Above: 1829 Certificate naming Horace Allen as Potsdam's Post Master and signed in: "the fifty-fourth year since the Independence of the United States.

The Archives are a collection of non-current records of organizations, institutions, businesses and individuals that existed in Potsdam and the surrounding area from 1800 to the not so distant past. These records are preserved because of their continuing value to the community. The museum is responsible for selecting, preserving and making available these records to the public.

These records are stored in special boxes that are acid free, called archival boxes. These slow down the process of deterioration that happens to paper and ...all of us, as we age. Some items are placed in archival sleeves to further protect them from physical damage that happens when they are handled. Archives may not be removed from the museum, but can be photocopied by the museum staff for a small fee.