Town of Ghent


Greg Berninger, Town Historian
Phone: 518-758-2692
PO Box 98
Ghent, NY 12075
Email: historian@townofghent.org

Ghent, NY: 200 years of History

GHENT HISTORY
The Town of Ghent was incorporated on April 3, 1818. Before that, it was locally known as "Squampamock" and Kline Kill. Squampamock is a Native American term signifying "the meeting of the waters."

Around 1735, early settlers, exploiting areas cleared by the natives, moved into the area. In 1818, the town of Ghent was founded from parts of the towns of Chatham, Claverack, and Kinderhook. The name has its origin in the Flemish city Ghent, in Flanders, Belgium.

Ghent's Famous Elephant Farm

Ghent Chatham Line

Buckleyville Marker

Ghent Railroad Station

In Search of Ghent's One-Room Schoolhouses

Ghent's First Town Hall

Meeting House Marker