Lansingburgh was conceived in 1770 by landowner Abraham J. Lansing, who envisioned a thriving river port market center for raw products from the Mohawk Valley and the upper Hudson River region. That year he hired a surveyor to map a plan for his farm into a rectangular grid of blocks, streets, alleys, and a central village green. Many of the early settlers were Dutch-Anglo Albanites and New England migrants who were deeded building lots in exchange for annual quit rents to be paid to Lansing or his heirs. By 1788, Lansingburgh was “thronged with merchants and emigrants,” necessitating the expansion of the street grid. Early industries included slaughtering, tanning, beermaking, shipbuilding, gun making, cracker baking, oilcloth, and brushmaking. The last two became Lansingburgh’s largest industries. Employment in factories attracted many new residents to Lansingburgh in the mid- and late 19th century, including Irish, German, and later Danish immigrants. This population growth was reflected in the development of new commercial, civic and church buildings, and social halls, as well as more diversified housing, large and small, reflecting hierarchies of class and wealth. Despite the inevitable impact of time and changing fortunes over its 250-year history, Lansingburgh retains significant elements of its architectural heritage starting with the 18th-century grid plan itself and proceeding through a full catalog of 19th-century domestic, commercial, church and civic architecture as landmarks of the progress and the successes of the community.

This project, completed in collaboration with Neil Larson, began with an intensive-level resource survey and a district boundary study. This preliminary work justified a larger district than initially envisioned, encompassing nearly 600 contributing resources, including the original town square. The district was listed to the National Register of Historic Places in April 2023.