Diagram by an unknown cartographer reflecting the layout of South Pearl Street during the early 1800s and printed in Munsell's Collections on the History of Albany, 3:458. We believe this to be one of the earliest attempts to plot out inhabitation along this one-time path to the pastures!
However, Albany people began to build along this "cow path" ffrom the beginning of the eighteenth century. Running east from the street was a section later called Southside or "Cheapside" that was settled by former garrison soldiers and other newcomers whose homes are shown on an assessment roll from the early 1700s. The Lutheran church, dating to the late 1600s, and later the Presbyterian meeting house were built along this street.
By the 1750s, an enclave of weavers and a number of other Albany mainliners lived along the street.
Before 1814, this road was known as "Washington Street" commemorating a walk General George Washington reputedly took from State Street to Schuyler Mansion when he visited Albany in 1783.
The block west of South Pearl and between Plain and Hamilton Streets was "Hallenbeck-intensive" containing the homes of several of Hendrick Hallenbeck's children.
The "Halenbeek Burial Ground," located south of South Pearl and Hamilton Street, was established in the will of Hendrick Hallenbeck in 1764 and served as a family plot until it was dismantled in 1860.
