The gigantic sign loomed over the city, proclaiming a time when Schenectady, N.Y., was a world leader in invention. The virtually deserted General Electric plant, set amid grassy lawns and topped with the familiar logo, once led the world in cutting-edge research and manufacturing, churning out such exciting innovations as electric refrigerators (whose squat form exactly copied its predecessor, the icebox),

generators and turbines. Situated on 628 acres and employing some 40,000 workers at its height, the company also provided “The GE Reality Plot,” an enclave of beautiful 19th- and early 20th-century homes where dwelt its brilliant scientists and inventors.

On a recent visit, “The Plot” proved to be a lovely community of porches, columns and well-kept lawns and gardens. A glossy brochure led me to the site of the first transatlantic fax, which was sent in 1924, and to the home in which the first television broadcast occurred, in 1927. The first all-electric house, built in 1903 with outlets in every room, still stands, obviously inhabited and well-maintained. In all, 22 homes are identified, once housing owners as diverse as a Nobel Prize winner and Schenectady’s only Socialist mayor, and ranging from Queen Ann and Colonial Revival to Tudor architecture.

Not all of Schenectady was as smiling as “The Plot.” Much of the city looked old-fashioned and tired, with narrow streets and a dearth of restaurants and other amenities. I spent a long time and asked several people before finding a place for a late lunch. I finally ended up at Pinhead Susan’s, an Irish pub whose unlikely name was drawn from graffiti that long graced a nearby wall.

However, considerable money recently has been poured into the city, which was clean and, on a summer afternoon, decked out with lavish flower baskets on the historic streetlights. Since 2004, more than $150 million in new investment has been made in the downtown, and more development is expected. Historic markers were everywhere, and a visit to the Schenectady Heritage Area Visitor Center, which boasted a small historical museum and a planetarium, gave a fascinating look into a roller-coaster history.

Schenectady was first settled in 1661 when the area was part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. Settlement was led by Arent van Curler of Nijkerk in the Netherlands, who was granted letters to patent Schenectady in 1684. The settlement was known for its peaceful relations with the Mohawk Indians, which resulted in less violence than was often the case. The town was repeatedly attacked by the French, both in 1690 during King William’s war, and then in 1748, during King George’s War. However, it continued to thrive in a peaceful and fertile plain near the Mohawk River, and in 1765 was incorporated as a borough. It was chartered as a city in 1798.

Although it first hit the map as the only pass through the Appalachians between the St. Lawrence and Cumberland Gap, Schenectady’s heyday derived in large part from the arrival in 1848 of the American Locomotive Company (ALCO),

. That made the area the center of railroad construction for New York State. Second and perhaps even more important was the construction of the GE plant that now looms emptily over the city today, which started life in 1887 as Thomas Edison’s Edison Machine Works.

Once known as “The City that Lights and Hauls the World,” the city experienced hard times after GE relocated jobs and gradually closed its manufacturing operations; today, only a handful of people work in the plant. ALCO closed its plant in 1969.

However, on my visit, the results of the revitalization were apparent as the city boasted a resident ballet and symphony as well as museums and theaters with impressive rosters. For those who prefer the outdoors, there were a number of well-tended parks, including along the lovely Mohawk River that allowed hiking, fishing and hunting. Canoeing, kayaking, water skiing and fishing were all available, and there was a bike trail as well.

The Georgetown-like Stockade, New York’s oldest historic district and one of the few places in the country that has been a residential area for 300 years, offered houses dating from the 1700s, as well as numerous plaques indicating the city’s proud history. And the campus of Union College,/ founded in 1795, offers pleasant walks and interesting architecture. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Happy Traveling!

Captions: 1. The GE Plant, which looms over the city, has been reduced from a high of 40,000 employees to only a handful. 2. Early refrigerators manufactured in Schenectady closely resembled their icebox forebears. 3. Schenectady boasts the first house to be electrified. 4. The city’s revitalization includes beautification of its historic architecture. 5. The city makes the most of its proximity to the majestic Mohawk River. 6. Union College, founded over two centuries ago, boasts interesting architecture and a pleasant campus. Photography by Thomas Simonet.