Guilderland, NY, United States

Guilderland is a town within Albany County.

The town’s estimated population was 32,688 at the 2000 census. Guilderland lies on the central-northwest border of Albany County and is west of the city of Albany.

From its earliest days, the town of Guilderland was acquiescent to industrial expenditures. It had large wooded areas for fuel use, an abundance of streams for waterwheels, waterfalls for power and sand for glass making.

A massive glass factory sprung from the hamlet of Hamilton (now Guilderland) which made windows and bottles of all types.

The glass factory, founded by Jan and Leonard Neufville in 1795, was unable to live up to inexpensive British imports. After the war of 1812, the glass factory closed its doors and the Guilderland glass industry was never revived.

The Town of Guilderland has had at least four names through recorded history. In colonial times, it was part of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, granted by the Dutch West India Company to Killian Van Rensselaer in 1630. Farmers who settled on Rensselaerswyck land paid "quit rents" in the form of cash or "fat, fowl, wheat and labor" to permit them to clear land, construct buildings and grow crops.

In the 1700s, the area became known as "Helleburgh" for the mountains in the southwest. The Dutch name, meaning bright or clear mountains, evolved to the current "Helderberg."

The area became part of the Town of Watervliet in 1778, and in 1803 it broke away to become the Town of Guilderland, with virtually the same boundaries it has today.

The name "Guilderland" honored the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands, which was the homeland of the original settlers along the Normanskill or Norman Creek. The Guilderland Historical Society maintains several historical homes locally that are open to the public at various times throughout the year, such as the Frederick House in Guilderland Center.

Today, Guilderland is a fast-growing community at the crossroads of the Capital District Region offering gracious living in a suburban area of over 30,000 residents. Guilderland is primarily a residential area with a wide variety of retail, manufacturing sites, office and research facilities, farmland and nature preserves.

Community events:

The Pine Bush Nature Preserve is spread out throughout the Town of Guilderland. This beautiful, large preserve, which is also the home of the rare Blue Karner butterfly, is open year-round for hiking and cross-country skiing. 

The Town of Guilderland maintains a system of parks offering a wide variety of year-round outdoor opportunities.

The largest of these is Tawasentha Park, located on Route 146. The swimming pool facilities include a diving area, lap area and kiddie pool. A variety of swimming courses are also available throughout the summer. A pavilion is available for group activities, and must be reserved ahead of time. There are numerous picnic areas with tables and grills. The Park also offers fishing, boating, trails for jogging and cross-country skiing, ice skating, sledding, basketball and tennis courts and playground areas. The Park is used by the local Little League, and by school cross-country teams.

Abele Park, located in McKownville, Fort Hunter Park on Ronald Place and Lone Pine Park on Benjamin Street are smaller neighborhood areas offering play grounds, ball fields, basketball courts and picnic areas.

In addition to facilities, the Town operates a number of special programs including popular summer day camp and summer sports camps. The day camp program is for 5-12 year olds with a delightful variety of sports, crafts, and recreational activities. Sports camps include softball, soccer, tennis, wrestling, gymnastics, archery, football and track and field. The summer recreation programs offer free bus transportation. 

Several golf and country clubs are available in Guilderland and nearby communities. Many state parks and tecreational sites are within an easy drive of Guilderland.