Putnam County is located in the lower Hudson River Valley and was named in honor of Israel Putnam, a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War. It is one of the most affluent counties in America, ranked 11th by median household income, and 47th by per-capita income, according to the 2000 census. 

Relative to Westchester County, Putnam is about half the size and includes towns such as Brewster, Carmel, Mahopac, Cold Spring, Garrison, Kent, Patterson and Putnam Valley. 

Putnam is the land of parks, ponds, paths and preserves.  Clarence Fahenstock Memorial State Park covers 14,000 acres and offers every outdoor enthusiast everything from camping, hiking, and hunting to boating, cross-country skiing and tubing.  Canopus Lake, Stillwater Lake and Pelton Pond are home to bass, pickerel and trout and is open year round. 

Putnam has a vibrant cultural community.  Art galleries can be found on farms or in quaint riverside villages. Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival makes its home under a tent theater on the grounds of the 19th century Boscobel estate in Garrison, New York, overlooking the Hudson River and has produced critically-acclaimed shows that challenge, inspire and demystify the great works of William Shakespeare. 

If you consider window-shopping a hobby, the quaint village streets of Putnam are filled with antiques stores, farmers markets, and eclectic restaurants with a dramatic view of the Hudson River as a backdrop. 

To learn more, be sure to take a look at Houlihan Lawrence Community Video.