Verdoy, New York

Coordinates: 42°45′52″N 73°48′14″W / 42.76444°N 73.80389°W / 42.76444; -73.80389
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Verdoy
518

Verdoy, formerly known as Watervliet Center, is a

Mohawk Hudson Hike/Bike Trail
.

History

Lewis Morris came to the area of present-day Verdoy, then known as Watervliet Center, in 1835; along with being the second postmaster of the post office he built a hotel, store, and several shops. The hamlet was known as Morrisville for some time in his honor.[1]

In the 19th century, Watervliet Center was home to Yearsley's Public House at the corner of

Troy-Schenectady Road and Old Niskayuna Road. Elsie Lansing Whipple and Jesse Strang stopped at Yearsley's during a storm just before Strang would murder Whipple's wealthy husband at the Cherry Hill mansion in Albany.[2]

In 1991, the New York State Department of Transportation widened Route 7 to include a 12-foot (3.7 m) center turning lane between St. David's Lane in Niskayuna and Wade Road east of Verdoy. The 6.4-mile (10.3 km) long widening demolished nine homes and two businesses along with taking several vacant properties.[2]

Much of Verdoy's history has been moved to save it from development and the airport noise district. Houses found in the 1970s to be experiencing high noise levels were purchased by the Albany County Airport (today the

New York State Barge Canal changed the shoreline of the Mohawk River in 1915, the barn was rolled uphill, being pulled by horse and rolled on logs. The barn was moved again in 1988 to the Pruyn House historical site.[4] The Verdoy School was built in 1910 as a one-room schoolhouse and was used up until 1958, when the North Colonie Central School District started using it as a storage building. In 1995, the school district donated the building to the town of Colonie. As part of the town's centennial, the Centennial Commission paid for the school to be transported to the Pruyn House on Old Niskayuna Road in Newtonville for use as a museum.[6]

Due to being in the path of a runway the airport has condemned the airspace above buildings, including the former Verdoy firehouse. In 1998, the airport purchased the Verdoy Volunteer Fire Department's firehouse on Route 7 and rented it back to the department for $1.00 a year. The station, at 8,000 square feet (740 m2) became too small for a new

control tower and the Hilton hotel; in 2000, the fire department moved to its current location further up the road with a 21,500 square feet (2,000 m2) building.[7]

Geography

While Colonie's hamlets do not have specifically demarcated borders, Verdoy is generally considered to include the areas along New York State Route 7, west of the Colonie hamlet of Latham and between Albany International Airport and the Mohawk River.

Location

Services

The hamlet and surrounding areas, including the Albany International Airport is served by the Verdoy Volunteer Fire Department. The department serves approximately 7,500 residents (in 2000) and covers 7.5 miles (12.1 km) of the town of Colonie.[7]

References

  1. ^ Howell, George Rogers and Jonathan Tenney (1886). Bi-Centennial History of Albany: History of the County of Albany, N.Y., From 1609 to 1886. W.W. Munsell & Co. p. 935.
  2. ^ a b Lopez, Michael (March 11, 1991). "Widened Route 7 to Erase the Past". Times Union (Albany). Hearst Communication. p. B1. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  3. ^ Carr, Julie (November 13, 1992). "Fond Memories Demolished Along With Homes". Times Union (Albany). Hearst Communication. p. B1. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  4. ^ a b Shepard, Judy (July 17, 1988). "Barn Again Nostalgia Returns Farm Buildings to Architectural Limelight". Times Union (Albany). Hearst Communication. p. F1. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  5. ^ McKeon, Michael (January 18, 1988). "Colonie Seeks New Bids for Barn Relocation". Times Union (Albany). Hearst Communication. p. 4A. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  6. ^ Carey, Mark (August 29, 1995). "North Colonie to Donate Old Verdoy School to Town". Times Union (Albany). Hearst Communication. p. B4. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  7. ^ a b Mattox, Keri P. (April 1, 2000). "Verdoy to Vote on $2.7M Bond". Times Union (Albany). Hearst Communication. p. B1. Retrieved September 6, 2010.

External links

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