North Greenbush, New York
Encyclopedia
North Greenbush is a town in Rensselaer County
, New York
, United States
. North Greenbush is located in the western part of the county. The population was 10,805 at the 2000 census.
The town has two main hamlets, Wynantskill
in the northeastern corner and Defreestville in the southern portion of the town. Both have strong identities and hinder efforts by the town to have a centralized identity. Also hindering a unified town image is that North Greenbush consists of parts of four different school districts, only one of which (a one room schoolhouse) carries the town's name; two fire departments (Wynantskill and Defreestville); and three ZIP codes (Troy, Rensselaer, and Wynantskill). North Greenbush is home to the southern part of the Hudson Valley Community College
(HVCC) campus, including the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium
, home to the Tri-City Valley Cats
minor league baseball team; the RPI Tech Park; the La Salle Institute
; the New York State National Guard Armory, headquarters for the Rainbow Division; and various Rensselaer County government institutions.
prior to Rensselaer County's creation in 1791. North Greenbush was created on February 23, 1855 from the town of Greenbush at the same time as the town of Clinton (today East Greenbush). At this time North Greenbush occupied more than what it does today, it also covered what is now the northern section of the city of Rensselaer
and the southern section of the city of Troy.
The earliest settlers, in the early 1620s settled in Bath, a part of the town annexed to Rensselaer in 1902. Some settlement in what is today North Greenbush may have occurred in the 17th century as well, but most significant early settlement occurred just prior to the US Revolutionary War. Early settlements in the town were at Bath, Wynantskill
, and Defreestville. In 1874 Bath became incorporated as a village, and in 1902 it was annexed to Rensselaer. Wynantskill, in the northeastern corner of the town was first settled around the end of the 18th century with a Dutch Reformed Church established around 1794, and a post office was established in 1820. Defreestville was originally called Blooming Grove until around 1830 when it was changed due to confusion with another Blooming Grove in Orange County, New York
, it was named Defreestville for David M. De Freest and family who owned a tavern there. Defreestville and Wynantskill continue to be important hamlets in the town. Snyders Lake would in the 20th century also become an important community. Snyders Lake was developed as summer residences and continues to lack a central business district
.
During the 20th century North Greenbush would begin to see more development thanks to an improved transportation infrastructure which led to increased suburban residential, office, and retail growth based on the automobile. In 1931 the road between Troy and East Greenbush was widened and the right-of-way straightened as US Route 4. The older, narrower, winding residential parts of the road were bypassed and is today's Bloomingrove Drive. Starting in the 1940s and 50s suburban growth along Route 4 would begin to displace farms and local businesses with national chains with an automobile oriented pattern of growth. This suburban growth would be encouraged by the construction of Interstate 90
(I-90) and the Patroon Island Bridge
in the 1960s making North Greenbush an easy commute to Albany. I-90 would not have a direct exit to North Greenbush until 1996 though, when Exit 8 was constructed connecting US 4 and NY Route 43 to the interstate. In the 1970s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(RPI) began developing the RPI Tech Park on Route 4 as a business incubator
, today it has over 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²) of office space. A connector highway will eventually also go from Exit 8 parallel to US 4 north through the RPI Tech Park and meet US 4 near Hudson Valley Community College
(HVCC) at the Troy city line.
Not all suburban growth has been well-received in the town however. In the late 1990s the RPI Tech Park became the focus of regional and state-wide push to get a chip fabrication factory (chip fab plant) built. The RPI Tech Park site originally met little opposition from the town. But as time progressed opposition grew in response to concerns about potential impacts on traffic and the environment. The RPI Tech Park site, which by October 1999 had become one of only nine sites still being marketed by the state, was terminated when the North Greenbush town council voted to terminate the review process. Another instance of NIMBY opposition to development occurred after the construction of I-90's Exit 8 when that location became well-primed for commercial development. Local developer Frank Nigro with Nigro Company proposed a high-end shopping center for the north-east corner of the intersection of routes 4 and 43. This led to lawsuits and a failed push by residents of Defreestville to incorporate as a village in order to stop the development; and a counter-move by the developer and certain landowners to attempt annexation to the neighboring city of Rensselaer where the development would be better received.
, the town has a total area of 19 square miles (49.2 km²), of which, 18.7 square miles (48.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (1.74%) is water. The western section of the town is steeply sloped and cut by various ravines, the clay bluffs rise between 100 and 200 feet (61 m) above the river with little to no flood plain. The central and eastern parts consist of more gently rolling hills and valleys. The Hudson River is the river of the town, though it is inaccessible to the public at this time, the Wynants Kill in the northeastern section is a creek
of some respectable size. Snyder's Lake near the eastern border is the largest lake in the town and is accessible to the public.
The west town line is marked by the Hudson River
with Albany County
on the opposite shore. The city of Albany shares a brief common border with the town, the rest of the western boundary in the Hudson River is shared with the village of Menands
within the town of Colonie. To the north is Troy and the town of Brunswick
with the towns of Poestenkill
and Sand Lake
to the east. Most of the southern border is shared with East Greenbush, while the city of Rensselaer's northern section is partially surrounded by North Greenbush in the town's southwestern corner.
of 2000, there were 10,805 people, 4,161 households, and 2,916 families residing in the town. The population density
was 578.0 people per square mile (223.2/km²). There were 4,336 housing units at an average density of 232.0 per square mile (89.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.81% White, 1.01% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races
, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population.
There were 4,161 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,422, and the median income for a family was $62,845. Males had a median income of $40,872 versus $29,743 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $24,025. About 2.0% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
, 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...
. North Greenbush is located in the western part of the county. The population was 10,805 at the 2000 census.
The town has two main hamlets, Wynantskill
Wynantskill, New York
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,018 people, 1,246 households, and 857 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,245.1 per square mile . There were 1,284 housing units at an average density of 529.7/sq mi...
in the northeastern corner and Defreestville in the southern portion of the town. Both have strong identities and hinder efforts by the town to have a centralized identity. Also hindering a unified town image is that North Greenbush consists of parts of four different school districts, only one of which (a one room schoolhouse) carries the town's name; two fire departments (Wynantskill and Defreestville); and three ZIP codes (Troy, Rensselaer, and Wynantskill). North Greenbush is home to the southern part of the Hudson Valley Community College
Hudson Valley Community College
Hudson Valley Community College, a SUNY associated two-year college, is located in Troy in Rensselaer County, New York. Although about eighty percent of the students are from the local area, the remainder are from other parts of New York, other states and from some 30 countries around the...
(HVCC) campus, including the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium
Joseph L. Bruno Stadium
Joseph L. Bruno Stadium is a stadium in North Greenbush, New York. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Tri-City Valley Cats minor league baseball team...
, home to the Tri-City Valley Cats
Tri-City Valley Cats
The Tri-City ValleyCats are a minor league baseball team based in Troy, New York and the 2010 champions of the New York – Penn League . The ValleyCats are the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. The name Tri-City is based on the three nearby...
minor league baseball team; the RPI Tech Park; the La Salle Institute
La Salle Institute
La Salle Institute is an all-male Private, Catholic, college preparatory school operated by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, enrolling young men in grades six through twelve in North Greenbush, New York, USA. It is operated independent of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany...
; the New York State National Guard Armory, headquarters for the Rainbow Division; and various Rensselaer County government institutions.
History
North Greenbush was part of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, and Albany CountyAlbany 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...
prior to Rensselaer County's creation in 1791. North Greenbush was created on February 23, 1855 from the town of Greenbush at the same time as the town of Clinton (today East Greenbush). At this time North Greenbush occupied more than what it does today, it also covered what is now the northern section of the city of Rensselaer
Rensselaer, New York
Rensselaer is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, United States, and is located on the Hudson River directly opposite Albany. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,392; in 1920, it was 10,832. The name is from Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original landowner of the region in New...
and the southern section of the city of Troy.
The earliest settlers, in the early 1620s settled in Bath, a part of the town annexed to Rensselaer in 1902. Some settlement in what is today North Greenbush may have occurred in the 17th century as well, but most significant early settlement occurred just prior to the US Revolutionary War. Early settlements in the town were at Bath, Wynantskill
Wynantskill, New York
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,018 people, 1,246 households, and 857 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,245.1 per square mile . There were 1,284 housing units at an average density of 529.7/sq mi...
, and Defreestville. In 1874 Bath became incorporated as a village, and in 1902 it was annexed to Rensselaer. Wynantskill, in the northeastern corner of the town was first settled around the end of the 18th century with a Dutch Reformed Church established around 1794, and a post office was established in 1820. Defreestville was originally called Blooming Grove until around 1830 when it was changed due to confusion with another Blooming Grove in Orange County, New York
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, it was named Defreestville for David M. De Freest and family who owned a tavern there. Defreestville and Wynantskill continue to be important hamlets in the town. Snyders Lake would in the 20th century also become an important community. Snyders Lake was developed as summer residences and continues to lack a central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
During the 20th century North Greenbush would begin to see more development thanks to an improved transportation infrastructure which led to increased suburban residential, office, and retail growth based on the automobile. In 1931 the road between Troy and East Greenbush was widened and the right-of-way straightened as US Route 4. The older, narrower, winding residential parts of the road were bypassed and is today's Bloomingrove Drive. Starting in the 1940s and 50s suburban growth along Route 4 would begin to displace farms and local businesses with national chains with an automobile oriented pattern of growth. This suburban growth would be encouraged by the construction of Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in New York
Interstate 90 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, I-90 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line at Canaan...
(I-90) and the Patroon Island Bridge
Patroon Island Bridge
The Patroon Island Bridge is a major crossing of the Hudson River in Albany, New York. The bridge carries Interstate 90, in the east-west direction, over the Hudson River between Albany and Rensselaer Counties....
in the 1960s making North Greenbush an easy commute to Albany. I-90 would not have a direct exit to North Greenbush until 1996 though, when Exit 8 was constructed connecting US 4 and NY Route 43 to the interstate. In the 1970s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
(RPI) began developing the RPI Tech Park on Route 4 as a business incubator
Business incubator
Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts...
, today it has over 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²) of office space. A connector highway will eventually also go from Exit 8 parallel to US 4 north through the RPI Tech Park and meet US 4 near Hudson Valley Community College
Hudson Valley Community College
Hudson Valley Community College, a SUNY associated two-year college, is located in Troy in Rensselaer County, New York. Although about eighty percent of the students are from the local area, the remainder are from other parts of New York, other states and from some 30 countries around the...
(HVCC) at the Troy city line.
Not all suburban growth has been well-received in the town however. In the late 1990s the RPI Tech Park became the focus of regional and state-wide push to get a chip fabrication factory (chip fab plant) built. The RPI Tech Park site originally met little opposition from the town. But as time progressed opposition grew in response to concerns about potential impacts on traffic and the environment. The RPI Tech Park site, which by October 1999 had become one of only nine sites still being marketed by the state, was terminated when the North Greenbush town council voted to terminate the review process. Another instance of NIMBY opposition to development occurred after the construction of I-90's Exit 8 when that location became well-primed for commercial development. Local developer Frank Nigro with Nigro Company proposed a high-end shopping center for the north-east corner of the intersection of routes 4 and 43. This led to lawsuits and a failed push by residents of Defreestville to incorporate as a village in order to stop the development; and a counter-move by the developer and certain landowners to attempt annexation to the neighboring city of Rensselaer where the development would be better received.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 town has a total area of 19 square miles (49.2 km²), of which, 18.7 square miles (48.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (1.74%) is water. The western section of the town is steeply sloped and cut by various ravines, the clay bluffs rise between 100 and 200 feet (61 m) above the river with little to no flood plain. The central and eastern parts consist of more gently rolling hills and valleys. The Hudson River is the river of the town, though it is inaccessible to the public at this time, the Wynants Kill in the northeastern section is a creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
of some respectable size. Snyder's Lake near the eastern border is the largest lake in the town and is accessible to the public.
The west town line is marked by 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...
with Albany County
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...
on the opposite shore. The city of Albany shares a brief common border with the town, the rest of the western boundary in the Hudson River is shared with the village of Menands
Menands, New York
Menands is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 3,990 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Louis Menand...
within the town of Colonie. To the north is Troy and the town of Brunswick
Brunswick, New York
Brunswick is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States that was originally settled in the early 18th century. During its history, it had been part of Albany County, Rensselaerswyck, and Troy, before its incorporation in 1807...
with the towns of Poestenkill
Poestenkill, New York
Poestenkill or Poesten Kill may refer to:*Poesten Kill, a creek in Rensselaer County, New York and the namesake of the town and CDP*Poestenkill , New York, a town in Rensselaer County, New York...
and Sand Lake
Sand Lake, New York
Sand Lake is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a population of 7,987. The Capital District Regional Planning Commission indicates it to be 8,336 as of September 2010. The town is in the south-central part of the county...
to the east. Most of the southern border is shared with East Greenbush, while the city of Rensselaer's northern section is partially surrounded by North Greenbush in the town's southwestern corner.
Location
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 10,805 people, 4,161 households, and 2,916 families residing in the town. 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 578.0 people per square mile (223.2/km²). There were 4,336 housing units at an average density of 232.0 per square mile (89.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.81% White, 1.01% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% 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 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population.
There were 4,161 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,422, and the median income for a family was $62,845. Males had a median income of $40,872 versus $29,743 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 town was $24,025. About 2.0% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in North Greenbush
- Defreestville – A hamlet in the southwest part of the town.
- Snyders Corner – A hamlet southeast of Wynantskill by the east town line.
- Snyders Lake – A lakeLakeA lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
southwest of Snyders Corner, and the name of the adjacent neighborhood. - WynantskillWynantskill, New York-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,018 people, 1,246 households, and 857 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,245.1 per square mile . There were 1,284 housing units at an average density of 529.7/sq mi...
– A hamlet on the north town line by the town's northeast corner.