Editing North Greenbush, New York

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = North Greenbush
| official_name = [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|Town]] of North Greenbush
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| etymology = From being the northern half of the old town of Greenbush;<br/>Greenbush from the [[Dutch (language)|Dutch]] ''Greenen Bosch'', meaning "pinewood" for the pine forests of the area
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| image_map = Rensselaer County New York incorporated and unincorporated areas North Greenbush highlighted.svg
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| postal_code = 12144, 12180, 12198
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| blank_name_sec2 = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info_sec2 = 36-52100<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name_sec2 = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info_sec2 = 0979287<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = North Greenbush, New York
| website = [http://www.townofng.com/ www.townofng.com]
| footnotes = 
}}

'''North Greenbush''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|town]] in [[Rensselaer County, New York]], United States. North Greenbush is located in the western part of the county. The population was 13,292 at the 2020 census.

The town has three main [[Administrative divisions of New York#Hamlet|hamlets]], [[Wynantskill, New York|Wynantskill]] in the northeastern corner, Defreestville in the southern portion of the town, and [[Snyder's Lake]] which occupies the majority of the town's eastern end. Each have strong identities and hinder efforts by the town to have a centralized identity.<ref name=Comp/> Also hindering a unified town image is that North Greenbush consists of parts of four different school districts, only one of which (a one-room schoolhouse) carries the town's name; two fire departments (Wynantskill and Defreestville); and three [[ZIP Code]]s ([[Troy, New York|City of Troy]], City of Rensselaer, and Wynantskill).<ref name=Comp/> North Greenbush is home to the southern part of the [[Hudson Valley Community College]] (HVCC) campus, including the [[Joseph L. Bruno Stadium]], home to the [[Tri-City ValleyCats]] minor league baseball team; the [[RPI Tech Park]]; the [[La Salle Institute]]; the [[New York State National Guard]] Armory, headquarters for the [[Rainbow Division]]; and various Rensselaer County government institutions.<ref name=Comp/>

== History ==
North Greenbush was part of the Manor of [[Rensselaerswyck]], and [[Albany County, New York|Albany County]] prior to Rensselaer County's creation in 1791. North Greenbush was created on February 23, 1855, from the town of Greenbush at the same time as the town of Clinton (today [[East Greenbush, New York|East Greenbush]]). At this time, North Greenbush occupied more than what it does today; it also covered what is now the northern section of the [[Administrative divisions of New York#City|city]] of [[Rensselaer, New York|Rensselaer]] and the southern section of the city of Troy.

The earliest settlers, in the early 1620s settled in Bath, a part of the town annexed to Rensselaer in 1902. Some settlement in what is today North Greenbush may have taken place in the 17th century as well, but most significant early settlement occurred just prior to the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]. Early settlements in the town were at Bath, [[Wynantskill, New York|Wynantskill]], and Defreestville. In 1874 Bath became incorporated as a village, and in 1902 it was annexed to Rensselaer. Wynantskill, in the northeastern corner of the town, was first settled around the end of the 18th century with a Dutch Reformed Church established {{Circa|1794}}, and a post office was established in 1820.<ref name=Ray>{{cite web | title = History of North Greenbush | publisher = D. Mason & Co. | author = George Baker Anderson | year = 1897 | access-date = January 26, 2010 | url = http://history.rays-place.com/ny/ren-n-greenbush.htm}}</ref> Defreestville was originally called Blooming Grove until approximately 1830, when it was changed due to confusion with another Blooming Grove, in [[Orange County, New York|Orange County]].<ref name="Govt" /> It was named Defreestville for David M. De Freest and family who owned a tavern there.<ref name="Ray" /> Defreestville and Wynantskill continue to be important [[Administrative divisions of New York#Hamlet|hamlets]] in the town. Snyders Lake would, in the 20th century, also become an important community.<ref name="Govt">{{cite web | title = Town History | publisher = Town of North Greenbush | author = Karen Hartgen and Sam Swanson | access-date = January 26, 2010 | url = http://www.townofng.com/about/}}</ref> Snyders Lake was developed as summer residences and continues to lack a [[central business district]].<ref name=Comp>{{cite web | title = North Greenbush Comprehensive Plan | author = Laberge Group | publisher = Town of North Greenbush | url = https://www.scribd.com/doc/16343205/North-Greenbush-Comprehensive-Plan-61109 | access-date = January 28, 2010 | date = June 2009}}</ref>

During the 20th century, North Greenbush would begin to see more development due to an improved transportation infrastructure which led to increased suburban residential, office, and retail growth based on the automobile. In 1931, the road between Troy and East Greenbush was widened and the right-of-way straightened as [[U.S. Route 4 in New York|US Route 4]]. The older, narrower, winding residential parts of the road were bypassed and is today's Bloomingrove Drive.<ref name=Govt/> Starting in the 1940s and 1950s, suburban growth along Route 4 would begin to displace farms and local businesses with national chains with an automobile oriented pattern of growth.<ref name=Comp/> This suburban growth would be encouraged by the construction of [[Interstate 90 in New York|Interstate 90]] (I-90) and the [[Patroon Island Bridge]] in the 1960s, making North Greenbush an easy commute to Albany.<ref name=Govt/> I-90 would not have a direct exit to North Greenbush until 1996 though, when Exit 8 was constructed connecting US 4 and [[NY Route 43]] to the interstate.<ref name=Comp/> In the 1970s [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]] (RPI) began developing the [[RPI Tech Park]] on Route 4 as a [[business incubator]], today it has over {{convert|1000000|sqft|m2}} of office space.<ref name=Comp/> A connector highway will eventually also go from Exit 8 parallel to US 4 north through the RPI Tech Park and meet US 4 near [[Hudson Valley Community College]] (HVCC) at the Troy city line.<ref name=Comp/>

Not all suburban growth has been well received in the town, however. In the late 1990s, the RPI Tech Park became the focus of regional and statewide push to get a [[chip fabrication]] factory (chip fab plant) built. The RPI Tech Park site originally met little opposition from the town.<ref name=NG>{{cite web | title = Review of chip plan on track |work=[[Times Union (Albany)|Times Union]] |location=Albany, NY | author = Laura Lee | access-date = September 29, 2009 | date = June 12, 1998 | url = http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=5928435}}</ref> But as time progressed, opposition grew in response to concerns about potential impacts on traffic and the environment.<ref>{{cite web | title = Public sees two sides to chip plant |work=[[Times Union (Albany)|Times Union]] |location=Albany, NY | author = Michele Morgan Bolton | date = March 5, 1999 | access-date = September 29, 2009 | url= http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=5976284}}</ref> The RPI Tech Park site, which by October 1999 had become one of only nine sites still being marketed by the state, was terminated when the North Greenbush town council voted to terminate the review process.<ref>{{cite web | title = Board rejects chip plants |work=[[Times Union (Albany)|Times Union]] |location=Albany, NY | access-date = September 29, 2009 | date = October 15, 1999 | url = http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=5951717 | author = Michele Morgan Bolton}}</ref> Another instance of NIMBY opposition to development occurred after the construction of I-90's Exit 8 when that location became well-primed for commercial development. Local developer Frank Nigro, with Nigro Company, proposed a high-end shopping center for the northeastern corner of the intersection of routes 4 and 43. This led to lawsuits and a failed push by residents of Defreestville to incorporate as a village in order to stop the development; and a counter-move by the developer and certain landowners to attempt annexation to the neighboring city of Rensselaer where the development would be better received.<ref>{{cite web|title=Court allows plaza project |author=Kate Perry |url=http://www.howardgroup.com/article_details.php?id=11 |work=[[Times Union (Albany)|Times Union]] |location=Albany, NY |access-date=January 28, 2010 |date=July 6, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115120943/http://howardgroup.com/article_details.php?id=11 |archive-date=January 15, 2010 }}</ref>

The [[Defreest Homestead]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1977.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|19.0|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|18.7|sqmi|km2}}  is land and {{convert|0.3|sqmi|km2}}  (1.74%) is water. The western section of the town is steeply sloped and cut by various ravines; the clay bluffs rise between 100 and {{convert|200|ft|m}} above the river with little to no flood plain.<ref>{{cite book | url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_R_zHwh4xByQC | quote = new york gazetteer 1860. | title = Gazetteer of the State of New York | publisher = R. Pearsall Smith | author = J.H. French | year = 1860 | access-date = January 28, 2010 | page = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_R_zHwh4xByQC/page/n579 557]}}</ref> The central and eastern parts consist of more gently rolling hills and valleys. The Hudson River is the river of the town, though it is inaccessible to the public at this time;<ref name=Comp/> the Wynants Kill in the northeastern section is a [[stream|creek]] of some respectable size. Snyder's Lake near the eastern border is the largest lake in the town and is accessible to the public.

The west town line is marked by the [[Hudson River]] with [[Albany County, New York|Albany County]] on the opposite shore. The city of Albany shares a brief common border with the town, the rest of the western boundary in the Hudson River is shared with the village of [[Menands, New York|Menands]] within the town of [[Colonie, New York|Colonie]]. To the north is Troy and the town of [[Brunswick, New York|Brunswick]] with the towns of [[Poestenkill (town), New York|Poestenkill]] and [[Sand Lake, New York|Sand Lake]] to the east. Most of the southern border is shared with East Greenbush, while the city of Rensselaer's northern section is partially surrounded by North Greenbush in the town's southwestern corner.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 2170
|1870= 3058
|1880= 4131
|1890= 4768
|1900= 4719
|1910= 1293
|1920= 1425
|1930= 2215
|1940= 3223
|1950= 4913
|1960= 8161
|1970= 10513
|1980= 10396
|1990= 10891
|2000= 10805
|2010= 12075
|2020= 13929
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2016">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2016.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|access-date=June 9, 2017}}</ref>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 10,805 people, 4,161 households, and 2,916 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|578.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 4,336 housing units at an average density of {{convert|232.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 96.81% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.01% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.09% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.76% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.24% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.08% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.85% of the population.

There were 4,161 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. Of all households, 25.2% were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 22.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $82,227, and the median income for a family was $62,845. Males had a median income of $40,872 versus $29,743 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $24,025.  About 2.0% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable person==
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* [[John Evert Van Alen]], U.S. Representative<ref>{{cite web|url = http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=V000012|title= VAN ALEN, John Evert, (1749 - 1807)|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date= July 31, 2014}}</ref>

== Communities and locations in North Greenbush ==
* '''Defreestville''' &ndash; A hamlet in the southwestern part of the town at the junction of US 4 and NY 43. The community derives its name from the local DeFreest family.<ref>{{cite book|title=University of the State of New York Bulletin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1IEnAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA51|year=1914|publisher=University of the State of New York|page=51}}</ref> The [[Sharpe Homestead and Cemetery]] and [[John Evert Van Alen House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris"/>
* '''Snyders Corner''' &ndash; A hamlet north of [[Snyder's Lake]] and southeast of [[Wynantskill, New York|Wynantskill]] at the junction of West Sand Lake and Snyders Corner roads.
* [[Snyder's Lake]] &ndash; A hamlet occupying the majority of North Greenbush's eastern side.
* [[Wynantskill, New York|Wynantskill]] &ndash; A hamlet on the northern town line by the town's northeastern corner.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Anderson |first=George Baker |title=Landmarks of Rensselaer County New York |publisher=D. Mason and Company |location=Syracuse, New York |year=1897 |url=https://archive.org/stream/landmarksofrenss00ande#page/n5/mode/2up |oclc= 1728151}}
* {{cite book |last=Hayner |first=Rutherford |title=Troy and Rensselaer County New York: A History |url=https://archive.org/details/troyrensselaerco02hayn_0 |location=New York |publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc |year=1925 |oclc=22524006}}
* {{cite book |last=Sylvester |first=Nathaniel Bartlett |title=History of Rensselaer Co., New York with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofrenssel00sylv |publisher=Everts & Peck |location=Philadelphia |year=1880 |oclc= 3496287}}
* {{cite book |last=Weise |first=Arthur James |title=History of the Seventeen Towns of Rensselaer County from the Colonization of the Manor of Rensselaerwyck to the Present Time |year=1880 |publisher=J. M. Francis & Tucker |location=Troy, New York |url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924064123015#page/n5/mode/2up |oclc= 6637788}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://history.rays-place.com/ny/ren-n-greenbush.htm History of North Greenbush, NY]
* [http://town-court.com/getTownCourt.php?courtID=125 North Greenbush Town Court]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Town of North Greenbush
|North     = City of [[Troy, New York|Troy]], Town of [[Brunswick, New York|Brunswick]]
|Northeast = 
|East      = Town of [[Poestenkill (town), New York|Poestenkill]]<br/>Town of [[Sand Lake, New York|Sand Lake]]<br/><small>Hamlet of [[West Sand Lake, New York|West Sand Lake]]</small>
|Southeast =
|South     = Town of [[East Greenbush, New York|East Greenbush]]
|Southwest = City of [[Rensselaer, New York|Rensselaer]]
|West      = [[Hudson River]]/[[Albany County, New York|Albany County]]<br/>Town of [[Colonie, New York|Colonie]]<br/><small>Village of [[Menands, New York|Menands]]</small>
|Northwest = 
}}
{{Rensselaer County, New York}}
{{Capital District}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Towns in Rensselaer County, New York]]