About the Omena Historical Society

The Omena Historical Society is dedicated to helping preserve the history of our area for visitors, residents and future generations. Our quest to do that began informally in the mid-1980s by a group of friends discussing the history of the area. From those discussions evolved a formal effort to preserve the history of Omena and in 1994 the Omena Historical Society was formed.

Since its formation, the OHS has annually presented programs, classes and field trips relating to local history. The OHS was a partner in the 2002 Omena Sesquicentennial celebration, and commissioned and published the award winning book “Omena: A Place in Time” by Amanda Holmes. A newsletter “Timelines” is published annually. In 2004 the OHS acquired the historic 1876 Putnam-Cloud Tower House and moved it to its present location in the heart of the village. After two years and thousands of volunteer hours of restoration work, the Putnam-Cloud Tower House Museum opened as the home – and major exhibit- of the OHS.

Each year new exhibits are constructed in the Museum by the volunteer exhibit committee for all to enjoy. The work of collecting, preserving and archiving Omena history quietly continues year-round. In 2017, the OHS was the sponsoring organization for the listing of the Omena Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

Now, years later, the mission and work of the society have continued through its many supporters and volunteers, who have become part of Omena’s history.