History of Mariaville

The hamlet of Mariaville located at the outlet end of beautiful Mariaville Lake, was one of the later portions of the town to be settled. Nevertheless, it was destined to become industrial center of Duanesburg. MariavilleIn its heyday, Mariaville could boast of two gristmills, three sawmills, one capable of making finished molding, a handle factory, a trip hammer for making axe heads and a cheese factory. It also had a wagon shop for making wagons and paint shop which not only painted the wagons built at the wagon shop, but also made the paints that were used.

One of the gristmills at Mariaville became very famous for making buckwheat flour for pancake batter. Do you suppose that's where Batter Street got its name? Likewise, the cider mill at Mariaville not only made sweet cider but also became known for making "Squire Walpoles Crab Apple Wine" (hard cider).

MariavilleJust west of Mariaville on Batter Street was a very successful tannery, which operated, in the early 1800's. Also, downstream from Mariaville was another gristmill. According to Clarence Foote's book "footprints in Duanesburg and the Schoharie Valley" this gristmill operated by James Chatham Duane, James Duane's son, was the earliest gristmill in the town of Duanesburg. Also, at this location was a building that was a sawmill downstairs and a carding and fulling mill upstairs. It later became a knitting mill.  In wintertime, ice was cut on spring fed Mariaville Lake, an occupation which lasted well into the 1930s.

Mariaville can also boast of having the pioneer rural telephone company in Schenectady County. It was "the Mariaville and South Schenectady Telephone Company". The biggest thing about it was its name.

By Bill Massoth