After purchasing the James Vanderpoel House in 1925, Columbia County Historical Society spent several years restoring the property. In 1930 the James Vanderpoel House opened to the public. Seasonal exhibits displayed selections from the Historical Society’s ever-growing furniture and decorative arts collections, and contained objects borrowed from local families, art dealers and New York City museums. 

From Hudson Valley Furniture (1937) to Decorative Paperweights (1947) to American Modern Art (1955), the James Vanderpoel House exhibited an array of objects aimed at inspiring an interest in history and preservation within Columbia County. Some of the loaned pieces were eventually gifted into the Columbia County Historical Society’s permanent collection, where they remain for the enjoyment of future generations.