About Us

As a nonprofit organization, Hilltown Commons is committed to enriching the community by generating opportunities for local participation, partnering with local organizations and residents, and collaborating with other mission-based organizations to further drive our mission and vision.

All our staff and board reside in the Hilltowns and are deeply invested in programming that evokes curiosity, engagement, and community building.

  • MISSION

    Our mission is to nurture and empower community through dynamic programs that foster discovery, creativity, and connection.

  • VISION

    We envision an empowering space where individuals immerse themselves in nature to explore, collaborate, get grounded, and stay wild.

History

The roots of Hilltown Commons go back to 1924 when Laura Talmage Huyck convened “Country Forums on Human Relations” at her home as a reaction to the carnage of World War I. The forums aimed to promote global understanding that would lead to peaceful resolutions of differences. Students came from many countries to discuss how to achieve world peace and mutual understanding.

In 1963, Huyck’s daughter Katharine and her husband P.L. Elmore and their friends Winifred and Everett Clinchy re-established these forums when they founded The Institute on Man and Science. They donated their adjacent Huyck estates for the Institute’s 100-acre campus. Clinchy founded The National Conference of Christians and Jews and was a world leader in efforts to promote world peace. The two couples attracted a broad range of influential and world-renowned thinkers to take part in Institute programs. Rensselaerville residents were invited to lectures and to discuss lecture topics with the speakers.

Most recently, Bill Carey purchased the campus in 2012 with the goal to re-establish the original spirit of dynamic inquiry to empower people to make informed decisions that can create meaningful change in the world. Bill died before the purchase was final, but fortunately Bill’s family and the W. P. Carey Foundation stepped in to complete the purchase and provided essential funding and operational guidance.