Susquehannah Turnpike
Why it's listed
The Greene County section of the Susquehannah Turnpike is a route of about twenty-five miles that begins at Catskill on the Hudson River and runs northwest through Leeds, Cairo, Durham and West Durham to the Schoharie County line. Chartered in 1800, the turnpike company was authorized to build a road from Salisbury, Connecticut, to Unadilla on the Susquehannah River, and it operated until 1901 on at least part of its length. Farmers hauling goods, drovers moving livestock and emigrants heading west all used the road, which gave Greene County a direct line of travel and helped the economic and population growth of western New York. Today the path is carried by Route 145 and County Routes 22 and 20, within a sixty-six foot right of way. Surviving features include stone arch bridges in Durham, East Durham and near Leeds, and nine red sandstone milestones, along with the scenic Durham Valley landscape.
Significance in brief: The turnpike gave Greene County a direct 'bee-line' route west and operated as a toll road for over 100 years, contributing to the economic and demographic growth of western New York. Its original path is still in use in current highways, and surviving stone bridges, milestones and the Durham Valley landscape remain visible.
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 74001241, listed January 2, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Beginning at Catskill, follows the Mohican Trail (NY 145) and CR 20 and 22 NW to the Schoharie County line, Catskill |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | January 2, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001241 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Susquehannah Turnpike Company |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked good and altered; the route is now two-lane paved state and county roads, with two older stone arch bridges no longer in use and nine of the original twenty-five milestones surviving. |
| Acreage | 200 |
| Coordinates | 42.28832, -74.00503 (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 74001241.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7649366
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.