Rotterdam dates to 1661, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 78% of U.S. towns · #440 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Mabee House, the Enlarged Double Lock No. 23, Old Erie Canal and the Dellemont-Wemple Farm. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1893 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1827.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Rotterdam’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rotterdam is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #440 of 758 in New York. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Rotterdam’s overall grade.
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 Rotterdam’s 2.0 sits below most of its state (25% of New York towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±2.3 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1661.
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 Rotterdam’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Situated near the eastern end of New York State's Heritage Corridor at what is known as the "Gateway to the West", the town of Rotterdam is closely linked with the early development of Schenectady. At that time the present town of Rotterdam served as the outlying farmlands and wood lots for the settlers. With few exceptions, these settlers made their homes in the stockade in Schenectady but went to their farmlands during the daytime.
John Turnbull, son of Joseph W. and Sarah (Schermerhorn) Turnbull, was born in the town of Rotterdam, Schenectady County, N. Y., December 5, 1856. After his school days he began farming in Saratoga County, where he lived for several years, finally moving to his present farm in the town of Rotterdam, Schenectady County.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In the meanwhile Daniel Campbell in 1754 came here and settled in Rotterdam to enter the service of the king. Very soon after his coming, John Duncan came the year following, to not only serve under the king, but to remain in it all through the Revolution, and to take command of a company under Sir John Johnson and attack the settlement on the Mohawk River.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Rotterdam, decade by decade
3 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1960s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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.
In 1661, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Rotterdam’s post office opened in 1827, and the census of 1820 counted 1,529 people here.
How does Rotterdam rank for history?
Rotterdam is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #440 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.
What is on the National Register in Rotterdam?
Three places: the Mabee House (listed 1978), the Enlarged Double Lock No. 23, Old Erie Canal (2008) and the Dellemont-Wemple Farm (1973).
How old are the homes in Rotterdam?
14% of Rotterdam’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.3 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1960.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1933
1933
2007