Vischer Ferry Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
This 246-acre addition to the Vischer Ferry Historic District covers two strips of Mohawk River floodplain in Clifton Park, Saratoga County. The western parcel holds a section of the Erie Canal right-of-way. The larger eastern parcel contains canal remains and earlier settlement sites. Contributing elements include stretches of the original 1825 canal and its 1842 enlargement, Clute's Drydock with cut stone walls, abutments of two farm bridges, a colonial-era public road, the site of Fort's Ferry (1728), and cellar holes of houses, a canal store and a schoolhouse. Farming and settlement continued here until the Barge Canal dam of 1907 raised the water level, caused flooding and drove residents out. The old canal was abandoned, and the area was never permanently resettled. That limited later activity helped preserve the remains. The land is now a public nature and historic preserve. It was added because these features were not identified in the original 1975 listing.
Significance in brief: The added land contains nine contributing elements missed in the original designation, tied to the hamlet's growth from early 18th-century settlement to the abandonment of the old Erie Canal after 1907. These include canal remains, a drydock, bridge abutments, an early road and settlement sites. The form also notes their potential to yield information on construction methods and human activity along the Mohawk River.
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 97000530, listed June 19, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Along Riverview Rd., from Old Ferry Rd. to hydroelectric plant, from Van Vranken Rd. to jct. of Mohawk R. and Erie Canal, Vischer Ferry |
|---|---|
| County | Saratoga County |
| Listed | June 19, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000530 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1700-1907 |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | All land in the boundary increase is publicly owned and used for recreational and educational purposes as a historic and nature preserve. Five seasonal camp cottages were scheduled for removal beginning in 1997. |
| Acreage | 246 |
| Coordinates | 42.79602, -73.80861 (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 97000530.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7935650
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.