Hamilton

Formed January 1, 1816 (47^th county)

Hamilton County (5,102), Lake Pleasant* (730), Speculator (402)

A Colonial Revival red brick courthouse is the 1929 facility in Lake Pleasant.  The facility is on New York State Highway 8 east of South Shore Road.  Josiah Moffitt provided the designs.  The building has been enlarged and a 1929 County Clerk’s office sits beside the courthouse.  Hamilton County was organized on January 1, 1816 from Montgomery County as the 47^th county with Lake Pleasant as the only county seat.  The county is named for United States Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton.  The county seat is a descriptive term for the lake. 

Hamilton County government consists of a sheriff and 9 Supervisors.  One County Court Judge serves Hamilton County.  Hamilton County is in the north central part of the state.  Albany, New York is southeast and Buffalo, New York is southwest of the county.  The county center is 15.1 miles North-Northwest of Lake Pleasant.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Franklin, Essex, Warren, Saratoga, Fulton, Herkimer, and Saint Lawrence counties. 

The area of the county is 1808 square miles.  It is 5 out of 62 in the state.  It ranks 62 out of 62 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.8 persons per square mile making it 62 out of 62 in the state.  Hamilton County has 7.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county resembles a fire hydrant.  Lake Pleasant is located in the southeast quarter of the county.  Speculator is slightly east of Lake Pleasant in the southeast.  Lake Pleasant is the county seat and Speculator is the largest city since it is the only incorporated city.  Lake Pleasant is 14.3% of the county population although it is not incorporated.  Speculator is 7.9% of the county population.