Rexford, New York
Encyclopedia
Rexford is a hamlet in Saratoga County
, New York
, USA, located on the north bank of the Mohawk River
.
Rexford is in the Town of Clifton Park
, near the southwest town line. Its boundaries, like those of neighboring Alplaus
, are unofficial and necessarily vague. To the south, it is bounded by the Mohawk River and Grooms Road and to the west, Alplaus and the Schenectady County line. Route 146 (Balltown Road) and Vischer's Ferry Road, are probably a reasonable delineations of its northern and eastern boundaries. The Rexford Fire District protected by the John McLane Hose Company is probably the most accurate survey of Rexford. The ZIP Code
is 12148.
Edward Rexford called the area Rexford Flats. The Methodist Church at 18 Main St. was built in 1839. There is a blacksmith shop across from the church which dates back to that same era, the time of the Erie Canal
.
Rexford was the site of an aqueduct
that brought vessels traveling the Erie Canal across the Mohawk River
. The aqueduct was built in 1841. Large arches which supported its towpath
can still be seen from the Route 146 bridge crossing the river today.
The Schenectady Yacht Club is located in a former canal store, built circa 1900. The Club uses the remains of Lock 21, which is on its grounds, for moving boats in and out of the river. Lock 21 was built in 1842 as part of an enlargement of the Canal.
Rexford once had a 2-room schoolhouse, located at the corner of Riverview and what is now Route 146. This was razed in the 1960s and replaced by a firehouse, which was replaced by a Stewart's convenience store in 2001. The firehouse is now located north of the intersection on Route 146.
In the early 1900s, there was an amusement park at Rexford with rides, games, and refreshments. Trolleys brought people from the city of Schenectady
. The park
was known as Luna Park, Dolle's Park, Colonnade Park, Palisades Park, and Rexford Park.
The McLane Hotel, razed in 1964, was a stop for stagecoaches and canal boats. John McLane operated it until about 1930. Before its demise the McLane was a mysterious-looking, old-fashioned and extremely weathered building with large galleries on both floors and a cupola
at its peak.
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
, 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...
, USA, located on the north bank of the Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
.
Rexford is in the Town of Clifton Park
Clifton Park, New York
Clifton Park is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2009 population estimate for Clifton Park was 36,469. The name is derived from an early land patent...
, near the southwest town line. Its boundaries, like those of neighboring Alplaus
Alplaus, New York
Alplaus is a hamlet located in Schenectady County, New York, USA. Its name is derived from the Dutch Aal Plaats, or "Place of the Eels".Alplaus is in the southeast corner of the Town of Glenville....
, are unofficial and necessarily vague. To the south, it is bounded by the Mohawk River and Grooms Road and to the west, Alplaus and the Schenectady County line. Route 146 (Balltown Road) and Vischer's Ferry Road, are probably a reasonable delineations of its northern and eastern boundaries. The Rexford Fire District protected by the John McLane Hose Company is probably the most accurate survey of Rexford. The ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 12148.
Noteworthy features of Rexford today
- Glencliff Elementary School, Niskayuna School District; 961 Riverview Road, Rexford, New York, 12148 (Most of the Niskayuna School District lies within Schenectady CountySchenectady County, New YorkSchenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
.)
- Schenectady Yacht Club, 1676 Route 146, Rexford, NY 12148
- The Edison Club is a country club that was formed in 1904 by employees of the General Electric Company's Test Dept. The Edison's Rexford Clubhouse opened 2 July 1925. It has a 27-hole golf course.
- The original two room Rexford school was moved in the 1960s. It is now a residential home a quarter mile west on Riverview Road.
History
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
.
Rexford was the site of an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
that brought vessels traveling the Erie Canal across the Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
. The aqueduct was built in 1841. Large arches which supported its towpath
Towpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
can still be seen from the Route 146 bridge crossing the river today.
The Schenectady Yacht Club is located in a former canal store, built circa 1900. The Club uses the remains of Lock 21, which is on its grounds, for moving boats in and out of the river. Lock 21 was built in 1842 as part of an enlargement of the Canal.
Rexford once had a 2-room schoolhouse, located at the corner of Riverview and what is now Route 146. This was razed in the 1960s and replaced by a firehouse, which was replaced by a Stewart's convenience store in 2001. The firehouse is now located north of the intersection on Route 146.
In the early 1900s, there was an amusement park at Rexford with rides, games, and refreshments. Trolleys brought people from the city of Schenectady
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
. The park
Luna Park, Schenectady
Luna Park was one of several names for an amusement park that existed in Rexford, New York, near Schenectady, from 1901 to 1933. In addition to Luna Park , it was also known as Dolle's Park Luna Park was one of several names for an amusement park that existed in Rexford, New York, near Schenectady,...
was known as Luna Park, Dolle's Park, Colonnade Park, Palisades Park, and Rexford Park.
The McLane Hotel, razed in 1964, was a stop for stagecoaches and canal boats. John McLane operated it until about 1930. Before its demise the McLane was a mysterious-looking, old-fashioned and extremely weathered building with large galleries on both floors and a cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
at its peak.