Queensbury, New York

Queensbury is a town in Warren County, New York, United States.<ref name="NaCo">Template:Cite web</ref> The population was 29,169 at the 2020 census.<ref name="GR2"/><ref name="census.gov">US Census 2020 Report, QUickFacts Queeensbury town https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/queensburytownwarrencountynewyork</ref>

It contains the county seat of Warren County, located at a municipal center complex on U.S. Route 9 south of the village of Lake George.<ref name="GOOGLEMAPS">Google Maps (1340 U.S. Route 9, Lake George, New York), Retrieved January 14, 2015.</ref> It was moved to the complex in 1963 from the original county seat of Lake George.<ref name="POSTSTAR">PostStar, Lake George Officials Consider New Use For Old Courthouse; retrieved January 14, 2015.</ref> The town is located in the southeastern corner of the county and is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is named in honor of Queen Charlotte.<ref name="oneidaa">Template:Cite web</ref> Although primarily located north of the city of Glens Falls, Queensbury surrounds the city on three sides.<ref name="recmap"/>

Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor, a Six Flags theme park, is located in northwest Queensbury. West Mountain, a downhill skiing area, is located in the southwestern part of town.<ref name="recmap">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The roots of Queensbury trace back to the Queensbury Patent in 1762, a colonial land grant authorized by the British Crown. It was designed to encourage settlement in the area near the southern Adirondack foothills, close to Lake George and the Hudson River. This patent, named in honor of Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, successfully attracted Quaker settlers the following year in 1763. Quaker families began to move into the area, clearing land and establishing farms and homesteads. In 1777, their peaceful existence was disrupted by the Revolutionary War. The Quakers, known for their pacifist beliefs, abandoned Queensbury during the war due to hostilities and the proximity to military campaigns. The region was largely uninhabited during this period. Following the end of the war, the Quakers returned to Queensbury in 1783 and resumed their settlement efforts.<ref name="oneida"/>

In 1786, the settlement was re-established as the town of Queensbury. In 1788, the town included all of what is today Warren County. It lost territory in 1792 when the town of Fairfield (Lake Luzerne) was formed and again in 1810 to form part of the town of Caldwell (Lake George). In 1908, the then largest village within Queensbury, Glens Falls, incorporated as a city and became a separate municipality.<ref name="oneida"/><ref name="book">Template:Cite book </ref> The population of Queensbury has exceeded that of Glens Falls since the 1980 Census.<ref name="1990census">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2003, with permission from Queensbury,<ref name="cede">Template:Cite news</ref> Glens Falls annexed approximately Template:Convert of the town. The land, known as Veterans Field<ref name="annex"/> or the Northway Industrial Park, is on Veterans Road between Luzerne Road and Sherman Avenue<ref name="cede"/> and is just east of I-87.<ref name="yahoomap-annex">Template:Cite map</ref> The land was vacant at the time.<ref name="cede"/> A thin, Template:Convert strip of Sherman Avenue<ref name="sharesherman">Template:Cite news</ref> was part of this annexation,<ref name="annex">Template:Cite news</ref> in order to comply with state law regarding contiguity of annexed land. Both the city and town now share ownership of this stretch of highway as a result.<ref name="sharesherman"/>

The Sanford House and Asa Stower House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="nris">Template:NRISref</ref>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (2.78%) is water.<ref name="area">Template:Cite web</ref> The town is located within the southeastern part of the Adirondack Mountains. The western town line is the border with the town of Lake Luzerne. The southern town boundary is defined by the border with the city of Glens Falls and the Hudson River, across which lies Saratoga County. The eastern town line is the border of Washington County, also New York State. The northern border is defined by the town of Lake George<ref name="Qmap"/> and, according to the town and Warren County, by the shoreline of the body of water, Lake George, itself.<ref name="shorelinetown">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="shorelinecounty">Template:Cite map</ref> However, several maps, including those published by the USGS, depict the northern boundary as including part of the lake, including Speaker Heck Island and Happy Family Islands.<ref name="lake george quad"/>

Parts of western and northern Queensbury are within the Adirondack Park.<ref name="Qmap">Template:Cite map</ref>

Demographics

As of the census of 2020, there were 29,169 people, 12,907 households, and 8,308 families residing in the town. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 11,223 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the town was 93.4% White, 0.9% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.<ref name="GR2"/>

There were 12,907 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.97.<ref name="GR2" />

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.<ref name="GR2" />

The median income for a household in the town was $47,225, and the median income for a family was $54,880. Males had a median income of $39,260 versus $25,036 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,096. About 3.8% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="GR2"/>

Government

Queensbury is a town of the first class, and as such has a town board with a town supervisor and four councilmen.<ref name="townboard">Template:Cite web</ref> Town residents petitioned to establish a ward system in 1981<ref name="townboard198110013">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> and again in 1985<ref name="townboard198503265">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> whereby the town would be divided into four wards. In a ward system, whereas the supervisor is elected by the entire town electorate, each councilman is elected by only the electorate of the ward he or she will be representing.<ref name="townboard"/> Having been approved by the voters by referendum in 1985, the first town board to be elected under the ward system convened in 1986.<ref name="townboard1986010310">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> Queensbury is one of only ten of New York's 932 towns that had a ward system as of 2000.<ref name="electiveprocesses75">Template:Cite web (section "Town-wide Organization and Services", heading "Elective Processes")</ref> The town has an ethics board, planning board, and zoning board of appeals.<ref name="boardlist">Template:Cite web</ref>

As of 2025, the town government officials are:

• John Strough – Town Supervisor
• Anthony Metivier – Deputy Supervisor; Councilman, Ward 1
• Scott Gushlaw – Councilman, Ward 2
• Michael Dixon – Councilman, Ward 3
• Timothy McNulty – Councilman, Ward 4

In county government, Queensbury is entitled to five of the 20 seats on the Warren County Board of Supervisors. (Glens Falls also has five seats, whereas the remaining ten towns in the county have one seat each.) Four of Queensbury's seats are filled by town-wide election, whereas the fifth is reserved for the town supervisor.<ref name="bos">Template:Cite web</ref>

Emergency services

Emergency services can be accessed by dialing 911, which routes calls to Warren County's 911 Communications Center.<ref name="sheriff"/>

Law enforcement and other police services are provided by the Warren County Sheriff's Office<ref name="sheriff">Template:Cite web</ref> and are supplemented by the New York State Police, which maintains a barracks in the town.<ref name="barracks">Template:Cite web</ref> Queensbury has not had its own police force since disbanding it in 1982.<ref name="Qpolice">Template:Cite web</ref>

The town is divided into five fire protection districts: Bay Ridge, North Queensbury, Queensbury Central, South Queensbury, and West Glens Falls. Each district contains at least one fire station, with Queensbury Central and West Glens Falls each having two stations.<ref name="fire">Template:Cite map</ref>

Three emergency medical services (EMS) districts provide out-of-hospital acute care and ambulance services: Bay Ridge EMS, North Queensbury EMS, and West Glens Falls EMS.<ref name="ems">Template:Cite map</ref>

A State Emergency Management Office regional office is located on Fox Farm Road.<ref name="QSEMO">Template:Cite news</ref>

Culture

Queensbury was the home of the Lake George Opera Festival from 1965 to 1998. During this period, the festival was held in the 875-seat Queensbury High School auditorium, producing three to seven operas per year.<ref>Template:Cite Grove</ref>

Education

Public school districts

The town of Queensbury falls within four public school districts:<ref name="schooldistricts">Template:Cite web</ref>

• Glens Falls City School District
• Hudson Falls Central School District
• Lake George Central School District
• Queensbury Union Free School District

Postsecondary education

• SUNY Adirondack<ref name="Qmap"/> – part of the State University of New York System<ref name=suny>Template:Cite web</ref>
• SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury – a branch campus that is part of the State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Notable people

• Brendan Harris (born 1980) – professional baseball infielder; grew up in Queensbury.<ref name="Brendan Harris">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Solomon Northup (c. 1807-1808–1864) – American abolitionist and author; lived with his daughter Margaret Stanton and her family in Queensbury by 1855.
• Johnny Podres (1932–2008) – Major League Baseball pitcher;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> lived in Queensbury following his baseball career.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Derek Richardson (born 1976) – Hollywood and TV actor; born and raised in Queensbury.<ref name="Derek Richardson">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Elwyn Seelye (1848–1920) – founder of the New York State Historical Association and the first custodian of the Lake George battlefield site.
• Joe Sylvester (1893–1976) – first golf professional at the Glens Falls Country Club in 1914.
• Adam Terry (born 1982) – professional football lineman; grew up in Queensbury, where he played high school football.<ref name="Adam Terry">Template:Cite web</ref>

Communities and locations in the Town of Queensbury

• Brayton – hamlet<ref name="oneida"/> in the northeastern part of town.<ref name="lake george quad">Template:Cite map</ref>
• East Lake George – hamlet in the northern part of the town and including part of the town of Fort Ann, located in Washington County. The hamlet attempted to incorporate as a village, a measure rejected by voters in 2010.<ref name="ELG">Template:Cite news</ref>
• Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport (GFL) – airport, formerly known as the Warren County Airport, in the southeastern part of the town.<ref name="Jimapco8">Template:Cite map</ref>
• French Mountain – hamlet<ref name="oneida"/> northwest of Glen Lake that shares its name with the mountain to its northeast.
• Glen Lake – hamlet and lake north of Glens Falls North.
• Glens Falls North – census-designated place along the northern borders of Glens Falls and West Glens Falls.<ref name="GlensFallsCDPs">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor and Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark – amusement park, water park and lodge located in Queensbury; opened 1954 as Storytown, U.S.A.
• Harrisena – hamlet<ref name="oneida"/> roughly following State Route 9L in the northern section of the town which borders Lake George. Granted to American Revolutionary War spy Moses Harris for his service in the war.<ref>History of Warren County, H. P. Smith - Chapter XXV: History of the Patent and Town of Queensbury - Part 4</ref>
• Kattskill Bay – hamlet in the northeasternmost area of the town.<ref name="Jimapco8"/>
• Lake Sunnyside – small lake and hamlet in the east-central portion of the town.
• Oneida Corners – hamlet at the modern junction of Sunnyside Road and State Route 9L.<ref name="oneida">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Paradise Beach – hamlet in the vicinity of The Great Escape and Round Pond on County Route 17.<ref name="glens falls quad">Template:Cite map</ref>
• Queensbury – hamlet located in the east part of the town near the Queensbury-Kingsbury-Fort Ann town lines.<ref name="hudson falls quad">Template:Cite map</ref><ref name="1858wc">Template:Cite map</ref>
• West Glens Falls – hamlet and census-designated place bordering the western side of the city of Glens Falls.<ref name="GlensFallsCDPs"/>
• Other hamlets – Jenkinsville, South Queensbury, Top O' the World, West Mountain<ref name="oneida"/>

External links

• Town of Queensbury official website