Carthage Village Hall is located at 120 South Mechanic Street, Carthage NY 13619.
Phone: 315‑493‑1060. The village was incorporated in 1841.
Beginnings [1]
Carthage, originally known as Long Falls, was settled towards the end of the eighteenth century by French trappers. Due to the abundant source of water power from the Black River and significant deposits of bog iron ore, and the construction of numerous turnpikes from Ogdensburg to Rome, the village experienced rapid growth, doubling the population, between the War of 1812 and 1825. Industry such as grist mills, sawmills, and tanneries contributed to the prosperity of Carthage; however, the iron industry sustained the village through two devastating fires. By 1864, there were eight foundries and metal fabricators in the village and the Carthage Iron Company was processing ten tons of iron a day.
When the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, plans were developed to build a canal connecting Carthage with it in Rome. By 1858 the Black River Canal was completed between Rome and Lyons Falls with the navigable portion of the Black River connecting it to Carthage. The village became the center of trade with this connection to the Erie Canal; however, the prosperity was short lived. With introduction of the railroad, Watertown surpassed Carthage as the area's terminal marketplace by the end of the 1800s.