Quick Facts
- State
- New York
- County
- Ulster County
- Status
- Unknown Status
- Access
- Unknown Access
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
Some places earn their silence — and Potterville is one of them. A ghost town of unknown status in Ulster County, New York.
New York's ghost towns are canal towns the railroad bypassed and Adirondack iron and lumber settlements.
Ulster County holds 4 documented ghost towns, including Brownville, Trapps Mountain Hamlet, West Hurley — Potterville keeps them company on the map.
The story of Potterville
The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, made New York the Empire State — and made ghost towns out of every settlement the canal bypassed. Potterville's story in Ulster County likely runs through that transportation churn: canal towns, then railroad towns, each wave stranding the last. The region's extractive chapters were early and intense: bog iron in New Jersey, iron in the Adirondacks, granite and marble in Vermont. By the time the West was having its gold rush, the Northeast was already deindustrializing its first factory towns. These are ghost towns with seniority.
What you'll find today
The on-the-ground condition of Potterville is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.
Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.
Getting there
Here's the honest truth: access to Potterville is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times.
Good to know
Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.