Croswell-Parsons Paper Mill Ruin
Why it's listed
Along the east bank of Hannacroix Creek in New Baltimore, Greene County, lie the remains of a paper mill that operated from about 1815 until 1897. Today the site is reached only by hiking trails in the Hannacroix Creek Preserve. The surviving features include foundation sections of a main building with its wheel pit, two wings, chimney remnants, a head race about 306 feet long cut through rock, and the dam site marked by iron pins in the rock at the top of the lower falls. The mill began as a grist and saw mill, was converted to paper under Nathanial Bruce, and later passed through several owners, including James Croswell and Stephen Parsons. Fires twice damaged it, and a new water works agreement in 1897 ended its water rights. The site is valued as a rare survivor of the area's milling industry and for its potential to reveal details of paper-making technology and mill construction.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the site is significant for its link to the long industrial development of the Coeymans area and its use of the creek's water power. It is one of the few surviving remnants of the mills that once lined the Hannacroix and Coeymans Creeks. Because it has been largely undisturbed since closing in 1897, it may yield information about the straw paper industry, mill building types and industrial and hydro technology.
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 07001366, listed January 9, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 144, New Baltimore |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | January 9, 2008 |
| Reference number | 07001366 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1815-1897 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Historic - Non-Aboriginal |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Ruin; the site is accessible only by hiking trails within the Hannacroix Creek Preserve and has seen little activity for over a century. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.46136, -73.79939 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 07001366.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5188923
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.