Dunsbach Ferry, New York
Encyclopedia
Dunsbach Ferry is a hamlet of the town of Colonie, in Albany County
, New York
. The hamlet sits to the east of, and below, the Thaddeus Kosciusko Bridge
(also known as "The Twin Bridges"), where Interstate 87
(I-87) crosses the Mohawk River
. There are numerous private and public docks and landings between the Twin Bridges and the Colonie Town Park. Dunsbach Ferry was once an important river crossing and a stop on the Schenectady and Troy Railroad
(T&S), later a branch of the New York Central Railroad
. The ZIP code
is 12047 (Cohoes).
construction method involving cylinders with piles driven inside with heavy crib work outside. This bridge was constructed by the Dunsbach Ferry Bridge Company in 1898 in three spans, two were carried away by ice in 1903, and the third in 1905. When the creation of the New York State Barge Canal moved the Erie Canal to the Mohawk River in 1910 the hamlet became home to many barge captains and as a stop for provisioning the barges. A gauging station was established at Dunsbach Ferry in 1898 by D.J. Howell for measuring the discharge flow of the river and the record continued on at the West Troy Water Company dam
and pumping station
at the hamlet, it was located roughly 200 feet south (upstream) of the bridge. The dam was built in order to supply West Troy (later Watervliet) with water, and was partially removed in 1912.
The bucolic nature of the surroundings made it a natural summer resort village. As year-round residents have become more common summer homes have become remodeled and winterized with additions built on, though some summer cottages remain and farms and undeveloped woodlands still shelter the inland side of the hamlet from the developments in Latham along US Route 9 (US 9).
from I-87 to the Colonie Town Park. It is accessible by road from the Colonie hamlets of Boght Corners
, Crescent Station
, and Latham
.
for seventh through twelfth.
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
, 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...
. The hamlet sits to the east of, and below, the Thaddeus Kosciusko Bridge
Kosciusko Bridge (Albany)
The Thaddeus Kosciusko Bridge, commonly referred to as the Twin Bridges, located in the United States, is a pair of identical through arch bridges, made of steel, which span the Mohawk River between the towns of Colonie, Albany County and Halfmoon, Saratoga County, in New York's Capital District...
(also known as "The Twin Bridges"), where Interstate 87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
(I-87) crosses 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...
. There are numerous private and public docks and landings between the Twin Bridges and the Colonie Town Park. Dunsbach Ferry was once an important river crossing and a stop on the Schenectady and Troy Railroad
Schenectady and Troy Railroad
The Schenectady and Troy Railroad was incorporated May 21, 1836. The stock was divided into five hundred shares at one hundred dollars each. The building of the road began in 1841, and trains began running from Schenectady to Troy, New York in the fall of 1841 . It was constructed by the city of...
(T&S), later a branch of the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
. 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 12047 (Cohoes).
History
Dunsbach Ferry originated, as the name suggests, as a ferry crossing over the Mohawk River. The ferry was replaced for a short time by the Dunsbach Ferry Bridge, a bridge that had an unusual pierPier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
construction method involving cylinders with piles driven inside with heavy crib work outside. This bridge was constructed by the Dunsbach Ferry Bridge Company in 1898 in three spans, two were carried away by ice in 1903, and the third in 1905. When the creation of the New York State Barge Canal moved the Erie Canal to the Mohawk River in 1910 the hamlet became home to many barge captains and as a stop for provisioning the barges. A gauging station was established at Dunsbach Ferry in 1898 by D.J. Howell for measuring the discharge flow of the river and the record continued on at the West Troy Water Company dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
and pumping station
Pumping station
Pumping stations are facilities including pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastructure systems, such as the supply of water to canals, the drainage of low-lying land, and the removal of sewage to processing sites.A pumping station...
at the hamlet, it was located roughly 200 feet south (upstream) of the bridge. The dam was built in order to supply West Troy (later Watervliet) with water, and was partially removed in 1912.
The bucolic nature of the surroundings made it a natural summer resort village. As year-round residents have become more common summer homes have become remodeled and winterized with additions built on, though some summer cottages remain and farms and undeveloped woodlands still shelter the inland side of the hamlet from the developments in Latham along US Route 9 (US 9).
Geography
While Colonie's hamlets do not have specifically demarcated borders, Dunsbach Ferry is generally considered to include the areas along the Mohawk RiverMohawk 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...
from I-87 to the Colonie Town Park. It is accessible by road from the Colonie hamlets of Boght Corners
Boght Corners, New York
Boght Corners is a hamlet in the town of Colonie in northern Albany County, New York that straddles U.S. Route 9 . The corners that give the hamlet its name are found at the intersection of Route 9 and Boght Road , near the Boght Community Fire District’s station...
, Crescent Station
Crescent Station, New York
Crescent Station is a hamlet of the town of Colonie in Albany County, New York that straddles US Route 9.-History:Crescent Station takes its name from a stop on the Schenectady and Troy Railroad , later a branch of the New York Central Railroad. The T&S Line was completed in 1842, and owned by the...
, and Latham
Latham, New York
Latham is a hamlet in Albany County, New York, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 9 in the town of Colonie, a dense suburb north of Albany.-History:...
.
Location
Architecture
Dunsbach Ferry has architectural styles ranging from colonial, ranch, and cape, with sidings finished in a range of different materials including aluminum, clapboard, and shingles. Many of the homes along the river began as summer cottages and have been winterized and enlarged while some still remain in strictly summer-camp style.Education
Dunsbach Ferry is a part of the North Colonie Central School District (NCCS) and the children attend Boght Hills Elementary School for kindergarten through sixth grade; and Shaker High SchoolShaker High School
Shaker High School is a public high school in Latham, Albany County, New York, and is part of the North Colonie Central School District. , it has an enrollment of over 2100 students. In 1985, it was recognized as an Exemplary School by the United States Department of Education, one of the first to...
for seventh through twelfth.
External links
- Town of Colonie (includes Dunsbach Ferry)