Gloversville

Gloversville was originally acquired by Sir William Johnson (an important New York official) and is also known as Kingsborough In the year of 1752 it was purchased (including the city) by Arent Stevens. Gloversville was incorporated as a village in 1851 and was a settlement for the Puritans from New England during the 18th century. Gloversville became the official name after the establishment of a US Post Office in 1828.

Many years ago it was branded the nickname Stump City due to the numerous tree stumps, which were result of clearing for development. It had once been considered the Glove and Leather capitol of the world before the majority of the industry moved overseas.

During that time, many homes in the area housed components of the business. At home workers sewed the gloves from leather that had been cut in the local factories. Every single aspect of the industry was supported and supplied by fringe businesses such as box makers, thread dealers, sewing machine repairmen, and more. Although Gloversville still produces gloves and leather it is on a much smaller scale then previous years.

The Lowdown

Although glovers, tanners and leather dressers are just a small shadow of a once booming industry, most of the current residents can trace back nearly several generations of involvement with the “Glove Cities” tradition. Currently, the Fulton County Museum houses a display to allow locals and visitors to remember the once dominating craft of those that made Gloversville and the surrounding area a world renowned leader in leather as well as glove making.

Good To Know

Gloversville is a neighbor to Amsterdam and Johnstown as well. It has a small music scene and is very active in supporting its small base of local musicians and businesses. Many buildings remain from the manufacturing days of the past and the town has a great sense of pride and history