Goldsmith, New York
Encyclopedia
Goldsmith is a hamlet
in the Town of Franklin
, Franklin County
, New York
, about 30 miles (48.3 km) west of Plattsburgh, New York
.
Goldsmith is a virtual ghost town
today, but over a hundred years ago is was a bustling community with a school, a post office, two hotels, a grand ball room and numerous houses. A sawmill was located along the North Branch of the Saranac River
, and a the dam formed a small lake or mill pond extending up to Slab Bridge. The land, once logged, proved to be excellent farm land. Goldsmith was one of the first Adirondack villages to have electricity. Much of the land was granted by Garret Smith, some to escaped or freed slaves.
Charcoal was an early product, made for nearby forges.
The dam was blown out in 1926, and the mill closed. Farming remained vibrant. Hops were grown during Prohibition. Few year round residents remain. Much of the land around Slab Bridge was subdivided into small 1 and 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) lots.
The Nature Conservancy
has purchased much of the area of Goldsmith.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the Town of Franklin
Franklin, Franklin County, New York
Franklin is a town located in Franklin County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,197.The Town of Franklin is in southeast part of the county, southeast of the Village of Malone . Franklin is in the Adirondack Region of New York State.- History...
, Franklin County
Franklin County, New York
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,599. It is named in honor of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, about 30 miles (48.3 km) west of Plattsburgh, New York
Plattsburgh (city), New York
Plattsburgh is a city in and county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 19,989 at the 2010 census. The population of the unincorporated areas within the Town of Plattsburgh was 11,870 as of the 2010 census; making the population for the immediate, urban Plattsburgh,...
.
Goldsmith is a virtual ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
today, but over a hundred years ago is was a bustling community with a school, a post office, two hotels, a grand ball room and numerous houses. A sawmill was located along the North Branch of the Saranac River
Saranac River
Saranac River is an river in the U.S. state of New York. In its upper reaches is a region of mostly flat water and lakes. The river has more than three dozen source lakes and ponds north of Upper Saranac Lake; the highest is Mountain Pond on Long Pond Mountain...
, and a the dam formed a small lake or mill pond extending up to Slab Bridge. The land, once logged, proved to be excellent farm land. Goldsmith was one of the first Adirondack villages to have electricity. Much of the land was granted by Garret Smith, some to escaped or freed slaves.
Charcoal was an early product, made for nearby forges.
The dam was blown out in 1926, and the mill closed. Farming remained vibrant. Hops were grown during Prohibition. Few year round residents remain. Much of the land around Slab Bridge was subdivided into small 1 and 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) lots.
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
has purchased much of the area of Goldsmith.