Clute’s Dry Dock

Clute’s Dry Dock. . The Volvyder family constructed a dry dock at this location about the time the Erie Canal It appeared as "Volvyder's Dry Dock” on an 1834 map of the canal. The dry dock was refurbished and enlarged in 1842 when the Erie Canal was widened through this area., Nicholas J. Clute acquired the dry dock in 1852, and also owned a store next to the dry dock. His home was east of the store and dry dock., Dry Docks were used for the construction and repair of canal boats. Boats accessed the dry dock from the canal through A set of wooden gates. Once the gates closed behind them, a gate in the southwest corner allowed the water to drain into a conduit which went under the canal and out in to the Mohawk River. The three cradles within the dry dock could each support a canal boat., A thriving community consisting of stores, a school, an ice house, barns and the homes of men who worked on the canal and in the dry dock once flourished here. However, the settlement was abandoned in 1907 due to the rise in water level when the Mohawk River was dammed to create the Barge Canal. Two the homes were moved up to Riverview Road where they still stand. Canal operations moved to the Mohawk River when the Barge Canal was completed in 1917., The dry dock now serves as a canoe launch with access into the old Erie Canal and into the Mohawk River by heading east to Wagar's Pond.