Chris Leonard

Chris Leonard has served as the City Historian of Schenectady since Feb 1, 2018. In this capacity, he brings a lifetime of historical, technical and marketing knowledge to the City.

The son of two history professors, Chris grew up in Hamden, Connecticut. It is not a stretch to say that "History is in his blood." While his friends were reading Batman and Spiderman comics, he was reading about Abraham Lincoln and Leif Erickson.

Chris was named Historian of the GE Plot by the Plot Association Board in December 2016 – the first official historian in the nearly 120 year history of the Plot. He gives monthly tours of the neighborhood from May-October, which serves as fundraiser for the GE Realty Plot Association, the Schenectady County Historical Society and the Office of the City Historian of Schenectady. He is a trustee and volunteer at the Schenectady County Historical Society and Historical Vale Cemetery.