Slingerlands
hamlet
Etymology: For William Slingerland and descendants
Slingerlands is located in New York
Slingerlands
Slingerlands
Location of Slingerlands within the state of New York
Coordinates: 42°37′45″N 73°51′52″W / 42.62917°N 73.86444°W / 42.62917; -73.86444
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
RegionCapital District
CountyAlbany
Settled1850
Elevation
220 ft (70 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
12159
Area code518

Slingerlands is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York, United States. It is located immediately west of Delmar and near the New Scotland town-line and south of the Albany city-limits, and is thus a suburb of Albany. The Slingerlands ZIP Code (12159) includes parts of the towns of New Scotland and Guilderland.

History

View of the tollgate in Slingerlands, this was demolished in 1908.

The history of Slingerlands begins in 1850 when the Albany, Rensselaerville, and Schoharie Plank Road Company was established by the state to construct a plank road from Albany, through Slingerlands, to Gallupville in Schoharie County.[1] In 1854, the state authorized the company to abandon or sell portions and to turn other sections (including that part in Slingerlands) into a turnpike and charge tolls.[2] The post office was originally called Normanskill and was built in 1852 with William H. Slingerland as the first post master.[3] In 1863, the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad was built through Slingerlands with a station established here as well.[4] William H. Slingerland was the surveyor of the road, and since his route came in $600,000 less than a previous survey the company named the station here Slingerlands in his honor.[5] In 1870, the post office also took the name Slingerlands.[3] After having been in the rear of a grocery store for a hundred years it moved to the Tollgate Building in 1953, until the 1990s when a newer larger location was built near the Price Chopper Plaza.[6][7] In 1989, the New Scotland post office was closed and the 400 residents it served were transferred to Slingerlands' ZIP Code.[7]

Aerial view of Slingerlands Bypass (to the left) and New Scotland Road (to the right).

New Scotland Road through Slingerlands was labeled as part of New York State Route 85 in the 1930 renumbering of state highways.[8] In 1968, the Slingerlands Bypass was constructed as a two-lane extension of the Crosstown Connection, a limited-access highway in the city of Albany; Route 85 was then routed onto this highway.[9] The original plan was to connect with the Delmar Bypass near New York State Route 85A, thereby bypassing Slingerlands, it and the Delmar Bypass were never finished due to a lack of funding.[10][11] In 1987, the developer of the Juniper Fields sub-division agreed to build for the town a 1,700 foot extension of the Delmar Bypass to Van Dyke Avenue, and the developer of Delmar Village agreed to build a 2,750 foot extension of Fisher Boulevard to Delaware Avenue, this then left only a 6,000 foot extension of the Delmar Bypass to complete a full loop around Delmar and Slingerlands. At the time it was still the long-term goal of the town to extend both bypasses themselves to their original meeting point near Route 85A.[10] In 2007, the existing Slingerlands Bypass was reconstructed from two to four lanes and the highway was extended behind the Price Chopper Plaza to meet New Scotland Road over Le Grange Road opposite Cherry Avenue Extension. Each intersection, four in all, were converted to two-lane roundabouts.[12]

The Slingerlands Homeowners Association was founded in 1972 and is the oldest neighborhood association in the town of Bethlehem.[13] The neighborhood group had become moribund by the late 1980s, but was reactivated by controversy over a new shopping center and succeeded in having the shopping center, today the Price Chopper Plaza, scaled back by almost half.[14]

pale blue Victorian house with ornate woodwork
Victorian house, known as the Dillenbeck House, in Slingerlands NY, used in the film Ironweed.

In 1987, Slingerlands was the site of filming for some scenes in the movie Ironweed, which starred Jack Nicholson, based on the book of the same name written by William Kennedy. Scenes were filmed of a recreated 1930s era steam locomotive and the Dillenbeck House at 1511 New Scotland Road (built in 1876).[15][16]

The Slingerlands Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.[17] Also listed are the House at 698 Kenwood Avenue, LeGrange Farmstead, and Albert Slingerlands House.[18]

Geography

Slingerlands is situated along New Scotland Road (New York State Route 85) from the Albany city-limits south and west to Fisher Boulevard near the New Scotland town-line; and along Kenwood Avenue east from NY 85 to Adrianca Lane.[19]

Location

Demographics

The population of Slingerlands ZIP code, which is larger geographically than the hamlet itself is 7,646.[20]

Architecture

Slingerlands is predominately residential, with commercial properties mostly along New Scotland Road from the Albany city-line south to the intersection with Kenwood Avenue. Many historic homes and buildings from the 1800s still stand in the heart of the hamlet, many of which are associated with the founding family of the Slingerland's, such as the Dillenback House built by Albert Slingerland. The oldest house in the hamlet is that of John Albert Slingerland,[19] and Albert I. Slingerland built the Slingerlands Community Methodist Church in 1872. The Old Slingerlands Schoolhouse built in 1908 has been converted into apartments.[16]

Much of the newer residential construction has been built in a style to imitate that of the historic house-styles, such as Greek Revival, Federal, Victorian, and Colonial.[19] A house in Slingerlands built in 1922 was once the official residence for the president of the University at Albany, SUNY.[16] Among the relatively new, yet still historic, is a 1929 cottage built from a kit bought from the Sears, Roebuck catalogue.[21]

Education

Slingerlands is a part of the Bethlehem Central School District (BCSD). Slingerlands Elementary School is the neighborhood elementary school for kindergarten through fifth grade; and Bethlehem Central Middle School and Bethlehem Central High School are the district schools for sixth through twelfth.[19]

References

  1. ↑ George Howell and Jonathan Tenney (1886). Bi-Centennial History of Albany: History of the County of Albany from 1609-1886; Volume II. W.W. Munsell and Company. pp. 790–791. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ Laws of the State of New York Passed at the Seventy-Seventh Session of the Legislature, Begun the Third Day of January, and Ended the Seventeenth Day of April, 1854, at the City of Albany. State of New York/Gould, Banks & Co./Banks, Gould & Co. 1854. pp. 648–649. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  3. 1 2 George Howell and Jonathan Tenney (1886). Bi-Centennial History of Albany: History of the County of Albany from 1609-1886; Volume II. W.W. Munsell and Company. p. 781. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  4. ↑ George Howell and Jonathan Tenney (1886). Bi-Centennial History of Albany: History of the County of Albany from 1609-1886; Volume II. W.W. Munsell and Company. p. 791. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  5. ↑ Frederick Hills (1906). New York State Men: Biographic Studies and Character Portraits. The Argus Company. p. 154. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  6. ↑ Barbara Hayden (July 26, 1990). "Changing Times Former Postmaster Remembers When". Albany Times Union. p. B10. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  7. 1 2 Barbara Hayden (June 2, 1989). "Slingerlands Awaits New Post Office". Albany Times Union. p. B6. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  8. ↑ Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book, 1930/31 and 1931/32 editions, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1930 and 1931). The 1930/31 edition shows New York state routes prior to the 1930 renumbering
  9. ↑ New York (Map) (1969–70 ed.). Cartography by General Drafting. Esso. 1968.
  10. 1 2 Ken Thurman (May 5, 1987). "Bethlehem Bypass Strategy Draws Outcry From Citizens". Albany Times Union. p. B1. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  11. ↑ Laurence S. Moss, ed. (2001). City and Country (map). American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Inc./Blackwell Publishers. p. 201. ISBN 0-631-22884-5.
  12. ↑ Christen Gowan (October 12, 2009). "Roundabout Reduces Injuries, DOT Says". Albany Times Union. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  13. ↑ Iliana Jones (August 12, 1991). "Bethlehem Has More Than its Share of Neighborhood Groups". Albany Times Union. p. B2. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  14. ↑ Barbara Hayden (March 1, 1989). "Homeowners Oppose Shopping Center Plan". Albany Times Union. p. B2. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  15. ↑ Craig Brandon (May 23, 1987). "Vintage Train in Movie". Albany Times Union. p. B1. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  16. 1 2 3 "Slingerlands Houses to be Open For Tour". Albany Times Union. September 18, 1992. p. C4. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  17. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 4/16/12 through 4/20/12. National Park Service. April 27, 2012.
  18. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Frances Ingraham (October 18, 1992). "Elegant Homes Still Built in Slingerlands". Albany Times Union. p. G1. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  20. ↑ 12159 SLINGERLANDS New York NY | Free ZIP Code Lookup Archived 2006-09-03 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ↑ Frances Ingraham (July 21, 1991). "A Peek at Old, New Slingerlands Home Open for Tour". Albany Times Union. p. G7. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
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