Johnsonville, New York
Encyclopedia
Johnsonville is a hamlet located in the northern part of Pittstown, New York
. It was named for its settler, William Johnson.
" due to the importance of the railroad in the history of the area; however, it was an important industrial area even before the coming of railroad. Due to its close proximity to the Hoosic River
, the largest estuary of the Hudson River
, many factories sprung up along the river banks: flour, grist and lumber mills; axe factories; and other types of industry. The Johnsonville Axe Factory was once the largest axe factory in the world. The coming of the railroad in 1830 made it much easier for these factories to market and transport their products, and contributed to the industrial growth of the hamlet.
Although no passenger trains stop in Johnsonville anymore, the Boston and Maine Railroad
's mainline continues to run through Johnsonville, transporting freight between New England and New York. "The B&M" is now owned by Pan Am Railways
. The station house has long since been closed and today is a multi-unit apartment dwelling.
Today, Johnsonville is a mere shadow of what it used to be: it is a small, quiet bedroom community of commuters. All of the factories and buildings along the river have long since disappeared, and most of the farmland is gone. The gigantic railroad baron homes built during the heyday of the railroad still stand, but for the most part have all been broken up and redesigned into apartment buildings. The 110 year old grain mill was recently converted into condominium
s. Urban sprawl threatens what is left of the rural atmosphere, as farmland quickly disappears and cities move in ever closer.
Pittstown, New York
Pittstown is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 5,644 at the 2000 census. It is in the northern part of the county.A small part of the north town line is Rensselaer County's border with Washington County, New York...
. It was named for its settler, William Johnson.
History
Johnsonville is considered a "railroad townRailway town
A railway town is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.In Victorian Britain, the spread of railways greatly affected the fate of many small towns...
" due to the importance of the railroad in the history of the area; however, it was an important industrial area even before the coming of railroad. Due to its close proximity to the Hoosic River
Hoosic River
The Hoosic River, also known as the Hoosac, the Hoosick and the Hoosuck , is a tributary of the Hudson River in the northeastern United States. The different spellings are the result of varying transliterations of the river's original Algonquian name...
, the largest estuary 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...
, many factories sprung up along the river banks: flour, grist and lumber mills; axe factories; and other types of industry. The Johnsonville Axe Factory was once the largest axe factory in the world. The coming of the railroad in 1830 made it much easier for these factories to market and transport their products, and contributed to the industrial growth of the hamlet.
Although no passenger trains stop in Johnsonville anymore, the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
's mainline continues to run through Johnsonville, transporting freight between New England and New York. "The B&M" is now owned by Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
. The station house has long since been closed and today is a multi-unit apartment dwelling.
Today, Johnsonville is a mere shadow of what it used to be: it is a small, quiet bedroom community of commuters. All of the factories and buildings along the river have long since disappeared, and most of the farmland is gone. The gigantic railroad baron homes built during the heyday of the railroad still stand, but for the most part have all been broken up and redesigned into apartment buildings. The 110 year old grain mill was recently converted into condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s. Urban sprawl threatens what is left of the rural atmosphere, as farmland quickly disappears and cities move in ever closer.