New York State Route 72
Encyclopedia
New York State Route 72 (NY 72) is a state highway
in the North Country
of New York
in the United States
. The road is an east–west highway located entirely within the eastern part of St. Lawrence County
. The western terminus of NY 72 is at an intersection with NY 56
in the town of Potsdam
, south of the village of Potsdam
. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with NY 11B
west of the community of Hopkinton in the town of Hopkinton
.
The NY 72 designation dates back to 1930; however, the route initially followed an entirely different alignment from Potsdam to Hopkinton and was much longer than it is now, extending as far east as Brighton
, Franklin County
. It was shifted onto its present routing by the 1940s and truncated to its current length in the 1970s.
southwest of the Potsdam
village limits in the town of the same name
in northern St. Lawrence County
. The route heads southeast on a line to Stafford Corners, a small hamlet located on the Potsdam-Parishville
, then turns east to serve the hamlets of Parishville Center, located at the junction of NY 72 and Ashton/Sinclair Roads, and Parishville, located on the west branch of the St. Regis River
. Within Parishville, NY 72, named Main Street, crosses over the river and intersects the southern end of County Route 47, a connector leading to U.S. Route 11 and NY 11C
10 miles (16 km) to the north.
East of the hamlet of Parishville, NY 72 turns to the northeast and proceeds on a linear alignment through the towns of Parishville and Hopkinton
toward the hamlet of Hopkinton in the northeast corner of the town of the same name. Upon reaching the community, the route terminates at NY 11B
, the primary east–west route through the hamlet.
to Brighton
via Southville, Hopkinton
, and Saint Regis Falls (modern NY 11B
and NY 458
) was originally designated as part of NY 2A from Potsdam to Nicholville and as part of NY 56 from Nicholville to Brighton in the mid-1920s. NY 56 initially continued northwestward from Nicholville to Massena
by way of Lawrenceville, North Lawrence, and Winthrop. When NY 2 was redesignated as U.S. Route 11 in 1927, the NY 2A designation was eliminated and replaced with a rerouted NY 56 from Potsdam to Nicholville. NY 56 was truncated to end in Potsdam as part of the change. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, NY 56 was renumbered to NY 72 while an alternate routing of NY 72 between Potsdam and Hopkinton via Parishville
was assigned NY 72A.
When NY 11B was assigned in the renumbering, it was simply a north–south connector between Nicholville and Lawrenceville. By the following year, NY 11B was extended west from Nicholville to Potsdam, creating a lengthy overlap with NY 72 between the two locations. The length of the concurrency was significantly reduced in the early 1940s when NY 72 was rerouted to follow NY 72A between Potsdam and Hopkinton. The overlap was eliminated ca. 1973 when NY 72 was truncated to the west end of its overlap with NY 11B. The portion of former NY 72 southeast of Nicholville became NY 458.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the North Country
North Country, New York
The North Country is a region of the U.S. state of New York that encompasses the state's extreme northern frontier, bordering Lake Ontario on the west, the Saint Lawrence River and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec on the north and northwest, and Lake Champlain and Vermont on the east...
of 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The road is an east–west highway located entirely within the eastern part of St. Lawrence County
St. Lawrence County, New York
St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
. The western terminus of NY 72 is at an intersection with NY 56
New York State Route 56
New York State Route 56 is a north–south state highway in eastern St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 3 in the town of Colton. Its northern terminus is at a junction with NY 37 southwest of Massena in the...
in the town of Potsdam
Potsdam (town), New York
Potsdam is a town located in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 15,957 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 13676. The town is named after the city of Potsdam in Germany...
, south of the village of Potsdam
Potsdam (village), New York
Potsdam is a village located in the Town of Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, New York, USA. The population was 9,425 at the 2000 census.The Village of Potsdam is in the eastern part of the town and is northeast of Canton, the county seat....
. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with NY 11B
New York State Route 11B
New York State Route 11B is a state highway in northern New York, United States. It provides a parallel, more southerly east–west route to U.S. Route 11 between US 11 in Potsdam and US 11, NY 30, and NY 37 in Malone...
west of the community of Hopkinton in the town of Hopkinton
Hopkinton, New York
Hopkinton is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York in the United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from early settlers with the name Hopkins....
.
The NY 72 designation dates back to 1930; however, the route initially followed an entirely different alignment from Potsdam to Hopkinton and was much longer than it is now, extending as far east as Brighton
Brighton, Franklin County, New York
Brighton is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,682 at the 2000 census. It was named after Brighton, England by early surveyors in the region....
, 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...
. It was shifted onto its present routing by the 1940s and truncated to its current length in the 1970s.
Route description
NY 72 begins at an intersection with NY 56New York State Route 56
New York State Route 56 is a north–south state highway in eastern St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 3 in the town of Colton. Its northern terminus is at a junction with NY 37 southwest of Massena in the...
southwest of the Potsdam
Potsdam (village), New York
Potsdam is a village located in the Town of Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, New York, USA. The population was 9,425 at the 2000 census.The Village of Potsdam is in the eastern part of the town and is northeast of Canton, the county seat....
village limits in the town of the same name
Potsdam (town), New York
Potsdam is a town located in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 15,957 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 13676. The town is named after the city of Potsdam in Germany...
in northern St. Lawrence County
St. Lawrence County, New York
St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
. The route heads southeast on a line to Stafford Corners, a small hamlet located on the Potsdam-Parishville
Parishville, New York
Parishville is a town in the east-central part of St. Lawrence County, east of Potsdam, in the state of New York, United States. The population was 2,049 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, then turns east to serve the hamlets of Parishville Center, located at the junction of NY 72 and Ashton/Sinclair Roads, and Parishville, located on the west branch of the St. Regis River
St. Regis River
The St. Regis River is an river in northern New York in the USA. It flows into the Saint Lawrence River at the hamlet of St Regis in the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. The Saint Regis River basin includes Upper and Lower St. Regis Lakes, and Saint Regis Pond in the Saint Regis Canoe Area.-External...
. Within Parishville, NY 72, named Main Street, crosses over the river and intersects the southern end of County Route 47, a connector leading to U.S. Route 11 and NY 11C
New York State Route 11C
New York State Route 11C is a short state highway located in St. Lawrence County in the northern part of New York, United States. NY 11C is a northern alternate route of U.S. Route 11 between the towns of Stockholm and Lawrence that serves the hamlets of Winthrop and Brasher Falls....
10 miles (16 km) to the north.
East of the hamlet of Parishville, NY 72 turns to the northeast and proceeds on a linear alignment through the towns of Parishville and Hopkinton
Hopkinton, New York
Hopkinton is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York in the United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from early settlers with the name Hopkins....
toward the hamlet of Hopkinton in the northeast corner of the town of the same name. Upon reaching the community, the route terminates at NY 11B
New York State Route 11B
New York State Route 11B is a state highway in northern New York, United States. It provides a parallel, more southerly east–west route to U.S. Route 11 between US 11 in Potsdam and US 11, NY 30, and NY 37 in Malone...
, the primary east–west route through the hamlet.
History
The primary east–west roadway connecting PotsdamPotsdam (village), New York
Potsdam is a village located in the Town of Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, New York, USA. The population was 9,425 at the 2000 census.The Village of Potsdam is in the eastern part of the town and is northeast of Canton, the county seat....
to Brighton
Brighton, Franklin County, New York
Brighton is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,682 at the 2000 census. It was named after Brighton, England by early surveyors in the region....
via Southville, Hopkinton
Hopkinton, New York
Hopkinton is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York in the United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from early settlers with the name Hopkins....
, and Saint Regis Falls (modern NY 11B
New York State Route 11B
New York State Route 11B is a state highway in northern New York, United States. It provides a parallel, more southerly east–west route to U.S. Route 11 between US 11 in Potsdam and US 11, NY 30, and NY 37 in Malone...
and NY 458
New York State Route 458
New York State Route 458 is a state highway in the North Country of New York, United States. This highway runs northwest to southeast from St. Lawrence County into adjacent Franklin County. The western terminus is at NY 11B in the Hopkinton near the Lawrence hamlet of Nicholville...
) was originally designated as part of NY 2A from Potsdam to Nicholville and as part of NY 56 from Nicholville to Brighton in the mid-1920s. NY 56 initially continued northwestward from Nicholville to Massena
Massena (village), New York
Massena is a village in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 13,589 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Andre Massena, one of Napoleon's generals....
by way of Lawrenceville, North Lawrence, and Winthrop. When NY 2 was redesignated as U.S. Route 11 in 1927, the NY 2A designation was eliminated and replaced with a rerouted NY 56 from Potsdam to Nicholville. NY 56 was truncated to end in Potsdam as part of the change. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, NY 56 was renumbered to NY 72 while an alternate routing of NY 72 between Potsdam and Hopkinton via Parishville
Parishville, New York
Parishville is a town in the east-central part of St. Lawrence County, east of Potsdam, in the state of New York, United States. The population was 2,049 at the 2000 census.- History :...
was assigned NY 72A.
When NY 11B was assigned in the renumbering, it was simply a north–south connector between Nicholville and Lawrenceville. By the following year, NY 11B was extended west from Nicholville to Potsdam, creating a lengthy overlap with NY 72 between the two locations. The length of the concurrency was significantly reduced in the early 1940s when NY 72 was rerouted to follow NY 72A between Potsdam and Hopkinton. The overlap was eliminated ca. 1973 when NY 72 was truncated to the west end of its overlap with NY 11B. The portion of former NY 72 southeast of Nicholville became NY 458.