Schuylerville, New York

This article is about the village in upstate New York. For the neighborhood in the Bronx, NY, see Schuylerville, Bronx.

Schuylerville, New York
Village
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Saratoga
Area
• Total	0.6 sq mi (1.5 km2)
• Land	0.5 sq mi (1.4 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	128 ft (39 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,386
• Density	2,622.5/sq mi (1,012.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	12871
Area code	518
FIPS code	36-65750
GNIS feature ID	0964639

Schuylerville is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,386 at the 2010 census. The village is named after the Schuyler family. Schuylerville was the site of the Battles of Saratoga (1777) and contains several historic buildings including General Schuyler House and Old Saratoga Reformed Church. The Saratoga Monument is located in nearby Victory, Saratoga County, New York. Schuylerville High School and a library are part of the village.

The Village of Schuylerville is in the northeast part of the Town of Saratoga and is east of Saratoga Springs. It borders the Village of Victory. Schuylerville is close to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Raceway, Saratoga National Historical Park, Skidmore College, SUNY Empire State College, Adirondack Community College and Glens Falls Civic Center. The New York State Thruway and I-87 run near Schuylerville connecting it with Albany, the Adirondacks, the Catskills, and New England.

History

Inhabited by Native Americans from at least 1,200 years ago, the region was settled by Dutch settlers from Albany, New York in 1691 and called Fort Saratoga. These settlers included the Schuyler family. Conflicts occurred between French, Indians, Dutch, and English peoples. The peace of 1763 between France and England left the area open for settlement. Homes and mills were built including General Phillip Schuyler's flax mill in 1767 (the first of its kind in the American Colonies).

The community that developed near the fort was originally called "Saratoga," but was partly destroyed in 1745. The Old Saratoga reformed Church was organized in 1770. It was used as a hospital during the Revolutionary War.

Revolutionary War

In 1777 the British crossed the Hudson and marched south about 9 miles to Stillwater. After their defeat, the British retreated back to the village, where they surrendered, marking the "turning point of the Revolution." This event is known as the Battles of Saratoga. The Americans' victory at Saratoga was enough to finally convince France to throw her support to the American cause and Spain would eventually follow France's lead.

Incorporation

The village was incorporated in 1831 as Schuylerville. The Champlain Canal helped the local economy. Many people and businesses currently refer to the village by the nickname Old Saratoga, also, Olde Saratoga.

Historic sites

The Marshall House, found a mile north of the village center and the sole remaining witness building to the Battles of Saratoga, is listed as a significant Revolutionary War historic site. The Schuyler House, the Bullard Block, Old Saratoga Reformed Church, and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Environmental concerns

There has been much debate about dredging the Hudson River that borders the east side of the Village of Schuylerville. The General Electric transformer plant dumped PCBs upstream in Hudson Falls, New York from 1947 to 1977. GE and the United States Environmental Protection Agency have come to an agreement in which GE is responsible for dredging a 40-mile (64 km) stretch of the river. The first part of the dredging will end in Schuylerville. In a press release from the EPA dated February 8, 2007, the EPA announced that the dredging would not start until 2009 because of various project complications. The debate over dredging the Hudson River has created tension within the community from the mid- to late-1990s to about 2003. The debate was heated for sometime, with some residents skeptical as to whether dredging will make the problem better or worse. This is said to be the largest Superfund project in the United States.

New York Times coverage

In the March 25, 1990 issue of The New York Times, writer James Howard Kunstler published a piece entitled "Schuylerville Stands Still". This piece used Schuylerville as an example of rural "rot and disrepair", citing unemployment, broken sidewalks, and dented cans at the local mini market, Mini Mart. Reaction to the article from members of the community was strongly negative. Kunstler also used Schuylerville as an example of a town in decline in a chapter titled "The loss of community" in his 1993 book, The Geography of Nowhere.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), of which, 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (10.34%) is water.

The village is on the west bank of the Hudson River, which defines the county line of Washington County.

US Route 4 and NY Route 29 intersect in the community. NY Route 32 is conjoined with US-4 in the village.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	1,348		—
1870	1,367		1.4%
1880	1,617		18.3%
1890	1,387		−14.2%
1900	1,601		15.4%
1910	1,614		0.8%
1920	1,625		0.7%
1930	1,411		−13.2%
1940	1,447		2.6%
1950	1,314		−9.2%
1960	1,361		3.6%
1970	1,402		3.0%
1980	1,256		−10.4%
1990	1,364		8.6%
2000	1,197		−12.2%
2010	1,386		15.8%
2015 (est.)	1,374		−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,386 people, 593 households, and 356 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,622.5 people per square mile (1012.4/km²). There were 663 housing units at an average density of 1,254.5 per square mile (484.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.4% White, 1.2% African American, 0.9% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.

There were 593 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were married couples living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the village the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 20, 22.7% from 20 to 34, 22.2% from 35 to 49, 16.6% from 50 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.1 years.

According to the 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the median income for a household in the village was $55,284, and the median income for a family was $67,768. Males had a median income of $50,625 versus $32,629 for females. The per capita income for the village was $24,157. About 7.8% of families and 12% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.

The Marshall House

The Marshall House lies one mile north of the village center on US Highway 4 and NY Highway 32. Made famous by Baroness Frederika Riedesel in her Letters and Journals relating to the War of the American Revolution and the Capture of the German Troops at Saratoga.

This house was built in 1770-1773. During the closing days of the Battles of Saratoga, Baroness Riedesel with her three infant daughters sheltered there together with the wives of officers of the British army and wounded personnel. Her account of the travails of those around her, her keen insight into the personalities of the principal officers of both the British and American armies and her devotion to her husband in peril have led some commentators to name her as the first woman war correspondent.

The Marshall House was bombarded by the Americans who supposed it an enemy headquarters. Within are conserved cannonballs and other reminders of the ordeal suffered by those who took refuge there. The stone cellar made famous by the baroness is largely unchanged. The Marshall House is the sole remaining witness building to the Battles of Saratoga. The owners welcome visitors by appointment.

Bibliography

• [2] Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, I, by Benson J. Lossing, 1850.
• [3] Stone, William L., translator. Letters and Journals relating to the War of the American Revolution, and the Capture of the German Troops at Saratoga, by Mrs. General Riedesel. Joel Munsell, Albany, N. Y., 1867.
• Old Saratoga and The Burgoyne Campaign", by William S. Ostrander, Schuylerville, N. Y., 1897.
• The Baroness and the General, by Louise Hall Tharp, Little, Brown and Company, Boston/Toronto, 1962.
• Baroness von Riedesel and the American Revolution, Marvin L. Brown, JR., The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1965.

Further reading

• A Brief History of Schuylerville The Turning Point Parade & Festival

External links

• Village of Schuylerville website
• The Marshall House website
• Schuylerville Turning Point Newspaper