The Great Schenectady Fire of 1819

by Don Rittner

Fire was a constant threat to the expanding settlements along the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. It was not uncommon for naturally caused fires to rage through the 40-square miles of sandy Pine Barrens that separated Albany from Schenectady.

The first recorded evidence of fire was written by Adriaen Van der Donk in his Description of the New Netherlands, published in 1656. He describes it as:

“I have seen many instances of wood burning in the colony of Rensselaerwyck, where there is much pine wood. Those fires appear grand at night from the passing vessels in the river, when the woods are burning on both sides of the same. Then we can see a great distance by the light of the blazing trees, the flames being driven by the wind, and fed by the tops of the trees.”

As early as May 9, 1816, an Albany newspaper account wrote how their city was “filled with smoke and cinders, from the woods which were on fire between Albany and Schenectady,” often taking with it any farm houses that stood in the way.



Albany suffered two major fires during the 18th century. On November 17th, 1793 at 10:30 at night, several buildings, barns and businesses were consumed in the downtown area. Only four years later, on August 4th, ninety six buildings in five entire blocks of downtown Albany burned and displaced over 1000 of its inhabitants. Likewise, Troy, on the east side of the Hudson had its first serious fire in 1820 when over 100 buildings in its downtown were consumed.

The Massacre and fire that destroyed Schenectady in 1690 was only the beginning of a series of confrontations with fire in that city for many years during the 18th and 19th centuries. Schenectady experienced a few major fires that made the newspaper coverage of the day. On March 8, 1788, three barns belonging to Reuben Simon, Col. Van Dyck and a Van Schelluyne were burned due to the carelessness of a servant in one of the barns. On January 24, 1797, a “villainous” attempt to set fire to two barns was discovered and extinguished before it could do major harm. While there was no proof against him, “a negro was apprehended supposed to be the culprit. Grounds of suspicion are strong against him, but no positive proof as yet.” The town watch was doubled and inhabitants patrolled the streets as a result. During this same week, arson attempts were conducted in Schenectady, Albany and Waterford but were detected and prevented major damage.

On September 11, 1800, citizens were awakened at four in the morning by the cry of fire and ringing of bells for a fire on the eastern end of the city. Here, the fire originated in the blacksmith shop of Peter I. Clute and together with a wagon makers shop and two story dwelling house of his, along with Snell’s tavern occupied by Myndert Wemple, all were lost. Several adjoining buildings were saved. A letter from J. Shurtleff, the Schenectady postmaster written to the Albany Gazette on February 5, 1803, reported that at 3 AM, a fire broke out in a barbershop next to Roger’s Inn consuming it, a brick house of Major Snell, large house of John Moor, a house belonging to Richard Cook and occupied by Enos Runyan along with two stables. The frigid weather prevented the fire engines from working. It was reported that the house of Mr. Rogers was saved. On May 30, 1803, 15 buildings were destroyed when a fire broke out between 2 and 3 O’clock in the morning in the S. Hatch hat shop. Lawrence Vrooman’s large brick house and barn were lost along with a large brick house, store and barn of Charles Martin, a house and barn of Peter Cowan, a house and barn of Robert Baker, a house and barn of Aaron Vrooman, house and barn of Reuben Simons, and a barn belonging to a Mrs. DeGraaf. This was Simons’ second loss already loosing three barns in 1788. Fortunately the city’s fire engines and inhabitants of the city were able to stop the blaze before more damage was done. The Post-Boy reported that on Sunday, October 29th, 1805, a fire broke out in the upper story of Union College and while it was soon put out by the Mayor and other citizens, it was the second time it had happened that year. On March 14, 1819, the house owned by Thomas Powell on State Street and occupied by him as a stage office and residence of a Mrs. Beekman was destroyed, the fire beginning in an upper room. The entire row of buildings from Mr. Given’s Coffee House (Tontine Coffee House) to the next corner east was in danger but the fire was confined to the stage office, and slightly damaged the coffee house and the house next to it on the east belonging to a St. John.

On Wednesday, November 17th, 1819, an event took place that would change the course of Schenectady’s history forever. Around 4 O’clock in the morning, a fire broke out in the tannery (currying shop) of Isaac Haight, located on the corner of State Street and Frog Alley, or Water Street, also called Troy Alley. The building was owned by Nathan Garnsey, Jr.

Fanned by fierce southerly winds, the fire consumed the buildings on the opposite side of Water Street up to Water Street alley. Burned were five houses and store owned by John Brown, and occupied by A. R. Murford, B. and I. Vrooman, M. Crane and Waster, and I. Sheffield, B. Miller and the Misses McLure and Currey, along with a dwelling occupied by P. Murray and owned by John S. Vrooman, and a barn occupied and owned by John Brown. The fire then ran along the south side of State Street to William Lyman’s house, which was saved, and prevented the fire from continuing to Martin’s brewery and adjoining buildings.

It then crossed State Street. From there it burned between Mrs. James Shuter’s corner (Shuter’s Dry Goods at the corner of State and Washington near the Green bridge) and Broderick’s store, along with attorney Isaac DeGraff’s house, barn, and outhouses; Hugh and Daniel Martin’s house, store, barn and outhouses; and the residence of Levi W. Teller to within one door of the corner of Church Street. The building there, being “fire proof” was not consumed. It was the hardware store of John Prouty.

Also consumed in the fire was the dwelling house of John H. Moyston, his store and barn; John S. Vrooman’s brick home; a large brick house, store, and shop of John Brown; a store of William Lyman; and a barn occupied by J. Wasson and owned by the heirs of James Bradshaw, deceased.

A few buildings were consumed on Church Street, between John Prouty’s corner and a Mrs. Vrendenburgh’s, a house occupied as a tin manufactory by John Prouty, along with his office and outhouses. Also lost was a barn occupied by Mrs. Vredenburgh and owned by the heirs of Dr. C. Vrooman; the Schenectady Female Academy, owned by Joseph Horsfall; a barn belonging to the widow Elizabeth Vrooman, and one belonging to attorney M.T. E. Veeder.

On Union, the fire extended on the south side for a distance. Both sides of Washington Street from the head of Union to the Mohawk Bridge were in flames at the same time and the flames meeting in the middle of the street formed an arch.

The fire leaped across to the south side of Union, from Tomlinson’s dry goods store to the corner opposite the Dutch church; and on the opposite side of the street next to the Mohawk Bank, but sparing the buildings on the corner of Union and Church Streets. Lost were the home of Milo Smith and owned by widow Nancy Beekman; a dwelling occupied by Mr. Petit and owned by widow Cathaline DeGraff; a large building occupied by E. DeVendel used as a dwelling house and boarding school, with a barn and outhouses, owned by Mr. M. Vicar; a store occupied by William. B. Walton & Co.; a brick dwelling house and barn occupied by Dr. Isaac Schermerhorn, all owned by attorney William Girvan; widow Mary Teller’s home and barn; the Mohawk Turnpike’s office; the law of office of N.F. Beck; and DeGraff, Walton & Company’s store and outhouses on the corner of Union and Washington Streets, all owned by attorney William Girvan.

The fire then raged up to and round the corner of Washington Avenue (then Street) consuming all but the old seminary building. All the corner buildings of this block were saved, except the corner of Washington and Union. Lost were the home, store, and barn of Cornelius Z. Van Santvoord; a store occupied by Henry Topping and owned by the widow F. Veeder; two offices occupied by attorney Henry V. Fonda, and by Vrooman & Schermerhorn, and owned by them; the dwelling house of the widow F. Veeder; a blacksmith shop owned by her and occupied by Jacob S. Vrooman; the tavern of Richard Freeman; the home and county clerk’s office of Jellis A. Fonda; the home of the widow Nancy Beekman; a home and barn of Stephen Lush, occupied by J. McMichael for a home and Richard McMichael & Company as a store; a shop occupied by Giles Clute as a shoe store and owned by Stephen Lush; Eri Lusher’s elegant brick house, store and barn; a home occupied by Mr. Hicks and Mrs. Stevens, and owned by Eri Lusher; the home, store and barn of James I. Carley; the large house, shop and barn, unoccupied but owned by Jacob S. Glen; a building occupied by Toll & Brooks as a store and by Seth Thayer and R.C. Jackson as a house, occupied by Mrs. Sophia Willard, David Allen and Mrs. Wiley, owned by the heirs of John Fisher, deceased; a home, store, barn and several outhouses occupied by Mrs. Peek and J.B. Van Eps; a home and store occupied by Josiah Stiles, owned by J.B. Van Eps; David Hearsay’s home, shop, barn, and outhouses; a store occupied by Kennedy Farrell, owned by David Hearsay; the home and barn of George Cooper; the brick house, store and barn owned by Joseph C. Yates, formerly by Robert League; the home and store occupied by Samuel Lee, owned by the widow E. Prince; the home , store, barn and outhouses of General A. Oothout; Giles Clute’s tavern and barn, the home occupied by Alexander Van Eps, E. Townsend and G. Van Valkenburgh, owned by widow Bradt; and the home and barn of attorney J.V. Ryley.

The flames destroyed the large wooden store of DeGraff, Walton and Company situated on the northeast corner of Washington and Union. The buildings were consumed quickly and an explosion of a large quantity of liquor in the cellars spread the fire to the surrounding neighborhood. At the corner of Washington and Front Streets, Andrew N. Van Patten’s store, barn and sheds burned along with M. Van Guysling’s store.

Both sides of Front Street from Washington to Governors’ Lane, on the north side, and to the storehouse of Jeremiah Fuller on the south side were laid to ashes. However, later research would show that number 9 Front Street did not burn as it was a French and Indian era block house made from stone with walls two and one half feet thick and dated by dendrochronology to have been built in 1727. A few roof rafters burned and were replaced in 1823. Also lost was the bakery of Mrs. Gill; a house occupied by Tobias V. Cuyler, owned by A.N. Van Patten; Dr. D. I. Toll’s home; a dwelling house of A. N. Van Patten, unoccupied; the dwelling house and a barn owned by Joseph C. Yates, Esq.; a home, store, barn, and tannery occupied by Henry E. Teller, owned by Charles Kane, Esq.; a house and outhouses occupied by the widow Van Ingen, and owned by Gerhsom Van Vorst; and a home and outhouses owned and occupied by widow Elizabeth Prince.

The wooden Washington Avenue Bridge was given special attention as it caught on fire several times but was saved. The fire continued to burn until around 10 AM in the morning. During the afternoon the wind changed direction to the west and fear was the rest of the city would burn if the smoldering ashes would reignite but it began raining and extinguished the remaining fires. The city government hired 16 watchmen each night after the fire to make sure the fire did not rekindle, while smoke billowed for several days after from the smoldering ruins. They were each paid one-dollar per night.[Remarkably there was no loss of life.

In total, the fire consumed 169 buildings, and about 200 families were driven from their homes. It completely destroyed Schenectady’s business community.

Many people were thrown out of their homes and lost their possessions. As soon as people in the outlying communities, especially in the Town of Glenville, heard of the calamity, people drove into the city bringing an abundance of supplies and helping those affected by the fire. This included lumber to build temporary structures. Jeremiah Fuller donated much grain from his large storehouse.

The small city had at the time only three fire companies and two fire engines and both were unserviceable. The winds were so fierce, hurricane in nature, that burnt shingles were carried as far at the town of Charlton – nine miles away.

Fire buckets were used to fight the fire and students from Union College were quick to help and later applauded by the city for their assistance. Several residents who were aided by the students and others publicly acknowledged them in letters to editors in local newspapers.



The Dutch church steeple almost burned from some bedding that was stored there and caught fire but it was extinguished before it could do major damage. Furniture and other belongings were put on flat boats lying in the river. Little was saved from Washington Street, from Union to the Bridge.

Few of the buildings were insured such as DeGraff, Walton and Company, which had insurance on their goods but not on the buildings. None of the insurance companies were located in Schenectady but instead they were all located in Albany. Those that were insured included the house of Moyston, house and store of D & H Martin, house of Carley, and house occupied by H.R. Teller (owned by Col Kane), and the house of Robert League (deceased) then owned by Judge Yates, and the also the goods of Prouty and Moyston. Total damage caused by the fire was estimated at $150,000 ($2,523,000 in 2009 dollars).

Local citizens met at the house of John Moore where David Tomlinson and Joseph C. Yates started a fundraiser for the sufferers.

According to the Schenectady Cabinet and the Albany Gazette during the day of the fire, the following casualties were recorded as seen by Barnet Sanders that gives a more accurate eyewitness account of the destruction:

According to Sanders, the fire began in a currier’s shop in Frog Alley or Water Street near the store of John Mouton (also spelled Moyston) at 4 AM. The following buildings and people were affected:

State Street

John Moyston’s dwelling house and store

Widow Vrooman’s Dwelling House

William Layman’s storehouse – and here the fire was arrested in this direction

Hugh and Daniel Martin’s dwelling house, a frame building

Female Academy

Union Street

The dwelling house of the widow of William J. Teller

Dwelling house owned by the heirs of James Duane, deceased

John De Graff & Cos store, formerly James Murdock’s corner of Washington and Unions Streets

Washington Street

Cornelius Z. Van Gansevoort’s dwelling house

Widow Murdoch’s dwelling house and store

Gen Abraham Oothout’s dwelling house, stores, & c

Widow Clute’s dwelling house

James V. S. Riley’s dwelling house

Andrew N. Van Patten’s dwelling house

Myndert Van Guysling’s store

Samuel Lee’s Store

Sager Van Santvoort’s dwelling house

George Cooper’s dwelling house

David Hussey’s dwelling house and store

John B. Van Eps’ four dwelling houses

James Carley’s dwelling house

Toll and Brook’s store

Dwelling house owned by the heirs of John S. Glen

Eri Lusher’s new dwelling house

Widow Peters’ dwelling house

Dwelling house and store occupied by Richard McMichael, and owned by S. Lush, Esq. of this city

Dwelling house occupied by the widow of Jacob Beekman and owned by his heirs

Jellis A. Fonda’s dwelling house

Jacob Fonda’s dwelling house, occupied by Richard Freeman (Freeman actually owned the house and was not a renter. His loss was estimated at more than $1,500

Dwelling house occupied by the widow of Peter F. Veeder

All the stores and buildings on the river, from the forwarding stores of Jacob S. Glen and Eri Lusher, burnt. These two stores were saved and the goods removed into boats for safety.

Front Street

John S. Ten Eyck’s’ dwelling house

Dr. Toll’s dwelling house

Dwelling house lately occupied by Henry Glen, deceased

James Teller’s dwelling house

Dwelling house occupied by Peter Brewer, and owned by Joseph C. Yates, Esq.

The bridge over the Mohawk was saved by the greatest exertion, having been on fire at every pier.

An official report and call for donations on November 23rd by the Mayor and alderman of the city was published in the Albany Gazette on November 25, 1819 and republished in many newspapers around the state. It stated that:

“… on the morning of the 17th of November about an hour before daybreak, the citizens were alarmed by the cry of fire. The flames were found to envelop a wooden building surrounded by other wooden buildings, and situated on the extremely and to the windward of the most compact and populous part of the whole city. All that man could do to avert the threat calamity was done; but was unavailing- The wind blew a hurricane, and in a few moments, the violence of the flames was such, that no human efforts could either stay their progress or direct their course. In despite of every impediment they darted forward, and with every advance acquired additional violence and spread around a more extensive and more frightful desolation.

As the flames advanced the wind increase, and the movement from street to street was accelerated, till the conflagration reached the river’s brink and was there arrested, only when materials failed and after every thing combustible that lay in its course, had been swept away.

Thus in a few hours, forty nine dwelling house, many inhabited by two and three families and seventy five stores and other buildings of consequence have been utterly destroyed, and their miserable inhabitants, and the commencement of a long and dreary winter turned into in the streets without shelter, and in many instances without furniture, without clothing and without bread, or the methods of procuring either, for such as the rapidly with which the flames spread, that a remnant only of movable articles could be removed and much even of that remnant was again overtaken and afterwards consumed by the devouring element.

Under these circumstances the doors of those citizens whose dwellings were mercifully spared, have been flung open to the suffered, and subscriptions are raising throughout the city for their relief. But no effort within the reach of that portion of the inhabitants, who have escaped the common calamity, can meet the exigencies of the case. The local authors are therefore constrained by the sight of miseries too extensive for them to relive, to tell to other cities the tale of woe, and solicit their cooperation.

To this end they have appointed the Rev Dr. Andrew Yates, Abraham Van Eps, and Nicholas F. Beck Esqs. as their agents to represent the necessities of the sufferers in this place, and to solicit, and gratefully to receive any benefactions that the charitable in your city may be disposed to bestow.”

One of the owners of the Albany Gazette visited the site and reported that “they present a most melancholy and awful scene of ruin and desolation, and the personal distress of many of the suffers is greater beyond description – Widows and orphan children and many others, who were in the possession of respectable property, and in the enjoyment of most of the comforts and conveniences of life, are reduced to wretchedness, to penury and want, and their forlorn situation at the present season, makes an irresistible appeal to the sympathy, the benevolence, and the charity of their fellow citizens. It is an appeal made to of the noblest faculties of the human mind – and cannot, and will not be made in vain.”

According to one newspaper account, only a few properties were insured, the house of Mr. Moyston, the house and store of Messrs D and H Martin, and the house of Mr. Carly and also the house occupied by Henry R. Teller and owned by Col Kane, and the house of the late Robert League, owned by Judge Yates, along with the goods of Mr. Carley, Mr. De Graff, Mr. Prouty, and Mr. Moyston. The fact that all of the insured were by Albany companies, those affected had to go by stage or carriage to Albany, sixteen miles away.

There were objections made to the city’s council resolution of appeal for donations by an unidentified letter writer, signed X, to the Albany Gazette of November 25, 1819. The writer pointed out that the resolution by the city stated that the city would “divide the sums received from charitable individuals, according to the losses that may have been sustained.” The writer wanted to emphasize that the distribution of donations should go to the “poorest and most distressed,” not to “those who are wealthy, or who have insured.” N.F. Beck, the city clerk posted a notice in the newspapers that there was an “erroneous impression [that] has been received by the public, that the collections made for the sufferers by the late fire in this city, are to be distributed among them generally, without any regard to their wants – And whereas many of those sufferers have contributed liberally to the necessitous of others still more indigent – Therefore resolved, that notice be given to the public, that all funds collected of the relief of the sufferers are to be appropriated in aiding the necessitors, in rebuilding and in supporting the poor during the present winter; and that a committee of respectable citizens is appointed to make all distributions, to well agreeable to their wants and their losses.”

This call for relief did not fall on deaf ears. One of New York City’s theaters, the Park Theater, on November 24 devoted a special evening to raise money for the Schenectady sufferers. Ironically, it was a comedy called The Steward, or Fashion and Feeling, followed by a melodrama, Maid & Magpie. The Steward was a recast of Thomas Holcroft’s the “Deserted Daughter” of 1784. The Maid and Magpie was written by prolific English writer William Hazlitt in 1815.

On December 1st, a general meeting of the citizens of New York City were asked to convene at the city assembly room on Broadway at 7 PM to take into consideration of obtaining donations to the “poor and distressed inhabitants o the city of Schenectady, who have suffered by the fire, which has lately destroyed a great portion of that city.” The meeting was organized by five distinguished New York City residents Henry Rutgers, Isaac Sebring, John B. Romeyn, Charles Wilkes and C.D. Colden. The latter, Cadwallader David Colden, was mayor though not acting in that capacity. One attendee to the December meeting wrote a letter to the Evening Post the following day and lamented that after a half hour of waiting, “the aggregate number of persons in the room, at the time of the commencement of business, was only nineteen of whom three were gentlemen who had publicly called the meeting?” Rev. Dr. Dirck Romeyn from Schenectady read the city’s appeal to the room of attendees and later made the observation that Schenectady “consisted chiefly of farmers and small traders.” A committee was created to collect relief and consisted of Peter Sharpe, Duncan P. Campbell, Samuel Tooker, Lewis Hartman, David Bryson, John D. Keese, Henry E. Ingraham, Dr. McCauley, Henry Beekman, James Boyd, Jr., Benjamin Strong, William B. Crosby, Isaac S. Douglass, Moses Field, Robert C. Cornell, Gamahel Smith, Abraham Slagg, Edward Dunscomb, Samuel Giflord, Jr., and Henry McFarlan. The meeting was chaired by Henry Rutgers and recorded by Peter W. Radcliff. Citizens donated upwards of $50 and even $100 towards relief .

A committee was created on December 7th in Cherry Valley, New York, consisting of Jesse Johnson, Archibald McKillep, Abraham Roseboom, James Cannon, Lester Holt, John Gallt, Stephen Frink, Oliver Judd, Alfred Crafts, James S. Campbell, George Clyde, Aaron D. Putnam, Benjamin Evens, and Thomas Thompson and was formed to accept cloth, grain or any kinds of provisions. Mr. A. M. Schermerhorn was authorized at the bank to accept funds.

A poem written by “H” on behalf of the victims appeared in the New York City’s Weekly Visitor and Ladies’ Museum newspaper on December 11. On Monday, December 13th, a concert was given by the Uterpean Society and “gentlemen professors and amateurs of music” at the City Hotel Assembly Room in New York City, led by a Mr. Kinsellla, for the “sufferers by fire at Schenectady.”

On Sunday, December 19th the local Roman Catholic Church in Albany was given a “Charity Sermon” by its rector the Rev. William Hogan for “the relief of the distressed poor of Schenectady.” A total of $156 was collected during the sermon. During this same week eight large wagons loaded with provisions, household furniture, clothes and clothing were delivered and donated by Shakers from nearby Niskayuna and New Lebanon.

On December 24, Henry Yates, Junior, Mayor of Schenectady wrote a letter to Henry Rutgers of New York City thanking him for the donation of $3,764 collected by the citizens of New York City.

Overall, the effect of this fire on Schenectady was enormous. All of the prosperity that had accumulated to this point was swept away in a matter of hours. The number of warehouses and stores along the Binnekill and Mohawk River represented the commercial center of Schenectady. Within hours, the great warehouses of Yates, Mynderse, Ellice, Stephen N. Bayard, Duncan & Phynn, Jacob S. Glen & Co., Walton & Co, Luther & McMichael, and others were in ashes. Ironically, it was this same Binnekill route that was to be used for the new Erie Canal that was being built in the central portion of the State and working its way to Schenectady. The fire was instrumental in redirecting that route many feet east of the river .

Within the city’s first two hundred years, the massacre and fire of 1690 and the great fire of 1819 had provided major impacts in shaping the future course and direction of Schenectady.