The Teller Pasture
An Investigation of a Place, People, and Events That Changed the Dutch Colonial Village of Schenectady
by
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The Second Stockade The construction of Queen Anne’s Fort in 1703 marked the expansion of the first stockade line north to the Mohawk riverbank, and to the re-routing and expansion of Front Street to the north and east of Queen Anne’s Fort. Thanks to a rare discovery [at the New York State Library] of an 18th century surveyed map of the Village of Schenectady, A Geographical Plan of Schenectady, September 9, 1756, Gustav C. Wetterstrom, we can clearly define the location of the second stockade, its gates, and fortifications, at the time of the French and Indian War (1755-1763). Prior to this find, historians relied heavily upon a map drawn from the memories of an unidentified British officer stationed near Schenectady. A Plan of Schenectady, was neither dated nor surveyed. The map was generally believed to have been drawn towards the end of King George’s War (1744-1748), or towards the beginning of the French and Indian War (1755-1763). Its date, accuracy and reliability had often been questioned. Although it proved to be a rough facsimile of the surveyed Geographical Plan of Schenectady, nevertheless, it was accurate in some respects. It identified the barracks on Union Street and the Queen Anne’s Fort and its surrounding blockhouses; however, it was limited in scope. It failed to identify the location of two additional barracks--one on the west side of Ferry Street, and one south of Church Street. The G. C. Wetterstrom map gave a much clearer and more precise snapshot of the fortifications, illustrating the location of all of the blockhouses, gates, and “circuits with small bastions or stockades.” While North Street [the Teller pasture] cannot be specifically identified on either map, its positioning, relative to the Queen Anne’s Fort and the Front Street gate, can be extrapolated by viewing a third mid-18th century map, A Map of the Town of Schenectady, 1768 (A True Copy), by Isaac Vrooman. North Street [the Teller pasture] can be identified just east of the Queen Anne’s Fort, as the road leading to the “Schenectady River” (Mohawk River). Governor’s Lane and Ferry Street would not be cut through to the Mohawk River until 1786.
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About the Book
Archaeological and archival documentation, including a 1756 surveyed map of the palisades surrounding the village, guides us through 350 years of Schenectady’s history and paints a unique picture of one of Schenectady’s hidden historical treasures—the Teller Pasture. Trace Schenectady’s history as seen through the microcosm of the Teller pasture, a plot granted to Willem Teller, an original proprietor of the Schenectady Patent of 1664. Learn about the Schenectady stockades. Trace the history of the Dutch Colonial Teller House, including a rare account of its restoration in 1976. Learn about the North Street Stockade Line. Learn about boat-building on the Strand Street/River. View the only eighteenth century surveyed map showing the fortifications of Schenectady.
About the Author
Claire is a recipient of both the Basic and Advanced Certificate of Proficiency in Community Archaeology degrees. The Teller Pasture, her thesis, represents the culmination of four years of researching early Dutch archival documents and archaeology sites. Claire resides in Schenectady. The author, now retired, continues her studies in archaeology.