Will The Phoenix Rise Again?

by Don Rittner

The Phoenix Hotel on the corner of Second Avenue and 116th Street in Lansingburgh has received some attention recently in the news - not all of it good. Plans on reusing the old hotel facility has drawn mixed reviews from local residents. However, let’s look at the history of the Phoenix Hotel itself.

The site of the Phoenix Hotel has served as an lodging and dining site for close to 200 years. As early as 1780, it was the site of the Village Tavern, though it was also known as the Village Inn, Village Hotel, or Hanner’s Inn, or Tavern until 1834. It was owned by Ananius Platt.

Platt was the person who first brought a stage coach route to the area in 1789. The local legislature gave him permission to run a daily route. His stage coach line began running on April 21st, 1789 and within a few years was moving 20 coaches between Lansingburgh, Waterford, Troy, and Albany. While it got off to a slow start, the rapid growth of the Burg and surrounding areas quickly saw the number of rides averaging 150 people a day only four years after he began. The fair for a round trip was four shillings (today’s rate would equal about 48 cents).

Platt was also given permission to haul the mail with his stage coach since there was no post office in Lansingburgh until 1792. That was the year when Stephen Gorham became the village's first Postmaster. Merchants could get a discount if they signed up for an annual contract. Ironically, the hotel would serve as the post office for the village many years later.

One of the area’s first Masonic lodges, Hiram Lodge No 35, was created in August 16, 1787 and had their lodge rooms located in the Inn (then called Hanner’s Tavern) in 1795. This chapter didn’t last long ceasing to exist in by early 19th century.

On February 7th, 1791, the County of Rensselaer was born and first met at the hotel. The first court, Court of Common Pleas, met on Tuesday, May 3rd, although it was decided that the following year it should be moved to Troy. In fact, there developed a rivalry between Lansingburgh and Troy to become the seat of county government with Troy winning out. The county court house was finally established in Troy in 1793.

Right after the War of 1812, the hotel was the scene of a large public dinner to honor the end of the conflict along with a large bonfire on Diamond Rock and a decorated balloon that floated away to the upper atmosphere.

Platt eventually moved on to West Troy and ran a hotel known as the Ferry House. He finally moved on to Albany and ran the Tontine. The Village Hotel was then run by Nathaniel Jacobs and others until the famous Inn burned in 1834.

After the fire, Esek Hawkins rebuilt the Inn and called it the Phoenix, after the mythical bird that rises from the ashes. For the next 150 years the Phoenix Hotel was a centerpiece of business activity, entertainment, and politics in Lansingburgh.

In 1864, Zebina E. Fobes built the brick addition that runs on 116th Street to the Alley and was the victim of the most recent fire. The hotel has seen a few fires over the years but still it has come back to life each time.

The hotel has lost its glamour over the last 30 years. For many local citizens it represented an eyesoar for years, even though it was still in use. Yet, if the hotel gets rebuilt and reused as housing by Joseph’s House of Troy, as proposed, it certainly will be living up to its name one more time.

©1999 Don Rittner

Don Rittner is the author of Images of Troy, and Images of Lansingburgh (Arcadia Press). You can reach him at drittner@aol.com or at The Learning Factory at 251 River Street in Troy.