Gilbertsville Historic District

Gilbertsville's historic district takes in the central part of a small Otsego County village, with sixty-nine buildings, two parks, three bridges and a soldiers' monument. Nearly all of it dates from the 19th century, and the styles run from simple Federal homes to late Greek Revival commercial buildings and the half-timbered Neo-Tudor Major's Inn and Gilbert Block. Other notable buildings include the former Presbyterian Church, now a Grange hall, built in 1833 with a tower recalling English models, and an academy built in 1840. The village traces to 1786, when Englishman Abijah Gilbert bought 1000 acres of the Morris Patent, and later English and New England settlers shaped its character. Waterpower supported small industries and cheesemaking until the railroads ended them. Lawns, shade trees and small parks, together with the lack of modern intrusions, give the village an intact look, and buildings from each stage of its development survive largely unchanged.