Discover 8 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Johnstown (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: St. John's Episcopal Church, Johnson Hall State Historic Site, and Johnstown Colonial Cemetery. Also, be sure to include Fulton County Jail in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Johnstown (New York).
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St. John's Episcopal Church
Church in Johnstown, New York. St. John's Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church at 1 North Market Street in Johnstown, Fulton County, New York. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
It consists of a rectangular, gable roofed main block and an attached parish hall wing. The main block of the church was completed in 1837 and consists of tall random ashlar stone walls and engaged stone entrance / bell tower. It features Gothic details. Extensive renovations on the building took place in 1911. Located on the property is the grave of church founder and colonial leader Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet (1715–1774).
It is the second church on this site; the original church having burned in 1836.[1]
Address: 1 N Market St, 12095-2139 Johnstown
Johnson Hall State Historic Site
Museum in Johnstown, New York. Johnson Hall State Historic Site was the home of Sir William Johnson an Irish pioneer who became the influential British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Province of New York, known for his strong relationship especially with the Mohawk and other Iroquois League nations.
Johnson Hall is located at Hall Avenue, West State Street and Johnson Avenue, in Johnstown, New York.[2]
Address: 139 Hall Ave, 12095-1615 Johnstown
Johnstown Colonial Cemetery
Cemetery in Johnstown, New York. The Johnstown Colonial Cemetery is a historic cemetery and national historic district located at West Green and North Market Street in Johnstown, Fulton County, New York. The district contains one contributing site and two contributing structures.
The cemetery was established in 1766, and the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.[3]
Fulton County Jail
Building complex in Johnstown, New York. The Fulton County Jail, originally the Tryon County Jail, is a historic jail complex located at the corner of Perry and Montgomery Street in Johnstown, Fulton County, New York. The original section was built in 1772-1773 and was placed on the village's highest ground to give a defensive advantage in case of an attack by Native Americans or a war. At the time, is was thought to be one of the strongest defensive position in colonial America, due to its placement and the thick wall, which would deflect everything but the very strongest artillery.
During the Revolutionary War, it became Fort Johnstown, a military garrison and prison, with the intent of preventing enemy infiltration along the Sacandaga road. A palisade was built to surround it, with four lookout towers at the corners. It was inspected by Lafayette in 1778. In 1781, the fort was the base for 400 militiamen lead by Col. Marinus Willet and Capt. John Littel, who harried a British force of 700 Loyalists and Native Americans who were retreating after burning land in the Mohawk Valley.
In 1783, the fort was visited by George Washington on his tour of the Mohawk Valley.
The original building is a simple five bays wide, two bays deep stone building with a medium pitched gable roof. The complex consists of the original jail with additions to form a two-story, "L" shaped building with a large brick wing attached to the original section and a smaller brick wing to the west. The small brick wing dates to about 1890. The larger wing, known as the sheriff's quarters, is a two story, square block with a hipped roof in the Colonial Revival style.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.[4]
Fulton County Courthouse
Courthouse in Johnstown, New York. The Fulton County Courthouse, originally the Tryon County Courthouse, is a historic courthouse building located on North William Street at the corner of West Main Street in Johnstown, Fulton County, New York. It was built in 1772 to 1773 and is a Late Georgian style public building. It is the oldest existing Court House in the State of New York and one of the oldest in the United States still being used as a Court House.
The courthouse is a 1+1⁄2-story brick structure, five bays wide and three bays deep. It features a bellcast gable roof with a cupola dating to the late 18th or early 19th century. Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet (1715–1774) contributed £500 toward the construction of the building.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.[5]
Knox Mansion
Mansion in Johnstown, New York. The Knox Mansion is a historical mansion at 104 West 2nd Avenue in the city of Johnstown, Fulton County, New York.[6]
Chamberlain Benjamin House
The Chamberlain Benjamin House is a historic home at 100 South Market Street at the corner of Clinton Street Johnstown, Fulton County, New York. It was built in 1816 and is a 2+1⁄2-story, gable-roofed, brick, Federal period residence. It consists of a three-by-four-bay main block with a long, rectangular 2-story, four-bay rear wing. The interior is based on a side-hall plan. It features a blind-arcade front with brick pilasters and stepped parapet gable ends.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.[7]
United States Post Office
Post office in Johnstown, New York. The US Post Office-Johnstown is a historic post office building located at 14 North William Street in Johnstown, Fulton County, New York. It was designed and built in 1912–1913, and is one of a number of post offices in New York State designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department, James Knox Taylor. It was enlarged in 1965–1966. The original section is a five-by-seven-bay, 1-story limestone structure on a granite foundation in the Classical Revival style. The entrance portico features four Doric order columns supporting an entablature. The building also features semi-circular arched windows.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[8]
Address: 139 N William St, 12095 Johnstown