See also: Waterford (village), New York.
| Waterford | |
| Official Name: | Town of Waterford |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | New York |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Saratoga |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Total Km2: | 19.2 |
| Area Land Km2: | 17.0 |
| Area Water Km2: | 2.2 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 8,208 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 12188 |
| Area Code: | 518 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 36-78977 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0979619 |
Waterford is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 8,208 at the 2020 census.[1] The name of the town is derived from its principal village, also called Waterford. The town is located in the southeast corner of Saratoga County and north-northwest of Troy at the junction of the Erie Canal and the Hudson River.
The village of Waterford is the oldest incorporated village in the United States, having been incorporated in 1794 before the town was formed. Waterford has been host to "Canal Fest" and "Tugboat Roundup" celebrations for many years.
The town of Waterford was formed from the town of Halfmoon in 1816.
During the industrial revolution, Waterford became a desirable location for manufacturing due to its position at the confluence of the Hudson River and Mohawk River, as well as the Champlain Canal and Erie Canal and three railroad lines.[2] Fortunes were made here by industrialists such as the brothers Hugh and Canvas White, the Knickerbocker, Kavanaugh, Button, Breslin, and King families. The Eddy family was a major influence on the area; Isaac Newton Eddy established the Franklin Ink Works, manufacturer of printing inks, in 1831. His son George Washington Eddy established the Hudson and Mohawk Foundry, which produced stoves, iron castings, and steam car wheels. Another son Oliver Tarbell Eddy was a painter and inventor of an early typewriter.
The Northside Historic District, Ormsby-Laughlin Textile Companies Mill, Peebles (Peobles) Island, and Waterford Village Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Village of Waterford is located at 42.7911°N -73.6798°W,[3] in the southeastern corner of the Town.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km2), of which 6.6 square miles (17.0 km2) is land and 0.9 square mile (2.2 km2) (11.59%) is water.
The eastern town line, defined by the Hudson River, is the border with Rensselaer County, and the southern town line, defined by the Mohawk River, is the border with Albany County. The easternmost section and locks of the Erie Canal pass through the town and connect with the Hudson River. The Waterford Flight series of locks is one of the steepest in the world.[4] [5]
As of the 2010 census, there were 8,423 residents of the Town of Waterford. The racial makeup of the town was 94.8% White, 1.3% African-American, 0.1% Native American, and 1.5% Asian; in addition, 1.8% of residents were Hispanic or Latino.[6]