The Middleburgh Plan

By Don Rittner

The area once known as the village of Middleburgh, between North and Douw Streets, is an important part of Troy's early industrial history and should be promoted as such. Here are some ideas.

A few of us for years have suggested that the area around the old sloop lock between Middleburgh and Ingalls Avenue should become an historic park. I believe the lock is still there buried when they filled in the whole system during the 1950s that includes the hydraulic canal that ran in front of the mills along River Street. Some of the stonework from the complex is visible along the riverbanks including spillways for a few of the mills that were located there.

The lock and canal could be excavated exposing the walls and could be used as part of the bike trail the city is working on that runs along the river, or picnic area.

The Nature Conservancy has recently proposed their own plan for a park at the site and it includes a boat launch at Ingalls, two fishing piers, and pavilion/gazebo area. They have used some creative concepts including a walking path that runs along the line of the original riverbank as it appeared in 1795. However, they do not suggest excavating the canal or lock beds.

I'm also puzzled by their suggestion to plant Albany Pine Barrens plant species in a few small garden areas. Pine Bush vegetation did exist on the east side of the river but on higher elevations usually in areas of well-drained or sandy soils. They would not have survived well on the clay/silt river sediments (they do propose planting in raised beds). While it is commendable to want to plant Pine Bush species here, it would be better to plant species that would be more familiar with the type Henry Hudson would have encountered when he explored the area. This would include white and blue grapes, chestnuts, plum, hazelnuts, and walnuts (try finding those now), red spruce, elm, maple, pine (white and pitch), oak, and birch (these last three are in the NC proposal). However, I wouldn't argue over the Conservancy's selections. A good name for this park would be the Crystal Palace, or Olympus Park, after two of the former flourmills that utilized the canal. Even though the lock was the first lock in the Champlain Canal system, calling it that would be too common.

The park could then be connected by walkways and trails to a retail/residential complex that would utilize the remaining 19th century mills existing along River Street. The two buildings (they look like one) are for sale, could be renovated easily, and they are the only remaining mill buildings that utilized the hydraulic canal. One was a former buttermilk manufacturer. The other may have been built when William Connors purchased the property for making "American Seal" paint.

To the north of the 19th century mill buildings are two recently constructed buildings that are currently in use for offices and printing. They could be bought, razed, and the area developed with new residential/retail that would match the historic integrity of the area. This could also tie in to the development currently going on with the old 1899 Searle, Gardner & Co. Collar Company building (You may remember it as Marshall Ray) that is now called Boardwalk Center, and owned by Mike Kitner. It houses art lofts and other organizations. This building was built on the former site of the Farmer's Bank, one of Troy's first banking institutions, and the first home for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Exposing the entire hydraulic canal bed, and perhaps using it in winter as an ice skating rink would be a popular attraction. Not far from there in the late 19th century was a large indoor skating rink, the Villumbrosa that burned on February 26 1886.

North First Street could be cleaned up and used as a spur of the bike trail proposed along the river. Perhaps a facade grant could be given to the Ale House on the corner of North and River. This building has been a saloon-eatery for over a century (Peter Hanley Jr. ran it in 1871) and every effort should be made to assist the owner in restoring the building (best hot wings in the city by the way). A nice facade cleaning of the firehouse across the street from the Ale House would also be worthwhile.

The riverbank in back could be cleaned and developed into an archeological attachment to the park showing the remains of several of the mills that once operated there. This would be a good start to bring the Middleburgh area back to economic prosperity. All of this is just minutes from the Collar City Bridge and Albany.