericksburgh, and Southeast precincts
Stanford  
  Part of Great Nine Partners
  1793 Formed from Town of Washington
Union Vale
  Part of Beekman Patent
  1827 Formed mostly from Town of Beekman and partly from Town of Freedom (now LaGrange)
Wappinger
  Part of Rombout Patent
  1875 Formed from Town of Fishkill
Washington
  Part of Great Nine Partners Patent
  1719 Included in North Ward and Middle Ward
  1737 Part of new Crum Elbow precinct
  1762 Part of new Charlotte precinct
  1786 Formed as Washington precinct from Charlotte Precinct
  1788 Precinct recognized as a town by the State of New York
  1793 Daughter town Stanford formed

Selected links to town websites, clerks, and historians

Amenia
Beacon
Beekman
Clinton Corners
Dover Plains
East Fishkill
Fishkill
Hopewell Junction
Hyde Park
LaGrange
Milan
Millbrook
Millerton
Pawling
  • Official website
  • Historical archives
  • History
  • Town clerk
Pine Plains
Pleasant Valley
Poughkeepsie
Red Hook
Rhinebeck
Stanford
Tivoli
Union Vale
Wappinger Falls
Washington