Watervliet is defined here as the part of Rensselaerswyck west of the Hudson and surrounding the city of Albany. The term seems to have appeared during the third quarter of the eighteenth century. It was referred to often but not definitively during the 1760s and 70s. In 1788, Watervliet was erected as a town, a separate jurisdiction within Albany County. In 1790, it had a population of 7,419 - more than twice that of the city of Albany. By that time many people who lived there pursued activities that fed directly into the Albany economy.

By definition, the town of Watervliet was all of Albany County on the west bank of the Hudson except for the city of Albany. In 1790, most of its people lived within a mile of the Hudson River north and south of Albany. In 1793, "Bethlehem" (located south of Albany) was detached and erected as a town on its own. Other detachments followed. During the 1820s, Watervliet still encompassed about fifty-three square miles. It was bounded by Albany to the south, the Hudson River on the east, and the north line of Rensselaerswyck (for ten miles along the Mohawk River).

The Van Rensselaer Manor House (located about a mile north of the old Dutch Church), Schuyler Flats", the King's Highway, and Patroon's Creek are among the locations that can be explored further on this website. These locations are shown on the Bleecker map of 1767. The settlement made by the Shakers at Niskayuna in 1776 was frequently referred to as "Watervliet." Located just north of the city line, the Quackenbush house is a historic landmark that exists today.

In its Albany context, "Watervliet" means the overflow area north of the Foxes Creek ravine that ran along the river road to the Van Rensselaer Manor House. From the 1750s onward, it was a new settlement area populated by immigrants and newcomers who all would have been Van Rensselaer tenant.

first posted: 3/10/01; last revised 8/15/02