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Pierstown is a hamlet located on CR-28 north of Cooperstown and west of Five Mile Point in the Town of Otsego, in Otsego County, New York, United States.[2]
Pierstown, New York | |
|---|---|
  Pierstown, New York  Pierstown, New York | |
| Coordinates: 42°46′18″N 74°54′46″W / 42.77167°N 74.91278°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Otsego |
| Town | Otsego |
| Elevation | 1,427[1] ft (435 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 13337 |
| Area code | 607 |
Pierstown Grange No. 793 is located here and is one of three remaining in Otsego County. It is a contributing building to the Glimmerglass Historic District.
History
editThe story of Pierstown unfolds rapidly, its early days marked by the industrious hum of mills harnessing the power of Leatherstocking Creek as it cascaded over Leatherstocking Falls. Imagine a bustling scene: three sawmills slicing through timber, three gristmills grinding grain, and a carding machine processing wool. Add to that a lively social scene with five taverns, three stores, and a multitude of other businesses – tanneries, blacksmith shops, even a brewery.
But time, as it often does, brought change. By 1886, only a solitary blacksmith shop remained as a testament to Pierstown's once-thriving past. Agriculture took center stage, transforming the town into a pastoral landscape. This shift mirrored trends across upstate New York, where farming eventually declined in the latter part of the 20th century.
Pierstown's origins trace back to the Pīer family, pioneers who settled the land as part of the Great Barrington Purchase around 1786. Six brothers established themselves on the Brick House Farm, one even opening a tavern. Notably, brother Abner served in the Revolutionary War, enduring a harrowing ordeal during the Cherry Valley Massacre where he was tomahawked, scalped, and wounded, yet miraculously survived.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Pierstown". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- ^ New York History: Quarterly Journal of the New York State Historical ... J Alexander Clarence Flick - 2007 -"A tiny farming hamlet that has all but disappeared in the current century, Pierstown is located several miles north of Cooperstown, New York, west of Otsego Lake. The only mention of Pierstown in a 1903 Otsego County map is a road labeled ...
- ^ Simonson, Mark (November 3, 2007). "From mills to farming, Pierstown once thrived". The Daily Star (Oneonta). Retrieved September 28, 2017.