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.

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Clutes Dry Dock
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