Van Schaick Island
Encyclopedia
Van Schaick Island is an island in the city of Cohoes
, New York
. Van Schaick is a part of the delta
of the Mohawk River
at its mouth with the Hudson River
. The island has been referred to by numerous names including Quehemesicos, Long, Anthony's, Isle of Cohoes, and Cohoes Island. The island was home to US Revolutionary War fortifications in the 18th century, and to an important shipyard in the 20th century. The shipyard and the extreme northern end of the island is part of the Peebles Island State Park
, and the only vehicular entrance to the state park is on the island.
was the first Europe
an explorer to have seen Van Schaick Island. Through his exploration the island and the entire watershed of the Hudson River became the domain of the Dutch
colony of New Netherland
. Shortly after the English
conquered New Netherland, Van Schaick Island was purchased in 1665 by Goosen Gerritse Van Schaick and Philip Piertse Schuyler under the authority of New York Governor Richard Nicolls
from the Mohican
s Itamonet, Ahemhameth, and Kishocama. Van Schaick was but one island in the larger Halve Maan patent which included the other islands of the Mohawk delta and a strip of land along the northern shore of the Mohawk River (present-day Waterford
). The island was referred to by the Native Americans
as Quehemesicos in the Mohican language while the Dutch called it Long Island.
In 1674 Schuyler conveyed by deed his share of the patent to Van Schaick, who died soon afterwards in 1676, at which point the patent devolved to his wife and then his son Anthony in 1687, for whom the island was referred to as Anthony's Island. Goosen Gerritse Van Schaick appears to have never visited his patent though Anthony did move there. It was Anthony van Schaick who built the Van Schaick Mansion sometime between 1735–55, though a previous smaller wooden structure may have been residence to the family before the mansion. In Anthony's will he left a stipulation for a cemetery to be built just north of the mansion. The last Van Schaick at the mansion was in the early 20th century, Mrs. William L. Adams whose first husband was Gerald Van Schaick.
Van Schaick Island was an important piece of the Continental Trail, the route from New York City
through Albany north to Montreal
, the river road traversed the many islands at the mouth of the Mohawk River; Green Island
, Van Schaick, Peebles, and then to Halfmoon Point (today the village of Waterford). Starting on August 8, 1777 the Continental Army
with over 5,000 soldiers was camped on Van Schaick and Peebles islands, first under General Philip Schuyler
and then General Horatio Gates
. Governor
George Clinton
made the mansion the temporary state capitol
from August 22–27. In September the army moved north to Bemis Heights and Stillwater
where the Battle of Saratoga
would be fought.
In 1916 John E. Matton moved his ship building business south from Waterford to Van Schaick Island. The Matton Shipyard
would continue to build canal boats, barges, tugboats, and police boats until closing in 1983. From December 1941 to July 1943 during World War II
the shipyard produced five SC-497 class submarine chaser
s, SC-985 through SC-989 for the US Navy, and from February–June 1944 four tugs for the US Army. In 1945 four of the sub chasers went to service with the US Coast Guard while SC-986 went to the USSR. At the time of closing it was one of the longest operating tug and barge shipbuilders in the United States
. The shipyard is currently owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
(OPRHP) as part of the Peebles Island State Park
, which is turning the shipyard into an educational center, museum, and home for historic vessels. The motor ship
Day Peckinpaugh
is berth
ed here and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
is to the south, and to the west of the island is Simmons Island (also a part of Cohoes) and the mainland portion of the city of Cohoes. To the east the Hudson River separates the island from the Lansingburgh
neighborhood of the city of Troy
.
of the island. The east end of Ontario Street crosses the 112th Street Bridge
over the Hudson River and connects the island to Rensselaer County. This is the primary connection between northern Albany and northern Renssselaer counties. At the western gateway Ontario crosses a bridge over one of the Mohawk branches to Simmons Island and from there to NYS Route 787 and Downtown Cohoes
. The rest of Van Schaick Island is in a traditional north-south/east-west street grid. The eastern side of the island was home to a Delaware and Hudson Railway
line along Delaware Avenue that ran from Green Island north through the Island to Peebles Island and Saratoga County
. The Black Bridge to Green Island was built in the 1890s and the rail line was still used into the 1960s. The Open Space Institute
purchased the railway for the purpose of a rails to trails project and once the conversion to a bike-hike trail (the Delaware Avenue Trail) is complete the Institute will turn the deed over to the city of Cohoes. The Delaware Avenue Trail will connect the Mohawk Hudson Hike/Bike Trail
and the Champlain Canal
Bike Trail.
; a private golf course
; walking and biking trails; and a baseball field. Van Schaick Island Country Club was founded in 1895 with only two holes. The current nine holes were designed in 1915 and the name was changed to Van Schaick Island Country Club the following year. Two marinas on the island allow access to the Hudson River.
Cohoes, New York
Cohoes is an incorporated city located at the northeast corner of Albany County in the US state of New York. It is called the "Spindle City" because of the importance of textile production to its growth. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 16,168...
, 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...
. Van Schaick is a part of the delta
Sprouts of the Mohawk River
The Sprouts of the Mohawk River are the multiple channels of the Mohawk River as it flows into the Hudson River creating a delta in the US state of New York. Most of the sprouts lie within Albany County, with the northern ones in Saratoga County, and the sprouts enter the Hudson at the boundary...
of 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...
at its mouth with 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...
. The island has been referred to by numerous names including Quehemesicos, Long, Anthony's, Isle of Cohoes, and Cohoes Island. The island was home to US Revolutionary War fortifications in the 18th century, and to an important shipyard in the 20th century. The shipyard and the extreme northern end of the island is part of the Peebles Island State Park
Peebles Island State Park
Peebles Island State Park is a park located in New York State at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. With 191 acres , the park includes hiking and cross-country ski trails, as well as earthworks dating from the Revolutionary War and a Visitors' Center detailing the island's industrial...
, and the only vehicular entrance to the state park is on the island.
History
Henry HudsonHenry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
was the first Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an explorer to have seen Van Schaick Island. Through his exploration the island and the entire watershed of the Hudson River became the domain of the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
colony of New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
. Shortly after the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
conquered New Netherland, Van Schaick Island was purchased in 1665 by Goosen Gerritse Van Schaick and Philip Piertse Schuyler under the authority of New York Governor Richard Nicolls
Richard Nicolls
Richard Nicolls was the first English colonial governor of New York province....
from the Mohican
Mohican
-Native Americans:* Mahican , a Native American tribe who lived in and around the Hudson Valley* Mohegan, a functional confederation of several branches of Native Americans during the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century...
s Itamonet, Ahemhameth, and Kishocama. Van Schaick was but one island in the larger Halve Maan patent which included the other islands of the Mohawk delta and a strip of land along the northern shore of the Mohawk River (present-day Waterford
Waterford (village), New York
Waterford is a village in Saratoga County, New York, USA. The population was 2,204 at the 2000 census. The name derives from the ford between the mainland and Peebles Island....
). The island was referred to by the Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
as Quehemesicos in the Mohican language while the Dutch called it Long Island.
In 1674 Schuyler conveyed by deed his share of the patent to Van Schaick, who died soon afterwards in 1676, at which point the patent devolved to his wife and then his son Anthony in 1687, for whom the island was referred to as Anthony's Island. Goosen Gerritse Van Schaick appears to have never visited his patent though Anthony did move there. It was Anthony van Schaick who built the Van Schaick Mansion sometime between 1735–55, though a previous smaller wooden structure may have been residence to the family before the mansion. In Anthony's will he left a stipulation for a cemetery to be built just north of the mansion. The last Van Schaick at the mansion was in the early 20th century, Mrs. William L. Adams whose first husband was Gerald Van Schaick.
Van Schaick Island was an important piece of the Continental Trail, the route from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
through Albany north to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, the river road traversed the many islands at the mouth of the Mohawk River; Green Island
Green Island, New York
Green Island is a coterminous town and village in Albany County, New York, USA some 8 miles north of Albany, New York. Green Island is one of only five such town-village amalgams in New York. The population was 2,620 at the 2010 census...
, Van Schaick, Peebles, and then to Halfmoon Point (today the village of Waterford). Starting on August 8, 1777 the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
with over 5,000 soldiers was camped on Van Schaick and Peebles islands, first under General Philip Schuyler
Philip 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:...
and then General Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates
Horatio Lloyd Gates was a retired British soldier who served as an American general during the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga – Benedict Arnold, who led the attack, was finally forced from the field when he was shot in the leg – and...
. Governor
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
George Clinton
George Clinton (vice president)
George Clinton was an American soldier and politician, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the first Governor of New York, and then the fourth Vice President of the United States , serving under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He and John C...
made the mansion the temporary state capitol
New York State Capitol
The New York State Capitol is the capitol building of the U.S. state of New York. Housing the New York State Legislature, it is located in the state capital city Albany, on State Street in Capitol Park. The building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million , was the most expensive government...
from August 22–27. In September the army moved north to Bemis Heights and Stillwater
Stillwater (town), New York
Stillwater is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 7,522 at the 2000 census. The town contains a village called Stillwater...
where the Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
would be fought.
In 1916 John E. Matton moved his ship building business south from Waterford to Van Schaick Island. The Matton Shipyard
Matton Shipyard
Matton Shipyard is a historic shipyard and canal boat service yard located on Van Schaick Island at Cohoes in Albany County, New York. It consists of eight extant buildings, various surviving features, and archaeological remains dating to the period 1916 to 1983 when the site functioned as a...
would continue to build canal boats, barges, tugboats, and police boats until closing in 1983. From December 1941 to July 1943 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the shipyard produced five SC-497 class submarine chaser
SC-497 class submarine chaser
The SC-497 class submarine chasers were a class of 438 submarine chasers built primarily for the United States Navy from 1941-1944. The SC-497s were based on the experimental submarine chaser, USS SC-453. Production began in 1941 and continued until they were succeeded by the SC-1466 class...
s, SC-985 through SC-989 for the US Navy, and from February–June 1944 four tugs for the US Army. In 1945 four of the sub chasers went to service with the US Coast Guard while SC-986 went to the USSR. At the time of closing it was one of the longest operating tug and barge shipbuilders in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The shipyard is currently owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation operates :*168 state parks*35 state historic sites*76 developed beaches*53 water recreational facilities*27 golf courses*39 full service cottages*818 cabins...
(OPRHP) as part of the Peebles Island State Park
Peebles Island State Park
Peebles Island State Park is a park located in New York State at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. With 191 acres , the park includes hiking and cross-country ski trails, as well as earthworks dating from the Revolutionary War and a Visitors' Center detailing the island's industrial...
, which is turning the shipyard into an educational center, museum, and home for historic vessels. The motor ship
Motor ship
A motor ship or motor vessel is a ship propelled by an internal combustion engine, usually a diesel engine. The name of motor ships are often prefixed with MS, M/S, MV or M/V.- See also :...
Day Peckinpaugh
Day Peckinpaugh (canal motorship)
Day Peckinpaugh is a historic canal motorship currently berthed at the Matton Shipyard on Peebles Island, Cohoes in Albany County, New York.-Early Years:...
is berth
Berth
Berth may refer to:*Berth *Berth *Berth , an album by The UsedBerthing may refer to:*The placement of a spacecraft into a berthing mechanism through the use of a robotic arm*A cabin on a ship...
ed here and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Demographics
In 1992 Van Schaick Island had roughly 1,400 residents, mostly Italian, French, and Polish.Geography
Van Schaick Island is a part of the city of Cohoes, and is located in the Mohawk River delta, where that river branches into several different channels and flows into the Hudson River. These branches are often referred to locally as sprouts. The second and third sprouts flow on the north, west, and south; the Hudson River is along the eastern shore. These sprouts separate the island from other islands in the delta, to the north is Peebles Island, Green IslandGreen Island, New York
Green Island is a coterminous town and village in Albany County, New York, USA some 8 miles north of Albany, New York. Green Island is one of only five such town-village amalgams in New York. The population was 2,620 at the 2010 census...
is to the south, and to the west of the island is Simmons Island (also a part of Cohoes) and the mainland portion of the city of Cohoes. To the east the Hudson River separates the island from the Lansingburgh
Lansingburgh, New York
Lansingburgh was the first chartered village in Rensselaer County, New York, USA and was settled around 1763. The name is from Abraham Lansing, an early settler, combined with the Scottish word burgh....
neighborhood of the city of Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
.
Education
Van Schaick Island is a part of the Cohoes City School District and the children attend Van Schaick Elementary School, which is on the island, for kindergarten through fifth grade; Cohoes Middle for sixth through eighth, and Cohoes High for ninth through twelfth.Transportation
Van Schaick Island is crossed east/west by Ontario Street (NYS Route 470), the main streetMain Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
of the island. The east end of Ontario Street crosses the 112th Street Bridge
112th Street Bridge
The 112th Street Bridge is a bridge that carries New York State Route 470 across the Hudson River in New York. It connects Van Schaick Island in the city of Cohoes with the Lansingburgh neighborhood of Troy. The original bridge was built in 1922 and demolished in 1995. The newer version was...
over the Hudson River and connects the island to Rensselaer County. This is the primary connection between northern Albany and northern Renssselaer counties. At the western gateway Ontario crosses a bridge over one of the Mohawk branches to Simmons Island and from there to NYS Route 787 and Downtown Cohoes
Downtown Cohoes Historic District
The Downtown Cohoes Historic District takes up of the city of Cohoes, New York, United States. Many of the 165 contributing properties date from the 1820-1930 period when the Erie Canal and Harmony Mills were the mainstay of the city's economy. It was recognized as a historic district and added to...
. The rest of Van Schaick Island is in a traditional north-south/east-west street grid. The eastern side of the island was home to a Delaware and Hudson Railway
Delaware and Hudson Railway
The Delaware and Hudson Railway is a railroad that operates in the northeastern United States. Since 1991 it has been a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, although CPR has assumed all operations and the D&H does not maintain any locomotives or rolling stock.It was formerly an important...
line along Delaware Avenue that ran from Green Island north through the Island to Peebles Island and Saratoga County
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...
. The Black Bridge to Green Island was built in the 1890s and the rail line was still used into the 1960s. The Open Space Institute
Open Space Institute
Open Space Institute is a conservation organization and think tank with an extensive mission statement. It seeks to preserve scenic, natural and historic landscapes for public enjoyment, conserve habitats while sustaining community character, and help protect the environment...
purchased the railway for the purpose of a rails to trails project and once the conversion to a bike-hike trail (the Delaware Avenue Trail) is complete the Institute will turn the deed over to the city of Cohoes. The Delaware Avenue Trail will connect the Mohawk Hudson Hike/Bike Trail
Mohawk Hudson Hike/Bike Trail
The Mohawk Hudson Hike/Bike Trail is a trail in Albany and Schenectady counties in New York's Capital District. It is also the easternmost segment of the New York State Canalway Trail....
and 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....
Bike Trail.
Recreation
On Van Schaick Island is a city park with a pond which is used for ice skatingIce skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
; a private golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
; walking and biking trails; and a baseball field. Van Schaick Island Country Club was founded in 1895 with only two holes. The current nine holes were designed in 1915 and the name was changed to Van Schaick Island Country Club the following year. Two marinas on the island allow access to the Hudson River.