Nassau

Located in southern Rensselaer County, Nassau has witnessed great change since its incorporation in 1819. Nassau chronicles how the town transformed itself from an area tied to agriculture and industry to a bedroom community for larger population centers in the Capital Region. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, housing developments were built to accommodate the growing neighborhoods. With those changes came increased traffic, need for larger schools, and business expansion. America’s longest highway, Historic Route 20, was carved out of Nassau’s historic paths and primitive turnpike. It created more streamlined transportation routes across the entire state. Nassau serves as a visual repository of community values and history to illustrate everyday life and the people that lived it.