How Did Antwerp NY Get Its Name?

Have you heard of Antwerp, New York? If so, you definitely want to read this article about how this tiny little NY town and village got its name.

Antwerp, New York is located in the northeastern corner of Jefferson County and is bordered by St. Lawrence County and Lewis County. It’s actually a great little location because it’s about 30-40 minutes from the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, the Adirondack Park, Fort Drum and Watertown.

One of the first things that you might wonder about when you visit Antwerp is whether the town is named after its Belgian counterpart, or whether someone from Antwerp, Belgium just decided to name this tiny little upstate town after their hometown.

Where is Antwerp New York?

The town and village of Antwerp is located in the northeastern corner of Jefferson County, New York. You can find Antwerp on US Route 11 between Watertown and Gouverneur.

Antwerp is a small town in a rural setting. Even though the population is currently only about 1800 people in the entire town, you can still see evidence that the area was once more heavily populated. Antwerp is part of the North Country region of the state of New York, and is part of a region known for its lakes, rivers, and mountains.

The US census year that shows Antwerp with the highest population recorded was in the year of 1880 when the town had a population of at least 3400 people.

When was Antwerp NY founded?

The village and town of Antwerp were officially incorporated in 1854, but the town was first settled by people of European descent as early as 1803. Evidence of this early settlement can be seen today in the village of Antwerp through homes built as early as 1816.

In 1817, President James Monroe visited the village of Antwerp as part of his tour of northern New York. He stopped in Antwerp after visiting Rossie, and before moving on to “Le Rayville” with Mr. Le Ray.

Describes President Madison's visit to Antwerp NY in 1815. Relevant text: He next proceeded to Antwerp (Jefferson county) where he was met by Mr. Le Ray, and an escort, who accompanied him to Le Rayville. From the time of the Presdient's arrival in the country to his leaving it, he received the most marked and respectful attentions, and he expressed himself much gratified with the hospitality of its inhabitants. - St. Lawrence Gazette — Even though the town was officially incorporated in 1853, it certainly existed long before that date. This is illustrated by the news of President James Monroe’s visit to the town in 1817. Source:

President Monroe’s visit to St. Lawrence County, Antwerp, and Le Rayville (now just LeRay) was considered important enough to print in a newspaper all the way across the Atlantic Ocean in London. Finding this clipping really put a smile on my face during my research for this article because it really illustrates how prominent this area was, including Antwerp, during the early-mid 1800s.

The Antwerp Company was officially dissolved by the New York State Legislature in April of 1860, according to page 3 of the New York Daily Herald, April 19 edition of 1860.

Is Antwerp NY named after the city in Belgium?

Yes, the town of Antwerp NY is named after the famous European city, Antwerp, which is located in Belgium. Prior to its formation, the area where Antwerp, NY, is located was part of a large land purchase by the Antwerp Company in the late 1700s.

Photograph of the town of Antwerp Town Hall taken by the author in 2022. The photograph was taken in the fall, which is illustrated by the beautifully colored leaves on a maple tree on the corner across the street from the building — This photograph was taken in the Fall of 2022, and shows the Antwerp Town Hall, an old building in the heart of the Village of Antwerp. Photo credit: Naomi from discovernorthcountry.com, the author of this article

How did Antwerp in NY get its name?

The Antwerp Company, which owned a large portion of New York, including where the town and village of Antwerp, NY now sit, was formed by a large group of investors in the city of Antwerp, Belgium. Antwerp, NY was named after the Antwerp Company.

In 1793, The Antwerp Company purchased from William Constable an area of land estimated to be about 440,000 acres, which included where Antwerp, NY, is now located, in a land deal negotiated by Charles Michael De Wolf. The company consisted of more than 600 shares and was owned by large and small investors of Antwerp, Belgium and other places.

Eventually, the Antwerp Company failed and its land holdings were gradually sold off. Mr. Le Ray, who is the person who LeRay, NY is named after, owned 126 shares of the Antwerp Company.

Is anyone famous from Antwerp, New York?

Antwerp, New York was home to Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, one of modern art’s most iconic, if not well-remembered, artists. Almost everyone has seen a version of the dogs playing poker painting shown below, but not many people know who the creative genius behind this artwork was.

Dogs in this painting are dressed like human males and have hats, canes, and jackets, and are playing poker around a small wooden table — Photograph of Cassius Coolige painting. Dogs are dressed like men, are smoking cigars and socializing during a game of poker,

Cassius Coolidge was born in Antwerp and was raised in Philadelphia, NY, nearby town that also has an interesting name. He died in 1934 and was buried in the Hillside Cemetery in Antwerp.

The cemetery is well-maintained and his gravestone has occasional visitors. When I took the photograph below, someone had recently placed a bouquet of red flowers in remembrance of him.

Photograph of the grave site of Cassius Coolidge, the painter. A small bouquet of red flowers were placed in front of the gravestone and the afternoon sun is shining at the cemetery — Photograph of the Cassius Coolidge grave site taken by the author at discovernorthcountry.com

If you ever find yourself driving north of Watertown on Us Highway 11. The highway doesn’t go through the main part of the town, so you’ll have to watch for signs for Antwerp.

Conclusion

It’s a small place, so you’ll miss it if you aren’t on the lookout. However, if you do get the chance to stop and look at the very old, historic downtown area, the bridge and old dam on the Indian River, or see Cassius Coolige’s gravesite, you’ll be glad that you did.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to imagine how this old town may have looked back in the 1860s-1880s, when its population was at its highest.