Welcome to Our Journey

2014 - Brewerton, NY, up the Trent-Severn and onto to Lake Superior for a trip around its perimeter

2013 - Brewerton, NY along the Erie Canal, down the Hudson River, east along Long Island Sound and up the coast to Maine, returning to Brewerton . May to early October 2013

2012 - Naples, FL north on the ICW, Chesapeake Bay, up the Hudson to complete the Little Triangle (lakes, rivers & canals from Brewerton, NY to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Lake Champlain, Waterford, NY and back to Brewerton). April to September 2012

2011 - Our first year of cruising took us around the Great Loop (up the East Coast, inland via the Great Lakes, the rivers from Chicago to Mobile and across the Gulf of Mexico) an eight month journey beginning in Goodland, FL and ending in Naples, FL. April to December 2011

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

May 27 - Athens, NY

We left Waterford, NY making it to the Troy lock on the Hudson River before 8 am.  At the entrance of the lock was a tree trunk about 15 feet long and one foot in diameter.  Rusty crept up slowly veering slightly to dodge the log.  At that moment the wind and current grabbed the stern of the boat and swung it within six inches of the side of the lock wall. For a few seconds we thought this was the end of our trip.

This is a view of the water from the Troy lock

About 4-5 hours later we were docked at the Athens NY town dock.  Athen's first settlers were the Dutch and then in 1684 the English took over.  The town was engaged in shipbuilding, ice harvesting, brick and pottery making, ice-tool manufacturing and it bustled.  After the ferry across the Hudson River stopped running, businesses closed and people moved away.  Recently there was been interest from residents of New York City to make this town a weekend getaway,  houses are being rehabilitated, and a few restaurants opened up.  There are over 300 buildings on the National and State Historic Registers.  A couple gals (from NY and now residents of Athens) were putting together an art show at the Cultural Center and gave us a brochure with a self-guided walking tour.  Come along with us:


 Victorian Stick style
 

Second Empire style

Does anyone want to buy and restore this beauty?  Built in 1803 in an Early Classical Revival version of the Federal style
 


This is the Jan Van Loon House, built in 1706. Jan Van Loon owned much of the property in the village of Athens by 1685.  Town was originally called Lunenburg or Loonenburgh.  The Hudson River is in the background.
 
 
 Haight-Gantley House, Federal style, designed by Barnabas Waterman

 Second Empire
 
 Second Empire
 
 Second Empire

Former Trinity Episcopal Church, dissolved in 1970, sold to individual. Stick Style Ecclesiastical architecture. 

Brooks Opera House, built in 1889, now a pub restaurant.

Owned by the Titus brothers, farmers and wealthiest citizens in 1870 with a combined worth of $200,000

D. R. Evarts Library, 1907, Beaux Arts style

First Reformed Church, 1826, still going strong.

Crypts built in side of hill in the local cemetery.  The green on the first roof is grass.

Site of the Clark Pottery Kiln. Pottery is collectible, has Dutch blue design.  Will need to check this out.

 

 Stewart House, 1883, hotel and restaurant, undergoing restoration, hoping to reopen summer 2013.

 The view from our boat.  Nice park setting.  Thank you, Town of Athens!
 
 
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 30, 2013 at 5:50 AM

    Great pictures; thank you for sharing!

    Mary Dickens

    ReplyDelete
  2. kiki in NaplesMay 30, 2013 at 7:55 AM

    Reminds me of all the beautiful little towns in upstate NY thanks for the memories.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMay 30, 2013 at 10:18 PM

    thanks mom! ice harvesting? will have to look that up! :-)

    ReplyDelete

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