McKownville, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids McKownville
Hamlet
Etymology: for John McKown and family, early settlers from the late 18th century
McKownville Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
Region	Capital District
County	Albany
Settled	late 18th century
Elevation	249 ft (76 m)
Population  (1993 (appr.))
• Total	2,756
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	12203
Area code(s)	518

McKownville is a small community, called a hamlet, located in the town of Guilderland, Albany County, New York, United States. It sits right on the eastern edge of the town, next to the city of Albany.

McKownville is a busy area near Albany. It has many shops, malls, and part of the University at Albany, SUNY. A main road, U.S. Route 20 (also known as Western Avenue), runs right through it. The hamlet is named after John McKown and his family, who were among the first people to settle here in the late 1700s.

A Look Back: McKownville's History

Early Days and the King's Highway

In the 1700s, a path called the King's Highway went through what is now McKownville. This path connected Albany to Schenectady through a sandy, pine-filled area called the Pine Bush.

Around the late 1740s, John McKown and his family moved to America from Ireland. They started by leasing a place called the Five Mile Tavern along the King's Highway. This tavern was near where the Indian Quad dorms of the University at Albany, SUNY are today.

The McKown Family's Impact

In 1790, John's son, William McKown, built another tavern. This one was at the spot where Fuller Road and Western Avenue meet now. The first post office in McKownville opened in this tavern in 1884. Today, a Burger King stands on that same spot.

Over time, the McKown family bought most of the land in the area. They gave land for important projects. They donated land for the Great Western Turnpike (now Western Avenue), which was built in 1799. They also gave land for a local church, the McKownville Methodist Church, and the first one-room schoolhouse.

Schools in McKownville

The McKownville School District No. 11 was built around 1877. Later, a second one-room school, the McKownville Annex School No. 11-A, was added in 1887. Both of these schools closed in 1953. Students then started going to Westmere Elementary School as part of the larger Guilderland Central School District.

The University and Local Growth

In 1896, the Albany Country Club and Golf Course was built. It was located right on the border between Albany and Guilderland. This club was later replaced by the University at Albany, SUNY (SUNYA) Uptown Campus in the 1960s.

Even though the university is a big part of McKownville, its growth has sometimes caused disagreements with the people living nearby. They worried about how the campus would affect their neighborhoods.

Suburban Development and Community Efforts

Because McKownville is so close to Albany, it has always been a place for new homes, businesses, and schools. Western Avenue is lined with shops, fast-food restaurants, and hotels. Stuyvesant Plaza, one of the first shopping centers outside the city, was built here.

In 1924, residents formed the McKownville Improvement Association. This group worked to get sidewalks built and to create a water system for the area. They also tried to make sure new buildings were planned carefully. For example, they were against the building of Crossgates Mall and its later additions.

In 2004, after many years, the association finally succeeded in getting sidewalks built. The association also fought against a big expansion plan for Crossgates Mall in 1998. This plan would have added a tall hotel, an ice skating rink, and many more shops. The plan faced a big problem when the McKownville United Methodist Church, which was needed for the expansion, refused to sell its land. Because of this and other opposition, the plan was dropped.

Boundary Disputes

In 2002, it was discovered that some students living in the Indian Quad dorms at SUNYA were counted as living in Albany during the 2000 Census, but they were actually in Guilderland. This led to a disagreement between the Mayor of Albany and the Guilderland town supervisor about who should provide emergency services to that area.

McKownville's Location

Where is McKownville?

McKownville is a hamlet, so its exact borders are not always clear. Generally, it is thought to be bordered by the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway (Interstate 87) and Fuller Road Alternate to the west. The town of Bethlehem is to the south, and the city of Albany is to the east and north.

The land in McKownville is mostly flat or has very gentle hills. The Krum Kill (a small stream) forms the eastern border with Albany.

		City of Albany University at Albany, SUNY
	Hamlet of Westmere		City of Albany
		Hamlet of McKownville
		Town of Bethlehem Hamlet of North Bethlehem

Population of McKownville

Since McKownville doesn't have official borders, it's hard to get exact numbers for its population. However, in 1993, the Albany Times Union newspaper estimated that about 2,756 people lived in the hamlet, with 1,137 homes.

Learning in McKownville

McKownville is part of the Guilderland Central School District (GCSD). Children living here attend Westmere Elementary School for kindergarten through 5th grade. They then go to Farnsworth Middle School for 6th through 8th grade, and finally to Guilderland High School for 9th through 12th grade.

McKownville Fire Department

McKownville has its own fire department, which started in 1918. The McKownville Fire Department is made up entirely of volunteers. These volunteers respond to about 250 to 300 calls for help each year. The department currently uses two pumper trucks, one rescue truck, two command vehicles, and a utility vehicle.