National Register of Historic Places

Downtown Cohoes Historic District

Cohoes, Albany County, New York
Listed
September 12, 1984
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
84002060

About this property

The Downtown Cohoes Historic District takes up 35 acres (14 ha) of the city of Cohoes, New York, United States. Many of the 165 contributing properties date from the 1820-1930 period when the Erie Canal and Harmony Mills were the mainstay of the city's economy. It was recognized as a historic district and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. After years of neglect and decline, it has recently started to see an upswing in business activity due to its historic character and the city's efforts to protect it. It is a roughly triangular area encompassing most of the city's business district, along the axes of Ontario and Remsen streets. Most of its buildings are contributing properties, with only a few late 20th-century intrusions; most of those are residential or commercial and in-use but they also include several churches, factories, a train station and the city hall. They range in architectural styles from Federal to Art Moderne. One building within the district, Cohoes Music Hall, was listed on the National Register before the creation of the district. Another National Register listing, the Silliman Memorial Presbyterian Church, was demolished in 1998. A similar fate befell a church building designed by Richard Upjohn after it burned in 1894, but its rectory survives.

Location

Cohoes, Albany County, New York
42.77350, -73.70081

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Downtown Cohoes Historic District

This page lists Downtown Cohoes Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Silliman Memorial Presbyterian Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Delaware and Hudson Railroad Freight House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Olmstead Street Historic District
Civil War
0.2 mi
Music Hall
Industrial
0.2 mi
Dickey, William J., House
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Saratoga — Freeman's Farm (First)
1777Revolutionary War
14.9 mi
Battle of Saratoga — Bemis Heights (Second)
1777Revolutionary War
14.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Downtown Cohoes Historic District listed on the National Register?

Downtown Cohoes Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 12, 1984.

What type of historic resource is Downtown Cohoes Historic District?

Downtown Cohoes Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Downtown Cohoes Historic District?

The period of significance for Downtown Cohoes Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Downtown Cohoes Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Downtown Cohoes Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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