SCHENECTADY

GROVELANDS

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The original plat map for the Grovelands subdivision, located in the town of Glenville, was submitted in1906. The name of the developer does not appear on the map, but a deed dated 7 February 1925 indicates that Charles W. and Charlotte M. Shaw purchased from Hector A. McRae, "all that tract of land, situate, in the Town of Glenville, as shown on map of Grovelands Schenectady County, New York, made by Emmett Blessing, surveyor, June 1906, and filed in the Schenectady county clerk's office June 25, 1906" ①, suggesting that McRae (a prominent businessman from Schuylerville, NY) was the original developer.  The subdivision included Nokomis, Uncas, Market, Circular, Wilmarth, and Market Streets, and Oakland, Parkland, and Ashland Avenues with a total of 244 lots and the elongated, tear-shaped Groveland Park at its center.  

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There is no evidence that McRae or the Shaws used racial covenants in the subdivision.  However, following the 1927 purchase of the subdivision by N.P. Dodge Corporation of Omaha, NE, racial covenants appear, as illustrated below:

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Curiously, N.P. Dodge transferred a deed to Louis and Francesca Isabella for lot #14 in the Grovelands subdivision that included no racial restrictive covenant ②.  Later deeds like that below for 32 Market Street (lot #15) show that N.P. Dodge continued their use of racial covenants through at least the end of 1946.

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By June of 1956, N.P. Dodge appears to have stopped using racial covenants in Groveland, as exemplified by the deed for lots 142-147 sold to Virginia and William Stanek ③.

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NEW SCOTIA​

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​New Scotia was developed in the Town of Glenville by the Hardin Realty Company in 1907.  It included 459 lots on Railroad, High, John, Water, and Prado Streets, and William, Croton, Pine, and Amsterdam Avenues, and Vley Road.  There is no evidence that Hardin Realty used racial covenants in New Scotia.  For example, no such racial restrictions appear in the deed for lots #9-14 in Block #5 of the New Scotia subdivision to John and Martha Dickson in 1914 ④.   

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N.P. Dodge acquired 351 remaining lots in the subdivision from Hardin Realty on November 1, 1923. In 1924, N.P. Dodge began advertising lots in New Scotia that were,"restricted to White people and neat homes," as in the following advertisement:

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​​​Nathan Phillips (N.P.) Dodge transferred a deed in 1924 for lots #2 and #10 in the New Scotia subdivision that included the following racial restrictive covenant:

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A slightly different racial covenant appeared three years later in a deed for lots #9 and #10:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​​MAYFAIR

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Harold G. Veeder developed the Mayfair subdivision in the Town of Glenville in 1929.  74 lots were subdivided on Saratoga, Surrey, York, and Sheffield Roads and York Lane.  Veeder Realty Co. advertised the subdivision having "fully restricted lots ⑤," and in accordance with standard company practice, deeds in the development prevented Blacks and non-citizens from purchasing lots with covenants like that below:

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It is worth noting that between 1825 and 1913, non-citizens could legally purchase, own, and dispose of real property in New York by filing a deposition of intent to become a citizen in the Secretary of State's office in Albany ⑥.  This requirement was abolished in 1913.

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①  Deed, H.A. McRae, 7 February 1925, Book 326 Page 154-6 ( Office of the Schenectady County Clerk, Schenectady County, NY).

②  Deed, N.P. Dodge, 2 February 1938, Book 435 Page 69-70 ( Office of the Schenectady County Clerk, Schenectady County, NY).

③  Deed, N.P. Dodge, 14 June 1956, Book 727 Page 394-6 ( Office of the Schenectady County Clerk, Schenectady County, NY).

④  Deed, Book 232 Page 67 (Office of the Schenectady County Clerk, Schenectady County, NY). 

⑤  Schenectady Gazette, May 18, 1929, p. 6.  Accessed via fultonhistory.com

​⑥  "Records of Aliens Enabled to Own Real Property," https://www.archives.nysed.gov/research/res_topics_gen_naturalization_aliens​​

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© JUNE 2026