About

The Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society (COLHS) is committed to preserving the history and heritage of the Moravia, New York area. In addition, we are dedicated to preserving and presenting information and items belonging to the 13th president of the United States of America, Millard Fillmore, who was born in the Moravia, New York area. To achieve this purpose, the society collects, preserves, exhibits and researches artifacts and information that document our area's history and heritage at the Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society & Museum ("the History House"), located at 14 West Cayuga Street in Moravia (see map).  We do this in the hope that we can educate, inspire and expand our sense of community through an understanding of our area's past and its place in American history. 

Our area of knowledge is generally limited to the towns located in the southeastern corner of Cayuga County.  For questions pertaining to other areas in Cayuga County, please visit the Cayuga NYGenWeb Site or the Cayuga County Historian's Website.

Some 800+ family files, housed in the Luther Research Center and Archives at the History House, augment the records of individuals who have lived in the area represented by the Historical Society.  These range from notices, letters, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, to whole lineages of several generations.  This collection began when the collection of Leslie Leon Luther, and his wife Bertha Kind Luther, were left to the Society by his family.  Mr. Luther was the Historian in Moravia for 25 years.  An informational packet, including the surname index will be provided upon request. 

COLHS is a qualified not for profit charitable organization chartered by the Regents of the State of New York.  Contributions are 100% tax deductible under IRS regulations per section 501(c)(3). Your support is greatly appreciated.