WATERVLIET, lei-ter-vile, N. Y., city in Albany County, on the Hudson River and on the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, • Troy and six miles north of Albany.
railways connect the city with Albany. Tiny. Schenectady and Cohoes. A steel bridge over whch pass electric cars for bothrs and freight spans the river at this at the head of river navigation and has by means of the Hudson River water connections with New York and intermediate points. Watervliet is a factory city having plants making woolen goods, shirtwaists, collars, bells, iron products, sashes, doors and harness parts, street cars, car-journA bearings, machine-shop products and boats. In 1807 the United States government established here the Watervliet Arsenal for the construc tion of siege ordnance and field and coast de fenses; in 1919 negotiations were opened for the purchase of some 35 acres of land com prising many city blocks, the plan being to en large the onginal reservation of 109 acres with its wharfage of 1,000 feet, and to make the plant the largest of its kind in the country. The construction works have been constantly in operation and some of the largest guns in the United States' service have been made here. The place was the scene of great activity
daring the World War; at as expendlutui of between 12 and 14 million dollars the normal output was trippled, the maximum number of employees raching 5,125. Within the arsenal reservation are quarters for officers and bar racks for soldiers. There is also a krge stone magazine. The city has 12 churches repre senting six denominations; a high school este• fished in 1899, Saint Patrick's Academy and public and parish schools. There is a graded school in connection with Saint Col:oak's Orphanage, and also with Fairview Home. Watervliet was settled about the time the first settlements were made at Albany and other places on the Hudson. It was incorporated as a village, and called West Troy in 1836. In August 1897 it was chartered as a city under its present name. Its industrial growth has been closely connected with the work of the government arsenal. It has many of the social and educational advantages of Troy and Albany. The waterworks are owned by the city, and on 10 June 1919 the commission form of government was adopted. Pop. about 18,000.