Traditionally, the "South End," is a term used to describe the flood plain "pastures" located south of Lydius Street, east of South Pearl, and bordered by the southern boundary of the city that had been deeded from the Dutch Church to the city in 1815. Today, the term is much more encompassing - covering both sides of South Pearl Street (maybe almost all the way west to Delaware Avenue). We offer a public program on the initial settlement of the South End!

The purpose of this exposition is to describe the southeastern corner of the original city of Albany in its pre-industrial context - namely the settlement and development of the area south of Lydius Street (today's Madison Avenue) and below (east of ) South Pearl Street .

The detail shown here is from an engineer's map made by Evert Van Allen in 1818. Key landmarks include Schuyler mansion, Lydius Street, the Beaverkill, the ferry, the tip of Castle Island, and South Pearl Street.

Philip Schuyler built his mansion on the side of the hill at the end of the last French & Indian War. At that time, it overlooked an unbroken expanse of pasture land that belonged to the Albany Dutch Reformed Church. This map shows the so-called "Pastures" with each lot or parcel numbered and available for sale.

Already in informal use as a pastureland, "the pastures" were deeded to the city of Albany in its municipal charter in 1686. The following year, Domine Dellius negotiated the transfer of fifty acres of the land to the church in payment for a debt.

By 1810, Afro-Albanian South End pioneer Captain Samuel Schuyler had settled on South Pearl Street and was acquiring neighboring lots.

This offering will be expanded to cover the early years of the South End in better detail. However, much has been written and posted on this neighborhood from then to today.