Historical Markers in
Albany County, New York

10th Ward War Memorial 1624-1924 1780 Shear Farm 1816 Dwelling House 1st Telephone Central Office in New York State 200th Anniversary of Albany Charter 200th Anniversary of the Birth of George Washington A City of Outstanding Historical Significance A History of the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail A Park Named Craner * Cohoes Recalls a Hero Abraham Ten Broeck Abraham Wemple Academy Academy Park Albany - Capital of New York 200 Years Albany County Albany County Albany Medical College Albany Pump Station Albany Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Allen House Altamont Altamont Free Library / Biblioteca Libre de Altamonte Altamont High School Altamont, New York America's First Shaker Settlement An English Neighborhood An Urban Refuge Andrew Conning Andrew Hannay Anneke Janse Bogardus House Site Anti-Rent Anti-Rent Riots Anti-Rent War Ax Factory B. Lodge & Company Baptist Church Baptist Church Battle of Normanskill Beardsley House Beaver Dam Beebe Harness Shop / Tienda de Arneses Beebe Bender Melons Birthplace of Modern Electricity Bleecker Park Boardman & Gray Piano Factory Boats and Music Boght Church Breastworks Brethren's Workshop (1822) Brig. Gen. Abraham Ten Broeck Building A Place to Live Camp Van Schaick Captain Jacob Van Aernam Cheese Factory Chester Alan Arthur Cider Mill City Hall Carillon City of Watervliet Civil War Parrott Rifle Clark House Clinton Square Cluett, Peabody & Company Coeymans Coeymans Cohoes City Hall Cohoes Mastodon Cohoes Tribute Connecting People With Communities Connecting People With Communities Continental Avenue Court of Appeals Creamery (1856) Dalessondro Boulevard David Allen House Declaration of Independence Centennial Memorial Dedicated Dedicated Delmar Dormansville Dormansville War Memorial Dr F. Crounse Dr. Jonathan Johnson Dr. Samuel Preston Dutch Barn Dwelling Earliest House Early Business Early Business District Early Doctor Early Mission East Berne Egberts & Bailey Mill Enterprise Building / Edificio Enterprise Episcopal Church Erie Canal Executive Mansion Family Cemetery Farm of Evert Bancker Federal Library Fire Department / Village Hall / Cuerpo de Bomberos / Ayuntamiento First Church in Albany (Reformed) First Inn and Store First Lutheran Church First Meeting First P.O. 1868 First Plastic First Power Mill for the Manufacture of Knit Fabrics First Railroad First Reformed Dutch Church Fonda Cemetery Fort Frederick Fort Frederick Fort Frederick Fort Orange Fort Van Nassau Fox Preserve Frederick Crounse Freeman House French's Hollow Gen. Henry Knox Trail Gen. Henry Knox Trail Gen. Henry Knox Trail General John J. Pershing General Philip Henry Sheridan Monument General Washington George Stacey Davis George Wagner Glass Works Glenn Curtiss Flight Grant & Eadie Grove Hotel Guilderland Town Hall Hamilton Glass House Hamlet of Rensselaerville Hamlet of Selkirk Hans Winegar Harmanus Bogardus House / Blacksmith Shop Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail Helderbergs Henry Crounse Henry Hudson Henry Rowe Schoolcraft Herman Melville Historic Albany Rural Cemetery Historic Loudonville Historic Newtonville Historic State Street Home Front Café / Café Home Front Horace B. Silliman Hotaling / Pound House Hotel Houghtaling House House Built 1802 In Memory of Those Who Served Indian Ladder Indian Ladder Farms Indian Trail Inn of George Severson Inn of Jacob Crounse Jacob Van Aernam James “Buttermilk” Lansing Jerusalem Reformed Church Johannes Dietz John Groot Joseph Henry Juncta Kilian Van Rensselaer Knickerbacker Toll Bridge Knieskem Farm Knower House Knowersville Knox School #5 Knoxville Academy LaFayette Park Latham Lil's Diner Lime Kiln Farm Lincoln Avenue School / Escuela Lincoln Avenue Lincoln in Albany Lincoln Mourned Lincoln Park Locust Vale School Loudonville Loudoun Ferry Road Lutheran Church Lydius Corner Manor of Van Rensselaer Maplewood Historic Park Matthew Bullock Mayor James F. Cavanaugh Medusa War Memorial Meed House Memorial Meneely Bell Foundry Meneely Foundry Methodism Mill Site Mill Site Ministry Shop (1825) Misty 17 Mother Ann Lee Myers Farm National Natural Landmark Native American & 17th-century History of Peebles Island New Scotland New Scotland Church New Scotland War Memorial New York Power Authority New York State Office Building North Dutch Reformed Church Bell NSDAR Revolutionary Soldiers Memorial NYS Capitol & Albany City Hall Old Military Crossing Old Military Crossing Old Plank Road Origins of the Albany Tulip Festival Orsini Park / Parque Orsini Palatine Road Palatine Trail Paper Mills Parading and Promenading Patroon Street Peebles Island in the 18th-20th Centuries Peter J. Dalessandro Phase 1 New York City 1993-1997 Phase 2 Albany 1997 - 2001 Phase 3 Albany 2002 - Present Philip Livingston Pillbox Factory Pioneer Presbyterian Church Quaker Church Railroads Rapp Road Community Reformed Church Reformed Church Reformed Dutch Church Rev. Harmanus Van Huysen Home Route of The King’s Highway Saint Agnes Cemetery Saint Patrick's Church Bell Samuel Jenkins Sand Farm Schoolcraft House Schoolhouse No. 10 Schools Schuyler Flatts Schuyler Mansion Schuyler Mansion Schuyler Mansion Second Albany City Hall Severson House Shaker Cemetery Shaker Church Family Barn Shaker Garage (1920) Shaker Heritage Society Garden Shaker Meeting House Sightseeing / Cataract House, Cohoes Falls, N.Y. Sisters' Workshop (1840) Site of 1 Elk St. Site of First Poor House in the United States Site of Hamilton Union Church Site of Main Entrance to Old Capitol Site of Martin Van Buren Residence Site of New York Central Railroad Erector Shop Site of the Battle of Clarksville Slingerland Family Burial Vault Erected 1852 Slingerland House 1762 Slingerland-Lagrange Farm South Westerlo Spanish-American War Memorial St. John’s Lutheran Church / Iglesia Luterna St. John St. Peter's Church State Education Building Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence SUNY Plaza Swinburne Park Ten Broeck Family Burial Vault Ten Broeck Mansion Thacher Point The Albany Academy The Battle of Henry Johnson The Boght The Carriage Works / Fábrica de Transportes The Cohoes Mastodont The Erie Canal The Erie Canal The Erie Canal / Albany Basin The Four Immortal Chaplains The Fredendall Funeral Home/La Funeraria Fredendall The Fur Trade The Great Fire / El Gran Incendio The Indian Ladder Trail The King's Highway The King’s Highway The Matton Shipyard The Medusa Fire The Nalle Rescue The Site of the Oldest Building in Albany The Slingerlands Train Station The Tory Cave The Vale of Tawasentha The Weighlock Building This is the Capital District Toll Gate #3 Tory Cave 1777 Town of Bethlehem Veterans Memorial Town of Knox Town of Knox War Memorial Townsend Park U.S. Army 3 Inch M5 Antitank Gun U.S.S. Slater Uncle Dan Union Dutch Reformed Church Union Station United Traction Company Building USS Slater DE-766 Van Schaick Burial Plot Van Schaick Island Van Schaick Mansion Van Schaick Mansion Van Schaick Mansion View of Van Schaick Island Voorhees House Wash House & Cannery (c.1858) Washington Avenue Armory Washington Park Water Ford Watervliet Arsenal Wayside Inn / Posada Wayside Weidman Home West Berne Westerlo Whipping Post Whipple Farm Wildehausen Wiltsie Farm "The Elms"
The first American chess tournament was held in New York City in 1843, and it was won by a 21-year-old named Paul Morphy.
Albany County, located in the state of New York, has a rich history that dates back to the early European settlement in the 17th century. The region was initially inhabited by the Mohican Native American tribe before Dutch explorers arrived in the early 1600s. In 1614, a trading post was established by the Dutch West India Company, marking the beginning of European settlement in the area.

In 1664, the English took control of the region and renamed it Albany, after the Duke of Albany, who would later become King James II. Albany became a significant center for trade and commerce due to its strategic location along the Hudson River. The city's growth was further stimulated by the establishment of Fort Orange, a trading post that served as a vital link between the Dutch and Native Americans.

Throughout the 18th century, Albany County played a crucial role in the American Revolution. The city became a center of political activity, and in 1754, it hosted the Albany Congress, where representatives from several colonies gathered to discuss a unified response to the French threat. Albany was also a key transportation hub during the war, as troops and supplies moved along the Hudson River.

During the early 19th century, Albany County experienced significant industrial and economic development. The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 connected Albany to the Great Lakes, allowing for increased trade and the growth of manufacturing industries. The city also became the capital of New York State in 1797, solidifying its position as a political and administrative center.

Today, Albany County continues to thrive as the heart of New York's Capital Region. It is known for its diverse culture, rich historical landmarks, and educational institutions such as the University at Albany. The county reflects a blend of its early Dutch and English colonial roots with modern urbanization, making it a fascinating destination with a deep historical legacy.

This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Albany County, New York.

  • 1683 - Albany County is officially established by the Province of New York.
  • 1777 - Albany County becomes a strategic location during the American Revolutionary War.
  • 1791 - The city of Albany is incorporated and becomes the county seat.
  • 1800s - Albany County experiences rapid industrialization and becomes a center for trade and transportation.
  • 1812 - The War of 1812 brings increased military activity to the county.
  • 1825 - Erie Canal opens, connecting Albany County to the Great Lakes and boosting the local economy.
  • 1846 - Albany County is divided, creating the separate county of Rensselaer.
  • 1883 - The State Capitol building in Albany is completed.
  • 1936 - The Albany County Airport (now Albany International Airport) opens.
  • 1972 - The Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza is completed in Albany.
  • 1998 - Albany County celebrates its 315th anniversary.