Historian

This building on Main Avenue in Wynantskill had been the site of many
restaurants and a liquor store over the years.
John Kruczlnicki of Hidley Road delivered milk to the doorsteps
of his 300 customers twice a week for over thirty five years.
A daisy field is the foreground for an early 20th century view of Snyders
Lake. Note that only a few summer cottages existed at this time.
The Wynantskill Toll Gate s located on the north side of Route 66 just
past Sharpe Road. The gate is gone, but the house still exists.
The Bloomingrove School began in this building in 1809 and was
in use until the 1940’s. Now it run as a CPA business.
This aerial view of Cooley Motors was taken shortly after the business opened
in 1965. Originally Cooley sold only Volkswagens but since added the Mazda line.
This artist’s depiction of the Philip Defreest house was built in the 1760’s and
now serves as the Administration Office for R.P.I’s Technology Center.
The old parsonage of the Bloomingrove Reformed Church in Defreestville
was built in 1831. The building was replaced by the current parsonage in 1962.
The Wynantskill Fire Department’s C. Ronald Wilson
served 13 years as fire chief.
This late 1800’s photo of Main Avenue depicts
Wynantskill looking west.
Father Thomas Tooher pictured overlooking St Jude’s Church and grounds in
Wynantskill set up for the annual St. Jude’s Horse Show which ran from 1952-1965.
Defreestville’s Little Red
School House in 1945.
This dairy farm located along Rte.43, was one of the most prosperous dairies
in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
Trolleys were the method of travel from
Troy and Wynantskill to Snyders
Lake from 1896-1925.
The David Defreest House on Jordan Road in Defreestville is on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Built in 1793, this house was the home of John E. Van Alen, our
first Congressman in the 1790’s.
The Matthew Van Alstyne House, a Second Empire structure with a
three-story tower was built around 1875.
This 1906 postcard of Snyders Lake depicts depicts a typical summertime scene.

Contact Info:

Jim Greenfield, Town Historian

Phone:

518-265-4254

Bloomingrove School building — Currently, the old Bloomingrove School is
being used by a CPA for his tax business.

Duties of Town Historian

To preserve, collect and disseminate local historical information and to foster an interest and appreciation of our town’s history by the public.

North Greenbush Notes:

North Greenbush Notes are a compilation of articles written by Town Historian Jim Greenfield that show a brief glimpse of North Greenbush at its founding. The articles are published periodically in “The Advertiser.” If anyone has ideas for future columns, please contact Jim Greenfield at 283‑6384 or by email.

Historical Markers (55.82 KB)

North Greenbush Elections (54.76 KB)

Historic Relics Return Home (54.06 KB)

Hidley Homestead (397.78 KB)

Hi-Way Recreation Closes (481.99 KB)

Too Many Defreest Males? (548.81 KB)

Tess Alber’s Tavern (531.73 KB)

Rysdorph Homestead (523.5 KB)

Sharpe Family Homestead (403.27 KB)

The 1987 October Snow Storm (498.46 KB)

Happy Birthday Vanderheyden (614.16 KB)

The Troy & Sand Lake Turnpike (610.67 KB)