Alcove Historic District

Alcove is a small crossroads community in southeastern Albany County, New York, strung along the Hannacrois Creek. Originally called Stephensville, it was settled about 1790 by Casparus Ackerman and Archibald Stephens and grew around water-powered industry, including a grist mill, flax mill, paper mill, saw mill and a carding and cloth mill. The district of roughly 14 acres preserves a country store with post office, a brick homestead built between 1820 and 1854 for William S. Briggs, a three-and-a-half-story cut stone Federal-style building with stepped gables, several modest Greek Revival-influenced houses, and an Italianate reservoir station moved when the reservoir was created. The Briggs house is considered the most impressive structure and reflects the wealth the mills produced. Nineteenth-century buildings survive largely intact beside the creek that gave the village its reason for being. Remains of mill foundations along the banks have not been surveyed.