I have been attempting to highlight some of Lansingburgh's great history over the last few weeks. Let's continue and look at some more important buildings that still survive.

The Lansingburgh Academy

At the corner of 114th and 4th Avenue is a building that has been standing for 181 years - the Lansingburgh Academy; built in 1820 to replace an earlier building on the village green, between 112 and 113th Streets.

The Academy was originally chartered in 1796 and was the centerpiece of Lansingburgh education for 150 years. Author Herman Melville and President Chester Arthur were students.

A brick addition was built behind it in 1911 and became the Lansingburgh Vocational School. It also served as the high school until a new one was built in 1912. It now houses the library and offices for the Taconic Land Conservancy.

Phoenix Hotel

The Phoenix Hotel, at Second Avenue and 116th Street lives up to its name. An earlier hotel was here in 1780 called the Village Inn and operated by Ananius Platt. It was the birthplace of the county of Rensselaer on April 15, 1791, and the place for stagecoaches from Lansingburgh to Albany. It was rebuilt in 1834 after a fire by Esek Hawkins and was named the Phoenix. In 1864, Zebina E. Fobes built the brick addition that runs on 116th Street to the Alley. The original Burgh post office had an office here for a while. It's now being renovated for a special needs housing project bringing it back to it's original purpose as a temporary residence.

Fire Station

On the north side of 115th Street between First and Second Avenue survives the Central Fire House, although it's now an apartment house called "Ye Old Firehouse Apartments."

Stationed here were the Mason Hose and Fake Hook and Ladder companies. These volunteer fire departments were disbanded in 1874 to become a paid fire department.

After the Burgh was annexed to Troy in 1900, the city built the F.B. Twinning Fire Station on 122nd Street and Second Avenue, on the SW corner (now gone), and the J.J. Child Fire House on Fifth Avenue (used by the Junior Museum until recently).

James J. Childs owned a coal company in his name at 600 Second Avenue. He was also Police Commissioner in 1899, the last year Lansingburgh was a separate village. He lived at 166 Second Avenue.

The Burgh did have major fires. On Sunday, July 9, 1843, 30-40 buildings comprising the two blocks between State (Second Avenue) and Congress (Third Avenue) and Elizabeth (116th St.) and Grove (118th St) streets were destroyed by fire. Two weeks later, July 23, 12 more buildings burned on State Street (Second Avenue) between Richard (117th) and Elizabeth Streets (116th St). Street names changed in 1886.

The Burgh's fire fighting history still survives with "Old Black Joke," Lansingburgh's first Fire Pump. Joke (one history book called it Joe) was purchased in 1791 from Richard Mason of Philadelphia. These were called "Tubs" because it was a hand filled engine with buckets instead of a hose, the 2 cylinder, single acting pump, threw a 140 foot stream through the brass and copper pipe. The John S. Fake Hook & Ladder Company donated it to the NYS Museum in 1937, and now 209 years later, is on display.

Police Station

Lansingburgh had its own police force from 1871 until 1900. It was then turned into the city's Fourth Precinct. The Police Station building is still standing with police sign intact on the facade, on the east side of 2nd Avenue, north of 116th Street. It has had various uses over the years.

Power's Family

One of the most important names in Lansingburgh is Powers. William Powers, a former schoolteacher, started an oil cloth business in 1817 (374 Second Ave), but died from an accident at the factory.

His widow Deborah and sons Albert E and Nathaniel B carried on the business and were influential in many aspects of 19th century Lansingburgh. They owned a bank, opera house, and had a park, school, and old ladies home named after them.

The Powers Bank was just north of 117th Street. What is left of the Opera house is at 117th St and 3rd.. In 1883, at age 93, Deborah Powers purchased the Daniel Davenport estate at 3rd, 123rd, and 2nd Avenue, originally built in 1846. and remodeled into a "Home for Old Ladies." Still occupied privately today, it's on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Powers family is buried in Oakwood Cemetery.