East Greenbush is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It is a suburb of Albany. The population was 16,748 at the 2020 census. The word Greenbush is derived from the Dutch het groen bosch, referring to the pine woods that originally covered the land. The first settlement of the land now known as East Greenbush was made by tenants under patroon Kiliaen van Rensselaer circa 1630. The town was established in 1855 as Clinton, and was renamed in 1858. It is mostly suburban along its major highways and rural in the southwestern and northeastern corners.

I-90 traverses the town. It contains the western (or southern) terminus of US 4 and the northern terminus of NY 9J; as well as US 9 and US 20. The latter

run concurrently, under the name Columbia Turnpike, which is often referred to by the locals as "9 and 20."

History

East Greenbush, at the time part of the Town of Greenbush, was part of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, and then of Albany County, prior to the creation of Rensselaer County in 1791. The town of Clinton was established on February 23, 1855, from the town of Greenbush at the same time as the town of North Greenbush. On April 14, 1858, the town name was changed to East Greenbush by New York State Laws of 1858, Chapter 194.

Early European settlement along the Hudson River shoreline took place circa 1628-1629 and in 1669, a fort was built on Papscanee Island. The hamlet of East Greenbush was settled around 1630, with a Dutch Reformed church first built in 1787, and a post office was established in 1845.

The town's main thoroughfares are quite old, starting with the old post roads constructed during the French and Indian Wars by the English. Along the Hudson River, near Papscanee Island, in the mid-late 19th century a large farm was occupied by Colonel Kiliaen van Rensselaer, great-grandson of his namesake and first Patroon of Rensselaerswyck, Kiliaen van Rensselaer.] In 1997, the county took charge of management and the park has been developed with informational signs, trails, picnic areas, and a central theme dedicated to the Mohican natives of the areas.

The John Carner Jr. House and Craver Farmstead are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Location

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.4 square miles (63.1 km), of which 24.1 square miles (62.4 km) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.6 km) is water.

The western section of the town, along the Hudson River is marked by bluffs that rise to an elevation of between 100 and 300 feet.

East Greenbush is bordered by the town of North Greenbush to the north, the town of Sand Lake to the east, and the town of Schodack to the south. To the west the town borders the city of Rensselaer from the North Greenbush line to the southern tip of the city, then East Greenbush's border is with Albany County town of Bethlehem, the border being in the middle of the Hudson River.

Notable people

  • Citizen Genêt, French ambassador to the United States during the French revolution
  • Solomon Van Rensselaer, politician, United States representative, lieutenant colonel during the War of 1812, postmaster of Albany
  • James Gage, soldier who fought in the War of 1812; the Battle of Stoney Creek, a major British victory, took place on his farm.
  • Mary Edmonia Lewis, sculptor
  • Steven Owens, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
  • Ernie Stautner, professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1950–1963)
  • Wavy Gravy, entertainer and peace activist known for his prominent role at Woodstock
  • Rich Romer, professional football player for the Cincinnati Bengals
  • Jennifer Farley, television personality known for MTV's Jersey Shore
  • Brian and Matt Lashoff, siblings and professional hockey players who have each played in the NHL
  • Kevin Smith, professional baseball player for the New York Yankees

Notable incidents

On February 9, 2004, Jon W. Romano, then 16 and a student at Columbia High School, fired three rounds with a 12-gauge shotgun. One teacher, Michael Bennett, was injured in the leg when Romano fired the gun when he was rushed and tackled by Bennett and then Assistant Principal John Sawchuck. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and the sentence was upheld on appeal in 2007.

On January 10, 2009, The New York State Police stopped a taxi cab for speeding on Interstate 90 in East Greenbush, westbound between exits 10 and 9. When the trooper approached the vehicle, a passenger in the taxi opened fire with a high powered AK-47, prompting a massive police response. The suspect was eventually shot by police and later died from his injuries at Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York. The suspect was travelling from Massachusetts to Albany, it was never discovered what his motives or intentions were.

Demographics

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According to the 2000 census,