High Quality Image of Document Will Be Available for Public View

WHITE PLAINS, NY: Thursday, November 1st is the 330th Anniversary of Westchester County, which is among New York’s ten original counties created by the Colonial Assembly. “To commemorate this anniversary, I have commissioned from the New York State Archives, a high quality image of the original document designating Westchester a county in 1683,” stated Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni. The image is of Chapter 4 of the 15 statutes, referred to as “Dongan’s Laws”, the act which created the original Albany, Dutchess, Kings, New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Ulster, and Westchester counties. The counties also included Cornwall and Dukes, which are no longer part of New York State. The County Clerk’s Office is the oldest elected office in the county, coinciding with the law in 1683.

In noting how much Westchester County has changed and evolved over the last 330 years, Idoni remarked, “This statute is a fascinating and important historical document of our county, which once included parts of the Bronx and Manhattan.” A copy of the image is attached.

The document will go on display in the Legal Division of the Westchester County Clerk’s Office in the coming weeks.   For more information on arranging for a visit for your school or group, please call (914)995-3082. The office, which is located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in White Plains, is open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Information will also be available on the County Clerk website at www.westchesterclerk.com.

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