Village of New Hartford
Walking Tour
1. Village Point Apartments: On this site was the home of Jedediah Sanger's brother, Zedemiah. In 1901 the house (also known as the Golden Place) was razed and a school built to accommodate 600 pupils from grades 1-12 called the Point School. In 1921 an addition was built which housed the first gymnasium in the area. The school closed in the spring of 1979 and the building was renovated into apartments for senior citizens. It is also the headquarters of the New Hartford Historical Society.
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2. The New York State Historical Marker: Located off Genesee Street near the Village Point Apartments tells us that Jedediah Sanger founded New Hartford in 1788. He served in the State Senate and Assembly, was supervisor of Whitestown, and was the first judge of Oneida County. Sanger died in 1829, was first buried in the Village Cemetery, later Forest Hill Cemetery.
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3. New Hartford Presbyterian Church: Located at 45 Genesee Street (corner of Genesee' and Pearl Streets), this church was founded on August 27, 1791. At that time the circuit rider, Jonathan Edwards, Jr., visited the Mohawk Valley and organized a congregational society known as the First Religious Society of the Town of Whitestown. This Society joined the Presbyterian Church in 1801. The building originally fronted on Oxford Road when built in 1792 on land donated by Jedediah Sanger.
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In 1827 extensive interior and exterior alterations were made. The present steeple design dates from that phase of the building. Later additions in 1851, 1867-71 and in the 1940s have modified the appearance from its early days. The building has the distinction of being the first church building within the present Oneida County boundaries. Note the New York State Historical Marker (3a) in front of the church on Genesee Street.
4. New Hartford Fire Station: The New Hartford Volunteer Fire Station was organized in 1901, the first station being located where their back driveway now is on Park Street. The original building, a two-stall, two-story building, burned down in 1902. The first public school in the village, the Union Free School, once occupied this site. Today's firehouse was built in 1973.
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5. Hicks House: Samuel Hicks emigrated from Long Island and settled here in 1807. By 1815 Hicks was the business manager of the New Hartford Mfg. Society (later known as the New Hartford Cotton Mfg. Co.) In 1826 he built this house on 18 Oxford Road. Hick's descendants resided in the home until 1939. The interior rooms are large, with finely designed mantels, doors, windows and door casings. The dining room is papered with wallpaper dating from the 19th century.
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6. Old Burial Grounds: The Presbyterian Church originally owned the old village cemetery at the corner of Oxford Road and Daly Place. The first burial was in 1795. When the 1952 addition to the New Hartford School was made, most of the remains were transferred to other cemeteries. However, many remains are still buried here in a large vault.
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7. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church: This land on 25 Oxford Road was purchased for $150 in the early 1820s. With the generous financial support of Jedediah Sanger, a member of the founding Vestry of St. Stephen's, a building fund was established of $2,000. Exterior and interior changes have taken place throughout the years. In memory of Jedediah Sanger, who died in1829 at the age of 78, there is a marble plaque inserted in an interior church wall. The inscription includes, "He, being dead, yet speaketh." In 1997 the U. S. Department of the Interior recognized St. Stephen's as a National Sacred Historic Site.
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8. First Baptist Church of New Hartford: Prior to 1840, the Baptist Denomination held meetings in New Hartford in conjunction with Whitesboro Baptist Church. In 1855, 9 men and 10 women formed the New Hartford Baptist Society. In 1866 a church was built on the corner of Genesee Street and Campion Road. In 1884 the present church was erected at seven and nine Oxford Road at a total cost of $4,500. The Rev. Jacob Gray did most of the work himself. The church was dedicated in 1885. In 1923 the present Sunday School building was erected, which includes a gymnasium.
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9. New York State Marker: A Grist Mill was built 350 feet east of here on the Sauquoit Creek in 1790 by Jedediah Sanger. This mill was sold to Jacob Sterling and Timothy Soper, and by the 1870s was owned by John McLean. It was operated as the New Hartford Grist Mill until 1908.
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10. Site of the Sanger Farmhouse: Located on the corner of Genesee Street and Oxford Road, where the flower shop is today, the First Religious Society met in Sanger's barn in 1791. A large, three-story house was later erected on this site and the Amicable Lodge 774 first met in the attic rooms. The building was later known as the Charles McLean House who was the first president of the Village of New Hartford.
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11. Butler Memorial Hall: Morgan Butler had a deep commitment to New Hartford, and in 1889 presented Morgan Butler Memorial Hall to the community. This brick structure was designed by Jacob Agne, a Utica architect, and contained the post office, town and village offices, jail, large assembly room, kitchen, gymnasium and a bowling alley. The high-peaked roof was removed in the 1940s resulting in an unfortunate loss of architectural character.