Greene

Formed March 3, 1800 (30^th county)

Greene County (47,933), Catskill (3,799)

The masonry Classical Revival structure was built in 1913.  There were 1812 and 1819 courthouses earlier in Catskill, the only county seat.  The courthouse is on Main and Clark streets.  United States Highway 9 West is seven blocks west of the courthouse.  William J. Beardsley provided the designs.  The building has been enlarged in 2010.  The county was founded on March 3, 1800 from parts of Albany and Ulster counties as the 30^th county.  The county is named for American Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene.  Catskill is a Dutch word meaning “cat’s stream.”  Greene County was the birthplace for 2 New York Governors, Washington Hunt and Lucius Robinson. 

Greene County government consists of a sheriff and 14 Legislators.  One County Court Judge and One Family Court Judges serve Greene County.  Greene County is in eastern New York.  The Hudson River forms its eastern border.  Albany, New York is north and New York City, New York is south of the county.  The county center is 27.3 miles West-Northwest of Catskill nearer Windham.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Albany, Rensselaer, Columbia, Ulster, Delaware, and Schoharie counties. 

The area of the county is 658 square miles.  It is 37 out of 62 in the state.  It ranks 48 out of 62 in population in the state.  It has a density of 72.8 persons per square mile making it 41 out of 62 in the state.  Greene County has 19.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 87 passes north to south in the county from Albany County to Ulster County.  United States Highway 9 West parallels Interstate Highway 87 from Albany to Ulster counties.  The county looks like a glass spilled toward the east.  Catskill is on the eastern border of the county.  Catskill is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 7.9% of the county population.