Groesbeckville, Albany, New York
Encyclopedia
Groesbeckville is a former a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem
outside the city limits
of Albany
, New York
. The hamlet was named for a prominent Albany family, the Groesbecks. It has been a part of Albany's South End neighborhood since being annexed in 1870. It was made part of the South End-Groesbeckville Historic District
.
built the Schuyler Mansion
around 1761 overlooking the pastureland of the Dutch Church
, after his death in 1804 his property was subdivided, with streets laid out, and lots sold. Buildings sprang up along South Pearl Street starting in the 1820s and '30s; other streets in the village saw construction in the decades following.
The hamlet became heavily settled by Germans
and Irish
in the late-19th century. In 1873 a mission was established in the hamlet to serve the Catholic German population, and in 1880 it became Our Lady Help of Christians Church, locally called "Maria Hilf" (Mary Help in German).
.
Bethlehem, New York
Bethlehem is a town in Albany County, New York, USA. The population was 33,656 at the 2010 census. The town is south of Albany. Bethlehem includes the following hamlets: Delmar, Elsmere, Slingerlands, Glenmont, Selkirk, South and North Bethlehem. U.S. Route 9W passes through the town...
outside the city limits
City limits
The terms city limits and city boundary refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limits is sometimes called the city proper. The terms town limits/boundary and village limits/boundary mean the same as city limits/boundary, but apply to towns and villages...
of Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, 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 was named for a prominent Albany family, the Groesbecks. It has been a part of Albany's South End neighborhood since being annexed in 1870. It was made part of the South End-Groesbeckville Historic District
South End-Groesbeckville Historic District
South End-Groesbeckville Historic District is a national historic district located at Albany in Albany County, New York. The district includes 506 contributing buildings, including the separately listed Schuyler Mansion. It encompasses about 26 city blocks densely covered with residences and...
.
History
General Philip SchuylerPhilip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
built the Schuyler Mansion
Schuyler Mansion
Schuyler Mansion is a historic house at 32 Catherine Street in Albany, New York, United States. The brick mansion is now a museum and an official National Historic Landmark. It was constructed from 1761 to 1762 for Philip Schuyler, later a general in the Continental Army and early U.S. Senator,...
around 1761 overlooking the pastureland of the Dutch Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
, after his death in 1804 his property was subdivided, with streets laid out, and lots sold. Buildings sprang up along South Pearl Street starting in the 1820s and '30s; other streets in the village saw construction in the decades following.
The hamlet became heavily settled by Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
in the late-19th century. In 1873 a mission was established in the hamlet to serve the Catholic German population, and in 1880 it became Our Lady Help of Christians Church, locally called "Maria Hilf" (Mary Help in German).
Architecture
The architecture of buildings in Groesbeckville tend to be modest in design reflecting the working class conditions of the German and Irish residents. Much of the area's construction was owner-financed as opposed to large-scale developers, resulting in a variety of styles and construction materials. The most distinctive styles are local variations of Greek Revival and Italianate architectureItalianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
.