Watervliet Shaker Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: See Also:Watervliet Shaker Historic District
Why it's listed
Seven miles northwest of Albany in Colonie, this district preserves the site of the first Shaker settlement in the United States. Mother Ann Lee and seven followers arrived in 1774 and bought land in a swampy forest, which the Shakers gradually drained, creating the Mill Pond. The district takes in three clusters of buildings, the Church, South and West Families, with twenty-two buildings in all, most built in the nineteenth century in brick or frame. The community prospered in the early 1800s through garden seeds and corn brooms, and a large three-and-a-half story broom shop at the West Family reflects that trade. Inventions such as an improved broom-handle lathe are credited to Watervliet. The Shakers left the West Family in 1915 and sold the Church Family property to the State in 1926. The South Family stayed in Shaker hands until 1938. An amended boundary adds Stump Pond, a roughly seven-acre pond that supplied ice, and traces of a Shaker water pipe network. Archeological sites of demolished buildings lie throughout the district.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues this was the first Shaker settlement in the United States and the place from which Shaker influence spread. The twenty-two surviving buildings show Shaker architecture, the seed and broom industries, inventions and the spatial layout of a Shaker family. The Stump Pond addition documents the community's ice and water supply systems.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73002247, listed September 20, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Stump Pond, NE of Colonie, Colonie |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | September 20, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73002247 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Brethren's Shop (Church Family) inscribed as built 1822 by Bruster and Allen, Master Masons |
| Architectural style | Shaker style |
| Areas of significance | Social History, Invention |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mixed condition and use: the Church Family buildings are used as the county home for the aged, with other parts in private residential, agricultural and park use. Some buildings are altered, and the South Family store is ruinous after a 1964 fire. |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Within district | Watervliet Shaker Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.73961, -73.82046 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73002247.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7974558
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.