Place:Athens, Greene, New York, United States

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Athens is a village in Greene County, New York, USA. The population was 1,668 at the 2010 census. The village is named after the classical city of Athens.

The Village of Athens is in the eastern part of the Town of Athens, opposite the City of Hudson.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

History of the village and historic sites worth preservation are detailed in a New York State study, "Village of Athens Multiple Resource Area".

Historic sites in Athens listed on the National Register of Historic Places in or near the village include:

• Athens Lower Village Historic District, Roughly bounded by Hudson River, NY 385, Vernon and Market Sts.
• Brick Row Historic District, Off NY 385
• Hudson/Athens Lighthouse, S of Middle Ground Flats in Hudson River
• Stranahan-DelVecchio House, N. Washington St.
• Albertus Van Loon House, N. Washington St.
• West Athens Hill Site, Address Restricted, Athens
• Zion Lutheran Church (Athens, New York), N. Washington St.

The land was purchased from the natives in 1665. The community was once called "Loonenburgh" and "Esperanza." The village was incorporated in 1805.

The 1935 completion of the Rip van Winkle bridge several miles to the south put an end to the local ferry service across the Hudson, until the summer of 2012 when weekend ferry service resumed. However, the ferry is portrayed in the 2005 film War of the Worlds, when Martian tripods attack the town, the ferry, and refugees from New York City attempting to flee across the Hudson.

Research Tips

External Links

• Outstanding guide to Athens family history and genealogy resources (FamilySearch Research Wiki). Birth, marriage, and death records, town histories, cemeteries, churches, newspapers, libraries, and genealogical societies.