This is a history of Lansingburgh, New York.
Overview
The town of Lansingburgh was originally intended as the site for the principal city north of Albany on the east bank of the Hudson River; but the inhabitants of the settlement a mile or two south of New City (not to be confused with New City, a different city in New York known today by that name), as the village of Lansingburgh was first known, took advantage of the opportunities which presented themselves in rapid succession, and the prestige which in the natural order of things should have gone to Lansingburgh went to Troy, which rapidly outran its rival in the race for commercial supremacy in Rensselaer County.
The town of Lansingburgh is located on the western border of the county, north of the city of Troy and south of the town of Schaghticoke. On the east lie the towns of Pittstown and Brunswick and on the west the Hudson River, separating Lansingburgh from the northern part of Albany county and the southern part of Saratoga county. The site of the county was originally included in parts of two separate patents. The northern part of the town as at present constituted was set off from Schaghticoke in 1819 and forms a part of the Schaghticóke tract, occupied by the Schaghticoke Indians and set off to them in 1670. This territory afterward became the property of the city of Albany and was sold in 1707 to the Knickerbocker colony. The southern part of the town formed a part of the Stone Arabia patent.
Early history
Soon after the Dutch began to make settlements in the vicinity of what is now Troy, Robert Saunders, a resident of Albany, was attracted to the level and fertile tract now in the town of Lansingburgh, and called by the Indians Tascamcatick, and the woodland to the south called Passquassick. September 1, 1670, Francis Lovelace, governor of the province of New York, granted the former tract to Saunders. March 22, 1679, Sir Edmund Andros, another governor, granted to Saunders the woodland, together with the small island in the Hudson called Whale island, since submerged by the construction of the State dam south of it. September 19, 1681, Saunders sold part of the woodland south of Piscawen kill to Peter Van Woggelum. May 26, 1683, Saunders sold the remaining portion of his patent, Tascamcatick, to Joannes Wendell, and the latter afterward purchased another piece of woodland which extended northward along the river to a creek called by the Indians Paensick kill. Wendell's land was confirmed to him July 22, 1686, by a patent granted by Governor Thomas Dongan and called Steene (Stony) Arabia patent, and for over a century the territory was known as Stone Arabia. June 21, 1763, Robert Wendell, a descendant and heir of Joannes Wendell, sold to Abraham Jacob Lansing, for 300 pounds, that portion of his property beginning opposite the middle branch of the Mohawk River and running thence eastward as far as the limits of the Stone Arabia patent, excepting that portion which had been sold to Simon Van Antwerp but then owned by William Rogers. A deed given by Stephen Van Rensselaer (one of the patroons) to Abraham Jacob Lansing, dated July 13, 1769, described the north bounds of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck and the south bounds of the Stone Arabia patent.
The number of settlers increased rapidly and Lansing, believing that his property would soon form the site of a thriving village, in 1771 had a portion of it surveyed and laid out into lots, with streets and alleys, by Joseph Blanchard, which he called Lansingburgh. The map showed 288 lots, and the ground it covered included that bounded by North, East and South streets and the Hudson River.
On January 1, 1771, the inhabitants of the settlement agreed upon a compact called the "Proposals," for the government of the community, and chose civil officers. It was provided that there be annually elected a committee of five persons, a "town clerk, a path-master, and three Fence Viewers, "and that Abraham Jacob Lansing, or his heirs forever, should be one of the committee; At the first town meeting Ebenezer Marvin was elected moderator and Thomas S. Diamond clerk. The first committee comprised Abraham Jacob Lansing, Isaac Bogart, John Barber, Ebenezer Marvin, and Benjamin French. Abraham Wendell was chosen pathmaster, and Robert Wendell, Levinus Lansing, and Isaac Van Arnum fenceviewers.
The advantageous location of the new "City of Lansingburgh" attracted many persons from other localities, particularly from New England, and the embryo village grew rapidly. Small manufacturing establishments were started and mercantile and commercial houses were founded at a rate that gave great promise. In 1774 a school was founded by Maus R. Van Vranka, who also agreed to read one English and one Dutch - sermon on every Sunday in the' year, excepting four Sundays reserved for himself.
1775–1800 When the inhabitants of Lansingburgh became aware of the fact that the relations between the American colonists and Great Britain had become strained almost to the point of rupture, they showed their patriotism by subscribing to a paper which read as follows, dated June 15, 1775: A General Association agreed to and subscribed by the Freemen Freeholders and Inhabitants of Lansingburgh and Patent of Stone Arabia.
That these men meant all that they said and promised is evidenced in the fact that, with very few exceptions, their names are found enrolled upon the following lists of militia maintained during the War of the Revolution. Some of the names are those of persons then residing outside the bounds of the town, but there is no record distinguishing them from residents of Lansingburgh.
The first Masonic lodge in Lansingburgh was Hiram lodge No. 35, F. & A. M., which was instituted upon a warrant granted August 16, 1787.
The growth of New City, as Lansingburgh was commonly called in contradistinction to the Old City (Albany), and the development of its various industries were so great that May 21, 1787, "Claxton & Babcock in King street between Hoosick and South Streets," in answer to what they believed to be a demand for a local newspaper, brought out the first issue of the first newspaper published in Lansingburgh-the Northern Centinel and Lansingborough Advertiser. It was a weekly publication and the first newspaper printed within the limits of the territory now known as Rensselaer county. Strange as may seem, it did not contain a line of local news except the publishers' announcement to the public. Its contents consisted of several columns of European "news" three months old, a few brief items regarding events which had occurred nearly a month before in New York, Boston and Philadelphia, some miscellany and five advertisements. The publication at once became popular and circulated through a large territory north and east of Lansingburgh. The name "Lansingborough," which appeared in the caption of the paper, was an error of the printers, but was not changed to Lansingburgh for several months.
At the time of the establishment of the Centinel every inhabitant of Lansingburgh expected that the village was destined to become a large and prosperous city. New buildings were erected on all sides and the demand for residences and stores could not be supplied at times. Not infrequently persons who came here to locate were compelled to go elsewhere temporarily. The transportation business between this and other points had grown to large proportions, and sailing craft of all descriptions came up to the southern part of the village, where they deposited their burdens and departed with new cargoes.
The expectations of the founder of Lansingburgh were more than met in its rapid development. In 1790, so numerous had become the population and so varied the business interests of the community, that it was deemed advisable to establish a more substantial form of government than the "Proposals" first agreed to. Consequently, April 5, 1790, the State Legislature passed an act to appoint trustees to take and hold certain lands therein mentioned, and for other purposes.
Soon after a fire company was organized, and in 1791 the hand fire engine known as old No. 1 was purchased in Philadelphia.
Abraham Jacob Lansingh; founder of Lansingburgh, died October 9, 1791, in the seventy second year of his age. His wife, Catherine Lansing, died the day before in the sixty-ninth year of her age. In the notice of his death printed in the American Spy October 14 he is referred to as "the original proprietor of this town."
The "Scotch Seceders," as they styled themselves, built a church in 1789 or 1790 on the ground later occupied by the brush factory of J. G. McMurray & Co. The Rev. John Gausman was pastor, but the society died out after a brief career.
The first post-office in Lansingburgh was established in June 1792. Up that date letters for Lansingburgh were sent to Albany and there sent to their destination by a stage line operated by Annanias Platt upon the authority of the Legislature. Stephen Gorham was made deputy postmaster in April 1791. He was succeeded in the summer of 1792 by John Lovett, who became the first postmaster of Troy.
As early as June 18, 1782, Rev. Brandt Schuyler Lupton preached in Lansingburgh, but he did not become the pastor of a congregation until November 3, 1758, being ordained on the third Sunday of that month as pastor of the Reformed Protestant Dutch church. The first church edifice was erected on the north-west corner of Richard and John streets and was used as a house of worship until 1832. The congregation continued in existence until the close of the 18th century. August 9, 1792, the First Presbyterian church was organized and the cornerstone of the building subsequently used by the congregation as a house of worship was laid July 5, 1793, by Rev. Jonas Coe, pastor of the united congregations of Lansingburgh and Troy.1 The church was dedicated the following year. It was built on the north end of the village green and its walks were made of brick imported from Holland by Levinus Lansing, which he originally intended to use in the construction of a residence for himself.
The Lansingburgh library was opened September 9, 1794, with William Bell as librarian. The library was incorporated by an act of the Legislature February 24, 1795.
February 10, 1795, the Legislature passed a law providing for. the paving of certain streets. in Lansingburgh and appointing John D. Dickinson, James Dole, Jonas Morgan, Annanias Platt, Nicholas Schuyler, John Keating and Benjamin Tibbits commissioners to direct the work of improvement. The streets directed to be paved were King street, leading from what was called South street to Richard Street; North street, leading from Queen street to Water street; and Hoosick street, leading from Queen street to Water street.
The first water works in Lansingburgh of which any information is in existence were constructed prior to or during 1795. In December of that year water was supplied to all persons desiring it, from aqueducts constructed and maintained by Luther Emes & Co.
The Lansingburgh academy was chartered by the Regents of the University February 20, 1796, in response to a petition signed December 24, 1795, by influential residents of the village.
The law erecting the village of Lansingburgh was soon found to be incomplete, uncertain and restricted.
Provision was also made for the election of three assessors, a collector, treasurer and "as many fire wardens as the trustees for the time being or the major part thereof may order and direct." The duties of the village officers were carefully defined.
March 30, 1798, by act of the Legislature, Alexander I. Turner and Adonijah Skinner were given the exclusive right, for five years beginning May 1, 1798, to conduct a stage line between the village of Lansingburgh and the town of Hampton, Washington county, passing through the towns of Hebron, Salem and Granville.