Schenectady County: A place to call home

For years, as I was stuck in traffic on my commute from Niskayuna to Albany, I would fantasize about having a day when I wouldn't have to leave Schenectady County. Since giving birth to my daughter Kathleen last fall, I've had plenty of days where I haven't even left the house, let alone the county.

Now that the weather is nice, Kathleen and I have begun to explore the sights of the place we call home, and we have found there is much to do in Schenectady.

Stockading

The neighborhood is the sight of the first settlement in Schenectady, which was founded in 1661 by Dutch merchants and fur traders on land purchased from the Mohawk Indians, according to the Schenectady County Historical Society.

Several stockade walls were built over the years to protect the settlement. Although there is no longer a stockade wall, it lives on in the name of the neighborhood.

Walk this way

The Schenectady County Historical Society has a walking tour pamphlet that guides visitors as they stroll through the neighborhood. The pamphlet gives information not only about the architecture of the neighborhood, but also about many of the homes' original owners:

* One of the first houses on the walking tour, 254 Union Street, is known as the Gillette House. Elizabeth Gillette, the first female doctor in Schenectady, was also the first woman elected to the State Assembly from upstate New York.

* Down the street is 109 Union Street, the Abraham Yates House. The house, built in the early 18th century, is the only Dutch house in the country that has its original facade.

* At the end of Union Street, you turn onto Washington Avenue and see the Charles Proteus Steinmetz House. He developed the alternating current system of electricity and was an active member of the community.

* Also on Washington Avenue is the Schenectady County Historical Society. Located at 32 Washington Avenue in a Georgian revival residence, the building is open for visitors Monday through Friday, 1-5 p.m.

* From Washington, you will turn onto Front Street where you can see the Governor Yates House at 17 Front Street. Joseph Yates, the first mayor of Schenectady, was the fourth governor of New York.

Meet at Lawrence

On a February night in 1690, while the inhabitants of Schenectady slept, a force of 114 French and 96 Algonquin Indians raided the settlement. Sixty sleeping residents were murdered, and an additional 67 were taken prisoner and marched to Quebec. The homes of the Stockade were burned and pillaged. Only four settlers were known to survive.

BY 1692, with the encouragement from Mohawks like Lawrence, the Stockade was rebuilt and again flourished as a fur-trading outpost. The statue is a tribute to the support the settlers received from the Mohawks.

Time for treats

From a cup of coffee to gourmet lunches, Arthur's has something for nearly every taste. But Arthur's is not the first shop to operate in this location. A public market has operated at that location since 1795.

With ice cream bars in hand, we headed for Riverside Park. As its name suggests, the park is located on the banks of the Mohawk River. Until a fire in 1819, it had been the location of Schenectady's business district. After the blaze, the district was relocated to State Street, adjacent to the Erie Canal.

Some believe the fire, which destroyed businesses, saved the neighborhood. Had the business district remained in the Stockade, the historic buildings may have been torn down to make way for more modern ones.

Park benches line the banks of the river allowing visitors to sit and watch boats or roller-bladers go by. The park, despite being located in a city, is quiet and peaceful. For younger visitors, there is a playground. When my nephews weren't throwing stones in the river, they were enjoying the swings and slides.

On to Scotia

A sumptuous buffet greeted us. The menu included fresh fruit, pastries, French toast, blintzes, omelets made to order, salmon -- which Peter proclaimed as being "very good" -- sirloin, potato pancakes, rice, vegetables, and my favorite: dessert. The desserts included peanut butter cheesecake, chocolate cake, canoli, tiramisu and Italian cookies.

We ate in the main dining room. Built in 1713 and known as the Great Room, it hosted community meetings, parties and balls. The room is painted a deep mauve; the windows are dressed with floral festoons and swags. Each end of the room has a fireplace, and there are built-in bookcases.

Historic site

Maqua, Ms. Birbilis-Brough explained, was the word the Dutch used to refer to the Native Americans living in the area. They also referred to the Mohawk River as the Maquaakill.

Glen's great granddaughter married John Sanders of Albany in 1739. The two became the owners of the estate; and from then on, it was known as the Glen Sanders Mansion. It remained in their family until 1961.

Ms. Birbilis-Brough took us through the Riverside Hallway. The room features a double Dutch door with handmade hinges and locks. She pointed out a dent in the handrail of the steep Dutch staircase. According to lore, the dent was caused by a tomahawk being thrown by an Oneida Indian at Deborah Glen Sanders.

Jesuit link

After capturing the priest, the Indians asked Glen to lock up their prisoner until the following morning. They planned on torturing and killing the priest the next day.

Glen agreed; however, he warned the Indians that priests had magical powers and could escape through a keyhole. Glen hid the priest in a large salt cask headed for Albany, and he escaped unharmed.

Museum

Although I've lived in Schenectady for 25 years and knew that it was known as the city that "lights and hauls" the world, I never really realized the important contributions made by Schenectadians. Through November, the museum is hosting an exhibit on the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). The exhibit showcases the many advancements made in train travel that were developed in Schenectady.

As you walk through the exhibit, you hear sounds of the trains. Not only does the exhibit contain train paraphernalia, but it also showcases the everyday people who worked at ALCO.

Shocking news

It was interesting to learn that by 1935 half of the world's electricity was produced by turbines made at Schenectady's General Electric plant.

Something else I learned at the museum that I didn't know before was that Schenectady was the broom-making capital of the world for the first half of the 19th century.

Eating out

Jumpin' Jack's is known for its onion rings and generous servings of soft-serve ice cream. Located just off the Western Gateway Bridge, it borders both the Mohawk River and Collins Park. Collins Park offers swimming, tennis courts, basketball courts and a playground. There is also a stage and dance floor. There are 28 free concerts scheduled this summer at the park.

On June 29, the Allan Payette Band will perform, the Water Ski team will put on a show, and the evening will be capped off by fireworks. All are part of the village of Scotia's Independence Day celebration -- and all are free.

Tradition

A long-time member of St. Anthony's and Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishes, Ms. Ferrucci said there is much to do in Schenectady.

"Come and look at the Stockade; it's really beautiful," she said. "We also have parks. There's Riverside Park, Collins Park and Central Park. Even a walk through the older neighborhoods in Niskayuna is nice. If you get a chance, you've got to go to Proctor's [theater] just once."

Mabee, yes

According to Scott Haefner, historian for the Town of Rotterdam, the Mabee Farm is the oldest house in the Mohawk Valley. The main house was built in 1685.

The farm is named for its first inhabitant, Jan Pieterse Mabee, and the eight generations of his family that lived there. "One family owned the property until 1993," said Mr. Haefner. "These were everyday, ordinary people."

The property contains the Mabee House, a Dutch barn, an English barn, a brick house, several other smaller buildings and the Mabee family cemetery.

Back in time

Connected to the house, via the porch, is The Inn, built in the mid-18th century. Small and humble, the Inn is typical of the accommodations that were available to travelers during the 18th century, the historian said. At one point, the house was the farthest point west that European settlers ventured to.

The family's losses have been the Historical Society's gain. Had the family prospered, it is likely that the original house would have been torn down and a new one built, Mr. Haefner said. As it is, the house remained intact, and the family didn't even install electricity or plumbing until the 1960s.

Operated by the Schenectady County Historical Society, the farm is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, Memorial Day through Labor Day, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. A $3 donation is encouraged for adult visitors, $2 for students and children.

Central time

The rose garden there has more than 200 varieties of roses with 4,500 flowers in bloom from June until frost. The rose garden is a nice place to relax and meditate. The duck pond is also conducive to relaxation. There are many ways to enjoy the pond: sitting on a park bench, renting a paddle boat or strolling around the perimeter of the pond. It is common to see mothers pushing baby strollers and other walkers in the morning and early afternoon.

Like Collins Park in Scotia, Central Park offers free concerts in the summer. The Agnes MacDonald Music Haven Stage will offer more than 50 diverse performances this summer. I am looking forward to the Festival Shakespeare on July 28 and 29. There will be Renaissance music, fire-eating, fight scene demonstrations, a medieval buffet and a performance of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night."

Other attractions at Central Park include the tennis courts, a public pool and fishing in the duck pond.

Home town

Among the sites we will visit in the future are the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path in Niskayuna, the Empire State Aerosciences Museum in Glenville, the Plotter Kill Nature Preserve in Rotterdam (complete with three waterfalls and 600 species of plants), and the G.E. Plot neighborhood.

Like Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," I've learned that everything I need is in my own backyard.

(For more information, contact: The Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-962-8007 or www.schenectadychamber.org; the Schenectady Museum at 518-382-7890 or www.schenectadymuseum.org; the Schenectady County Historical Society 518-374-0263 or www.schist.org; the Mabee Farm at 887-5073; and the Glen Sanders Mansion at 374-7262.)

(06-21-01) [[In-content Ad]]