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History · Old Forge

Old Forge dates to 1798, and 45% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register. Below: 6 old photos and papers and maps from 1901 on.

1798founded
1on the National Register
45%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Old Forge’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Old Forge began

When was Old Forge founded?

1798

Old Forge dates its founding to 1798 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1883.

2020 census: 727228 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1883.The full story ↓

What stands out about Old Forge’s past

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

On the map since 19013 editions of the USGS map, 1901 to 1989. Watch Old Forge change.Old housesHalf of Old Forge’s homes were built before 1943.Deep rootsEstablished in 1798: 228 years of Old Forge.
★ What stands out · On the map

Old Forge on the map, 1901 to 1989

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

Old Forge on the 1901 USGS mapOld Forge on the 1954 USGS mapOld Forge on the 1989 USGS map1901Old Forge sheet · 1:62,500

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

The story

How Old Forge came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Old Forge.

Read it all →

In 1798, the 210,000-acre (85,000 ha) area including Old Forge came into possession of the Brown family of Rhode Island, through a transaction involving Aaron Burr. John Francis Brown built a 25-mile (40 km) wagon trail from Remsen and attempted to settle about 20 families in the area. The land was unsuitable for farming, these attempts failed, and the area was abandoned by 1803.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Old Forge, 1798 to 1950

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1798
    FoundingOld Forge is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1897In the archiveHerreshoff House
  5. 20th century
  6. 1900In the archiveN.Y. state hatchery
  7. 1901On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1949Born hereHank Kashiwa is born here
  9. 1950Born hereAlexandra Waterbury is born here
By decade

Old Forge, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s5 items
Herreshoff House1897Herreshoff HouseOld Forge House, Old Forge, N. Y1898Old Forge House, Old Forge, N. YOld Forge, Fulton Chain, Adirondack Mountains, N.Y1898Old Forge, Fulton Chain, Adirondack Mountains, N.YState Hatchery, Old Forge, N. Y1898State Hatchery, Old Forge, N. YThe Dam, Old Forge, N. Y1898The Dam, Old Forge, N. Y
1900s1 item
N.Y. state hatchery1900N.Y. state hatchery
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
Every building

Old Forge, building by building, 1925

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.

Old Forge fire insurance map, 1925, sheet 11925Sheet 1 of 4
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

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.

Herreshoff House
Retake this viewHerreshoff House, 1897

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

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Old Forge

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

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
3
each building in a district counts

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Old Forge

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Hank KashiwaAmerican alpine skier · b. 1949
Alexandra WaterburyAmerican ballet dancer and model · b. 1950
Help out

Finish Old Forge’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 viewHerreshoff House: 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.

ThendaraIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Old Forge’s history

What year was Old Forge founded?

In 1798, according to Wikidata. Old Forge’s post office opened in 1883.

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (5), the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.