| County: |
Lewis |
| Town: |
Martinsburg |
| USGS Map: |
Glenfield |
| Waterway: |
Roaring
Brook |
| Latitude: |
N
43.73534o |
| Longitude: |
W
75.47240o
|
| Drop: |
~15' |
|
Technically unnamed, these falls are located in the hamlet of
Martinsburg and are commonly referred to as Martinsburg Falls. From New York State Highway 26, head west on
Cemetery Road. Just past the first intersection, you will
cross a bridge. The falls are under this bridge. The
brook at this point narrows through a channel and plunges about 15
feet. A few more feet downstream, it drops another 2 or 3
feet before leveling out. You can
look down on these falls from the bridge. You can also get a
good view of them from the west bank. You are at the top of
a small gorge at this point. Take a short walk along the
west bank and you can make your way down to the riverbank.
Unfortunately, you don't really have a good view from here.
You can see the falls, but the trees and foliage block your
sight. The best views are probably from the east side of the
waterway, but there are houses through this stretch and, as such,
it is all private property. We found that although you can
get a decent view of this waterfall, you really can't get that
good of a picture of it from downstream.
Martinsburg was named in honor of its founding father, Walter
Martin. Originally spelled Martinsburgh, it was actually the
Lewis County seat until 1864. According to the Widipedia
account, Martinsburg was the site of the first county court
session and the site of the only execution ever held in the
county. This stretch of water is quite popular with the
whitewater community.
The Roaring Brook flows into the Black River just downstream
from the Whetstone Gulf area. The Black River joins Lake
Ontario just west of Watertown in Dexter, New York.
|
