Matthew Winne Sr. and Matthew Winne Jr. both ran a large farm and brickyard along the Mohawk River in Niskayuna, New York.

We’ve put in some research but have come up short without much information. One thing we do know is that the farm property was very large and Matthew Winne Jr. was very well known and highly respected.

Remembering Matthew Winne Jr.

Matthew Winne Jr. (1806-1897) was a prominent farmer, boatmaker, and large landowner in the town of Niskayuna in Schenectady County, New York. In addition to representing Schenectady County in the New York State Assembly in 1854, Winne Jr. served his community as postmaster and as a church deacon. The home of Winne Jr. faces the Mohawk River and, as of 2022, was located alongside the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail in Niskayuna.

The Farm Property

Currently, the property shows 7 house/shed structures on the property. Seems to be a cluster of farm houses, typical for what you’d see in family homestead compounds in the 1800s.

Here you can see the old driveways that lead into the brickyard/mills. They have been covered up to make it appear as though nothing was ever here.

The Old Winne road on the west end of the property.

The Destruction of the Property

Same pattern. Nelson Rockefeller gets into office and Winne property is destroyed.

In this 1952 aerial, you can see that the buildings are all there. Not sure if it was still in operation at this point.

By 1985 you can see that all of the brickyard and mill structures have been destroyed.

You can view them for yourself at https://historicaerials.com/ Use the coordinates: 42.77820355174115, -73.83507488589736