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Rensselaer County, New York

Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.

—newspaper titles
—digitized titles
128historic places
—earliest paper
1791formed
161,130pop. 2020
51cemeteries
—CW battlefields

At a glance

Summary

The National Register of Historic Places includes 128 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1966; 6 are also National Historic Landmarks. Most listings are in or near Troy, Rensselaer, Hoosick Falls.

Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.

Newspapers

Library of Congress

Newspaper directory data for New York is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Rensselaer titles at the Library of Congress.

National Register of Historic Places

NPS NRHP

64 of 128 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.

128 listed properties
PropertyCityTypeListed
Adams-Myers-Bryan FarmsteadValley FallsDistrict2013
Aiken HouseRensselaerBuilding1974
Albany Avenue Historic DistrictNassauDistrict1978
Auclair-Button FarmsteadMelroseDistrict2013
Baum-Wallis FarmsteadJohnsonvilleBuilding2013
Bennington Battlefield NHLWalloomsacSite1966
Beverwyck ManorRensselaerBuilding1979
Blink BonnieSchodackBuilding2000
Breese-Reynolds HouseHoosickBuilding2007
Brownell-Cornell-Gibbs FarmsteadBuskirkDistrict2012
Burden Iron Works SiteTroySite1977
Burden Ironworks Office BuildingTroyBuilding1972
Bussey, Esek, FirehouseTroyBuilding1973
Cannon BuildingTroyBuilding1970
Cannon-Brownell-Herrington FarmsteadJohnsonvilleDistrict2013
Carner, John Jr., HouseEast GreenbushBuilding2004
Cartin-Snyder-Overacker FarmsteadMelroseDistrict2013
Catholic Central High SchoolTroyBuilding2024
Central Lansingburgh Historic DistrictTroyDistrict2023
Central Troy Historic DistrictTroyDistrict1986
Central Troy Historic District (Boundary Increase)TroyDistrict2016
Chapel and Cultural CenterTroyBuilding2011
Chatham Street RowNassauBuilding1978
Church Street Historic DistrictNassauDistrict1978
Church of the Holy CrossTroyBuilding1973
Clark-Dearstyne-Miller InnRensselaerBuilding2008
Cluett, Peabody & Co. Factory and Power Boiler House ComplexTroyBuilding2025
Coletti-Rowland-Agan FarmsteadTroyDistrict2013
Connors, William, Paint Manufacturing Company BuildingTroyBuilding2016
Corliss Park Historic DistrictTroyDistrict2024
Cornell-Manchester FarmsteadHoosick FallsDistrict2012
Craver FarmsteadEast GreenbushBuilding1996
Defreest HomesteadTroyBuilding1977
Delaney HotelNorth HoosickBuilding1996
Dickinson Hill Fire TowerGraftonStructure2011
District No. 6 SchoolhouseBrunswickBuilding2008
District School No. 3Castleton-on-HudsonBuilding1998
Earl, Gardner, Memorial Chapel and Crematorium NHLTroyBuilding2004
East Nassau Central SchoolEast NassauBuilding1997
Elmbrook FarmSchodackBuilding2001
Empire Stove WorksTroyBuilding2024
Estabrook Octagon HouseHoosick FallsBuilding1980
Fifth Avenue-Fulton Street Historic DistrictTroyDistrict1970
Fire Alarm, Telegraph and Police Signaling BuildingTroyBuilding2003
First Presbyterian Church of LansingburghTroyBuilding2022
Fitzgerald Brothers Brewing Company Bottling WorksTroyBuilding2024
Fort Crailo NHLRensselaerBuilding1966
Fox, Albert R., HouseSand LakeBuilding2001
Garfield SchoolEagle MillsBuilding1988
GlenwoodTroyBuilding1973
Gooding FarmEagle BridgeDistrict2022
Grand Street Historic DistrictTroyDistrict1973
Griswold Heights Historic DistrictTroyDistrict2024
Halford-Hayner FarmsteadTroyDistrict2013
Harder Manufacturing Company-Albany Woolen Company Inc. BuildingRensselaerBuilding2021
Hart-Cluett MansionTroyBuilding1973
Hoosick Falls ArmoryHoosick FallsBuilding1995
Hoosick Falls Historic DistrictHoosick FallsDistrict1980
Howard-Odmin-Sherman FarmsteadPittstownBuilding2014
Ilium BuildingTroyBuilding1970
International Shirt and Collar CompanyTroyBuilding2017
Irwin, W.P., Bank BuildingRensselaerBuilding2007
Knickerbocker MansionSchaghticokeBuilding1972
Koon, Henry, HouseTroyBuilding1997
Lansingburgh AcademyTroyBuilding1976
Lansingburgh Village Burial GroundTroySite2002
Lion FactoryTroyBuilding2022
Marsh-Link-Pollock FarmBrunswickDistrict2014
McCarthy BuildingTroyBuilding1970
Mechanicville Hydroelectric PlantMechanicvilleDistrict1989
Melville, Herman, HouseTroyBuilding1992
Methodist Episcopal Church of LansingburghLansingsburghBuilding2016
Miller, Hall & Hartwell Shirt Collar FactoryTroyBuilding2024
Muitzes Kill Historic DistrictSchodackDistrict1974
Mullany, Kate, House NHLTroyBuilding1998
National State Bank BuildingTroyBuilding1970
Neemes FoundryTroyBuilding2024
Newton-Taber-Martin FarmNassauDistrict2016
Northern River Street Historic DistrictTroyDistrict1988
Oakwood Avenue Presbyterian ChurchTroyBuilding2012
Oakwood CemeteryTroySite1984
Old Troy HospitalTroyBuilding1973
Osgood, J.C., FirehouseTroyBuilding2000
Patroon Agent's House and OfficeRensselaerBuilding1979
Patten, Jacob H., HouseTroyBuilding2016
Petersburgh United Methodist ChurchPetersburghBuilding2004
Poesten Kill Gorge Historic DistrictTroyDistrict1978
Powers HomeTroyBuilding1974
Proctor's TheaterTroyBuilding1979
Public School No. 1TroyBuilding2018
Public School No. 10TroyBuilding1994
Pumpkin HouseTroyBuilding1998
Rensselaer Society of Engineers HouseTroyBuilding2019
River Street Historic DistrictTroyDistrict1976
Sand Lake Baptist ChurchAverill ParkBuilding2004
Schodack Landing Historic DistrictSchodack LandingDistrict1977
Searle, Gardner and Company Cuff and Collar FactoryTroyBuilding2014
Second Street Historic DistrictTroyDistrict1974
Sharpe Homestead and CemeteryDefreestvilleBuilding2005
Sherman FarmPittstownBuilding2003
Smith, Henry Tunis, FarmNassauBuilding1975
St. Barnabas Epicopal ChurchTroyBuilding2004
St. Mark's Episcopal ChurchHoosick FallsBuilding2000
St. Paul's Episcopal Church ComplexTroyBuilding1979
Staats, Joachim, House and Gerrit Staats RuinCastleton-on-HudsonDistrict1978
Theta Xi Fraternity Chapter HouseTroyBuilding2013
Thomas S. Fagan & Mary Kate Fagan HouseTroyBuilding2024
Thomas-Wiley-Abbott FarmsteadJohnsonvilleDistrict2012
Tibbits HouseHoosickBuilding1978
Tomhannock Methodist Episcopal ChurchPittstownBuilding2014
Trinity Church LansingburghTroyDistrict1995
Troy Gas Light CompanyTroyBuilding1971
Troy Public LibraryTroyBuilding1973
Troy Savings Bank and Music Hall NHLTroyBuilding1989
Troy Waste Manufacturing Company BuildingTroyBuilding2014
US Post Office-Hoosick FallsHoosick FallsBuilding1988
US Post Office-TroyTroyBuilding1989
United Waste Manufacturing Company BuildingTroyBuilding2013
Valley Falls Historic DistrictValley FallsDistrict2018
Van Alen, John Evert, HouseDefreestvilleBuilding2004
Van Rensselaer High SchoolRensselaerBuilding2012
Van Zandt, Jacobs and Company Collar and Cuff FactoryTroyBuilding2014
W. & L. E. Gurley Building NHLTroyBuilding1970
Washington Park Historic DistrictTroyDistrict1973
Wilbur-Campbell-Stephens Company Cuff and Collar FactoryTroyBuilding2016
Willard, Emma, SchoolTroyBuilding1979
William Barnet & Son Shoddy MillRensselaerDistrict2020
Winslow Chemical LaboratoryTroyBuilding1994

Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.

County formation

Newberry AHCB

Rensselaer was formed in 1791 (1791-02-07) from Albany.

RENSSELAER created from ALBANY.

Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

Population by decade

Census

Rensselaer County population from 1800 to 2020 (Census historical series).

161k96k30k18001840188019101920196020002020
1800182018401860188019001920194019501960198020002020
30,35140,15360,25986,328115,328121,697113,129121,834132,607142,585151,966152,538161,130

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.

National Park Service sites nearby

NPS

Park units within about 40 km of the county centroid (from NPS Public POIs; no API key).

SiteTypeDist.
Saratoga National Historical ParkNational Historical Park34.8 km

Source: NPS National Datasets / Public POIs. The NPS Developer API requires a free key and was not used.

Cemeteries & historical places

USGS GNIS

51 cemeteries and 0 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.

Cemeteries — 51 of 51 listed
NameLatLon
Arnold CemeteryNoneNone
Berlin Community Cemetery42.66914-73.37002
Beth Tephilah Cemetery42.70773-73.64762
Beverwyck Cemetery42.65802-73.72775
Blooming Grove Cemetery42.66319-73.68997
Bonesteel Cemetery42.73925-73.51078
Brookins Cemetery42.82022-73.63145
Brookside Cemetery42.68757-73.54188
Center Berlin Cemetery42.66819-73.37063
Clarks Chapel Cemetery42.57324-73.59523
Eagle Mills Cemetery42.72882-73.59794
East Greenbush Cemetery42.58752-73.70114
Elmwood Cemetery42.63868-73.60706
Elmwood Cemetery42.90792-73.59385
Elmwood Hill Cemetery42.7195-73.66293
Fifty Six Cemetery42.69142-73.48517
Forest Hills Cemetery42.71799-73.63637
Garfield Cemetery42.54322-73.39503
Greenbush Cemetery42.6138-73.73111
Hillside Cemetery42.58433-73.47436
Hillside Cemetery42.6937-73.5607
Hoosick Cemetery42.85431-73.32324
Larkin Cemetery42.56126-73.50228
Maple Grove Cemetery42.89105-73.34756
Maple Grove Old Cemetery42.88993-73.35024
Maplewood Cemetery42.80662-73.59523
Meadow Lawn Cemetery42.74534-73.34936
Morrison Cemetery42.74933-73.55572
Moses Cemetery42.74988-73.34677
Nassau and Schodack Cemetery42.50304-73.61803
New Mount Ida Cemetery42.71898-73.6634
New Rural Cemetery42.63885-73.71989
Oakwood Cemetery42.76178-73.66798
Old Mount Ida Cemetery42.72071-73.67383
Pleasant Valley Cemetery42.74619-73.34908
Presbyterian Hill Cemetery42.52543-73.37974
Sacred Heart Cemetery42.55341-73.38367
Saint Jean Cemetery42.70944-73.65027
Saint John Cemetery42.78245-73.66413
Saint Johns Cemetery42.90797-73.58574
Saint Joseph Cemetery42.7102-73.68413
Saint Josephs Cemetery42.54652-73.36432
Saint Marys Cemetery42.72618-73.66234
Saint Marys Cemetery42.88646-73.349
Saint Nicholas Cemetery42.69916-73.68777
Saint Peters Cemetery42.75718-73.66579
Snyder Cemetery42.7378-73.47145
Temple Beth El Cemetery42.71745-73.66052
Warren Cemetery42.85522-73.44646
West Hoosick Rural Cemetery42.9041-73.42563
Woodlawn Cemetery42.5651-73.61984

Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.

Historical markers

HMdb link

Marker text and photos from the Historical Marker Database (HMdb) are not embedded here. HMdb allows non-commercial reuse with attribution, but commercial/compensated use needs written permission; this is a commercial site, so we only link out.

Search HMdb for Rensselaer County, New York

Terms: hmdb.org/copyright.asp. Linking is encouraged by HMdb.