Explore the Hardenburgh Patent with Surveyor Rick Brooks at the Matthewis Persen House Museum on August 23. Discover how early surveyors divided, mapped, and shaped settlement of the Catskills

KINGSTON, NY — The Ulster County Clerk’s Office invites the public to a fascinating lecture by Rick Brooks, a third-generation surveyor and historian, who will present “The Hardenburgh Patent: A Surveyor’s Journey” on Saturday, August 23 at 2:00 p.m. at the Matthewis Persen House, 74 John Street, Kingston.

“Programs like this make history accessible and engaging for everyone,” said Acting Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck. “The Hardenburgh Patent shaped the development of Ulster County and the Catskills, and Rick Brooks’ expertise helps us understand how surveyors played a critical role in that process. We are excited to host this program at the Persen House, where the public can connect directly with the stories and tools that defined our past.”

A licensed surveyor since 1984, Brooks has spent his career in and around the Catskill Mountain region and is well versed in the history of land patents. During his presentation, he will demonstrate traditional surveying tools and techniques, and show how surveyors read and measured the land.

On display at the August 23 event will be antique maps, survey instruments, and measuring chains used during the settlement of the Hardenburgh Patent wilderness. This 1.5-million-acre tract was granted in 1708 by Edward Hyde (Lord Cornbury) to eight men, Johannes Hardenburgh among them. The patentees and their successors hoped to profit by bringing in homesteaders, who would settle the land and pay rent for the privilege. But before settlement could begin, the patent had to be divided and mapped by intrepid surveyors such as William Cockburn and John Kierstead.

Brooks will offer a short history of the patent and its evolution, explaining how surveyors guided European development in the mountains where Indigenous peoples had lived, fished, and hunted for centuries. Attendees will also learn how to interpret early maps and deeds, whose language has descended through the generations to today’s legal documents. Brooks will further highlight the work of more recent but equally legendary surveyors, including his great uncle Ed West and Norman VanValkenburgh.

Richard C. Brooks was licensed to practice his profession in 1984. He currently serves as a Senior Project Manager for Control Point Associates, formerly Brooks & Brooks Land Surveyors. The firm was formed in 1990 when he and his wife Patricia P. Brooks, LS combined their respective family surveying businesses. He currently serves on a number of State and National Surveying related committees.

Richard C. Brooks currently serves as a Senior Project Manager for Control Point Associates, formerly Brooks & Brooks Land Surveyors. The firm was established in 1990 when he and his wife, Patricia P. Brooks, LS, combined their respective family surveying businesses. Over his career, Brooks has served on numerous state and national surveying committees, bringing his expertise and passion for the profession to a wide audience.

The Matthewis Persen House Museum is open to the public Thursdays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information about upcoming events and to schedule group tours, visit https://clerk.ulstercountyny.gov/archives/persen-house, follow us on Facebook, or contact the Ulster County Historian at (845) 340-3415 or countyhistorian[at]co.ulster.ny[dot]us.

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