Warrensburg

From the Native Americans who first settled what is today known as Warrensburg, to the early pioneers who introduced industry, to later inhabitants and visitors who enjoyed its recreational attributes, the Schroon River has played a central role. After the Town of Warrensburg was established in 1813, development of many kinds appeared along the river's shoreline. In this section of the river, industrial activity spread throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, bringing additional commercial and residential development. On this land once stood a structure built by John Cole that served first as a blacksmith shop and later as an apartment building and a second hand furniture store known locally as Prouty's Place. The original small stone house, one of Warrensburg's oldest landmarks, was constructed in the early 1860s. Over the years, a series of shed-like additions were attached to the original stone building, creating a rambling structure that extended for more than 100 feet along the river's edge. Part of the original stone foundation can still be seen toward the southern end of the park. Prouty's Place, the last business to occupy the building, operated from the 1940s through the mid-1960s, then suffered fire damage in 1965 and again in 1966 before being destroyed in a controlled burn by the Warrensburg Fire on June 24, 1968. Remnants of Warrensburg's past can also be seen in the river, where stone pilings are the remains of cribs once placed there after being built on land and weighted with stones. Usually made of durable chestnut wood available in the early 1800s, the cribs were linked by chains holding large logs to create holding areas for logs coming down the river, and the sawmill stood just beyond the Osborne Bridge.

Warrensburg, New York · United States