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A−History
History · Green Island

Green Island dates to 1853, and 57% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns · #478 of 758 in New York. What drives it

2 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1953 on, and the census since 1860.

1853founded
2on the National Register
57%homes built before 1940
12old photos & papers
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Green Island’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Green Island began

When was Green Island founded?

1853

Green Island dates its founding to 1853 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 1,600 in 18602020 census: 2,934173 years

How historic is Green Island?

A−

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1854.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Green Island’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Green Island is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #478 of 758 in New York. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Green Island’s overall grade.
Founding era1853, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194057.2% of homes (±9.0) · typical NY town 26.6% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register2 listings, 4 historic buildings, 13.5 per 10,000 residents · typical NY town 12.3 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 76%
NewerOlder
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 37%

New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Green Island’s 13.5 sits near the middle of its state (51% of New York towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.0 points). Two sources give 1853.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Green Island’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Old housesHalf of Green Island’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 4,770 in 1900; 2,934 people lived here in 2020.A town in old photos12 old photos, postcards and papers, 1866–1900.
★ What stands out · The story

How Green Island came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Green Island.

Read it all →

Today's town and village of Green Island is connected to the mainland on the west side of the Hudson River. However, it was once called Tibbett's Island and is situated on land that was, in the past, an island. The First (or South) Branch of the Mohawk River delta once ran between the island and Watervliet, separating the island from mainland Albany County. The river branch was filled in during construction of Interstate 787 in the 1960s.

ChaptersMcNulty political dynasty

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

People over time

Green Island, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,000190019502000Peak: 4,770

Peaked at 4,770 in 1900; 2,934 people lived here in 2020.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Green Island’s Wikipedia page.

By decade

Green Island, decade by decade

4 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s–1890s9 items
Green Island 18661866Green Island 1866Green Islands (Village); Green Islands Business Directory1866Green Islands (Village); Green Islands Business Direc…Map of Troy, also West Troy, and1874Map of Troy, also West Troy, andMapLake George, N.Y., Sagamore Hotel1890Lake George, N.Y., Sagamore HotelLake George, N.Y., the Sagamore boat landing1890Lake George, N.Y., the Sagamore boat landingDetroit Photographic Company (0697)1897–1924Detroit Photographic Company (0697)Among the Birches, Green Island, Lake George, N. Y1898Among the Birches, Green Island, Lake George, N. YGreen Island south from Sagamore, Lake George, N. Y1898Green Island south from Sagamore, Lake George, N. YSouth from Bridge, Green Island, Lake George, N. Y1898South from Bridge, Green Island, Lake George, N. Y
1900s3 items
Sagamore Hotel1900Sagamore HotelThe Simpson cottage1900The Simpson cottageGreen Island, along the shore, Lake George, N.Y1900Green Island, along the shore, Lake George, N.Y
1910s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Timeline

Green Island, 1853 to 1953

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1853
    FoundingGreen Island is established
  3. 1864Born hereWilliam Lavin is born here
  4. 1866In the archiveGreen Island 1866
  5. 1874In the archiveMap of Troy, also West Troy, and
  6. 1890In the archiveLake George, N.Y., Sagamore Hotel
  7. 20th century
  8. 1900In the archiveSagamore Hotel
  9. 1900CensusPopulation peaks at 4,770
  10. 1953On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
On the map

Green Island on the map, 1953 to 1980

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Green Island. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Green Island on the 1953 USGS mapGreen Island on the 1978 USGS mapGreen Island on the 1980 USGS map1953Troy South sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Green Island.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Green Island 1866
Retake this viewGreen Island 1866, 1866

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Green Island’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Green Island

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Help out

Finish Green Island’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewGreen Island 1866: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Colonie45 historic placesB−Cohoes17 historic placesA+Watervliet5 historic placesATroy66 historic placesA+

Questions about Green Island’s history

What year was Green Island founded?

In 1853, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Green Island’s post office opened in 1854, and the census of 1860 counted 1,600 people here.

How does Green Island rank for history?

Green Island is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #478 of 758 in New York. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Green Island?

57% of Green Island’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.0 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1938.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (7), the Library of Congress (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.