Schuylerville, New York
Encyclopedia
Schuylerville is a village in Saratoga County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 1,197 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the Schuyler family.
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
.
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.
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
.
Also in 1990, a lawsuit arose between the Schuylerville school board and a local Jewish family, over the removal of a painting depicting the crucifixion of Christ from public display in the school auditorium. This lawsuit, which the school lost, prompted a visit to Schuylerville by a Ku Klux Klan
member. At the same time, the Reverend Al Sharpton
staged a counter-protest over the presence of the Klan.
that borders the east side of the Village of Schuylerville. The General Electric transformer plant dumped PCB
s 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 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.
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 mile (0.258998811 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.
of 2000, there were 1,197 people, 536 households, and 303 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,264.5 people per square mile (872.0/km2). There were 578 housing units at an average density of 1,093.5 per square mile (421.1/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.75% White, 0.25% African American, 0.25% from other races
, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.
There were 536 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples
living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the village the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,799, and the median income for a family was $37,083. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $24,926 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $18,664. About 9.2% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
, a National Historic Place, 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, by Mrs. General Riedesel'.
This house was built in 1770-1773. During the closing days of the Battles of Saratoga, Baroness Riedesel 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 cannon balls and other reminders of the ordeal suffered by those who took refuge there. The Marshall House is the sole structure in the battles area surviving. The property is privately owned.
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,197 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the Schuyler family.
The Village of Schuylerville is in the northeast part of the Town of Saratoga
Saratoga, New York
Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major village in the town of Saratoga is Schuylerville which is...
and is east of Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
. It borders the Village of Victory
Victory, Saratoga County, New York
----Victory is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 544 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the northeast part of the town of Saratoga, southwest of and bordering the village of Schuylerville. Victory is one of the smallest villages in New York.-...
.
History
The region was settled in 1691 and called Fort Saratoga by Dutch settlers from Albany, NY, notably the Schuyler family. The community that developed near the fort was originally called "Saratoga," but was partly destroyed in 1745. In 1777, during the Revolutionary War, the British crossed the Hudson here, 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 village was incorporated in 1831 as Schuylerville. The Champlain Canal
Champlain Canal
The Champlain Canal is a canal that connects the south end of Lake Champlain to the Hudson River in New York. It was simultaneously constructed with the Erie Canal and is now part of the New York State Canal System and the Lakes to Locks Passage....
helped the local economy. Many people and businesses currently refer to the village by the nickname Old Saratoga, also, Olde Saratoga.
In the March 25, 1990 issue of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, writer James Howard Kunstler
James Howard Kunstler
James Howard Kunstler is an American author, social critic, public speaker, and blogger. He is best known for his books The Geography of Nowhere , a history of American suburbia and urban development, and the more recent The Long Emergency , where he argues that declining oil production is likely...
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
The Geography of Nowhere
The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape is a book written in 1993 by James Howard Kunstler exploring the effects of suburban sprawl, civil planning and the automobile on American society. The book is an attempt to discover how and why suburbia has ceased to...
.
Also in 1990, a lawsuit arose between the Schuylerville school board and a local Jewish family, over the removal of a painting depicting the crucifixion of Christ from public display in the school auditorium. This lawsuit, which the school lost, prompted a visit to Schuylerville by a Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
member. At the same time, the Reverend Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
staged a counter-protest over the presence of the Klan.
Environmental concerns
There has been much debate about dredging the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
that borders the east side of the Village of Schuylerville. The General Electric transformer plant dumped PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...
s upstream in Hudson Falls, New York
Hudson Falls, New York
Hudson Falls is a village located in Washington County, New York, USA. The village is in the southwest part of the town of Kingsbury, on US Route 4. Hudson Falls is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 6,927...
from 1947 to 1977. GE
Gê
Gê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil. In Brazil the Gê were found in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Piaui, Mato Grosso, Goias, Tocantins, Maranhão, and as far south as Paraguay....
and the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
have come to an agreement in which GE is responsible for dredging a 40-mile 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
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
project in the United States.
Geography
Schuylerville is located at 43.100832°N 73.581397°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, 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 mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (10.34%) is water.
The village is on the west bank of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, which defines the county line of Washington County
Washington County, New York
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,216. It was named for the Revolutionary War general George Washington...
.
US Route 4 and NY Route 29
New York State Route 29
New York State Route 29 is a state highway extending for across the eastern portion of the U.S. state of New York. The western terminus of the route is at NY 28 and NY 169 in Middleville, Herkimer County. The eastern terminus of the route is at NY 22 just south of Salem,...
intersect in the community. NY Route 32
New York State Route 32
New York State Route 32 is a north–south state highway that extends for through the Hudson Valley and Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly its entire length, with few divided and no limited-access sections. From Harriman to Albany,...
is conjoined with US-4 in the village.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,197 people, 536 households, and 303 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,264.5 people per square mile (872.0/km2). There were 578 housing units at an average density of 1,093.5 per square mile (421.1/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.75% White, 0.25% African American, 0.25% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.
There were 536 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the village the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,799, and the median income for a family was $37,083. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $24,926 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $18,664. About 9.2% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
The Marshall House
The Marshall HouseMarshall House (Schuylerville, New York)
The Marshall House is a house in Schuylerville, New York listed on the National Register of Historic Places for both its place in American history and its architectural significance.- Pre-Revolutionary history :...
, a National Historic Place, lies one mile north of the village center on US Highway 4 and NY Highway 32. Made famous by Baroness Frederika Riedesel
Frederika Charlotte Riedesel
Frederika Charlotte Louise von Massow, Baroness Riedesel zu Eisenbach was the wife of General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel of Brunswick. She accompanied him during the Saratoga Campaign in the American Revolutionary War and kept a journal of the campaign.-Early life:Frederika was born in 11 July 1746...
in her 'Letters and Journals relating to the War of the American Revolution and the Capture of the German Troops at Saratoga, by Mrs. General Riedesel'.
This house was built in 1770-1773. During the closing days of the Battles of Saratoga, Baroness Riedesel 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
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
.
The Marshall House was bombarded by the Americans who supposed it an enemy headquarters. Within are conserved cannon balls and other reminders of the ordeal suffered by those who took refuge there. The Marshall House is the sole structure in the battles area surviving. The property is privately owned.