Philipsburg Manor is a historic site of great historical importance. Once the headquarters of a large Hudson Valley manor, the site vividly interprets aspects of the history of colonial New York and the system of racially-based slavery which helped keep the estate running in the 18th century. The visitor center at Philipsburg, located on Rt. 9 in the village of Sleepy Hollow, offers a wide range of services and changing exhibitions, and also serves as the visitor center for Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate.
Philipsburg Manor is a late 17th/early 18th-century milling, farming, and trading complex owned by an Anglo-Dutch family of merchants. Philipsburg Manor was tenanted by farmers of diverse European backgrounds, and operated by enslaved Africans. In 1693, Frederick Philipse, a carpenter who rose to become the richest man in the colony of New York, was granted a charter for 52,000 acres along the Hudson River by William and Mary of England. Historically, the site is of particular interest because of the size of the enslaved community and the highly developed nature of this 18th-century commercial property.
Featuring a stone manor house filled with a handsome collection of 17th-and 18th-century period furnishings, this famous house also includes a working water-powered gristmill and millpond, an 18th-century barn, a slave garden, and a reconstructed tenant farm house. The grounds are home to historic breeds of cattle, sheep, and chickens.
Points of Interest: Philipsburg Manor is a living history museum. Guides in 18th-century costume conduct tours of the site and numerous special events are held throughout the year. One of many fun things to do with children in the Hudson River Valley.
Attractions include: The Greenhouse Cafe, Picnic grounds, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery located next to Philipsburg Manor, Tours of Kykuit that originate at the Philipsburg Manor Visitor Tourist Center.
The Bedford Historic Courthouse c1787 is located in Bedford Village. The Court House is the oldest Westchester County Government Building and one of only three Court Houses in New York State built before 1800. It is Bedford's historic landmark of the days from 1788 to 1870 when Bedford was a county seat more populous than White Plains. The Court House was restored once in 1889 and again between 1965 and 1970 when its Court Room was returned to its original dignity. The Bedford Museum is housed on the second floor. The Town owns the building and the Historical Society maintains the interior and operates the museums that are open to the public from May to October. Press Blue Button for the Bedford Historical Society and more historic properties.
The General Store c1838 is located in Bedford Village. Country store, post office and for many years an antique shop, this small building stood originally on Pound Ridge Road. It was moved to its current site next to the Old Burying Ground in 1890. Purchased by the Bedford Historical Society in 1968, it is currently leased to Travel Trends and G. Henschel, Architects. Press Blue Button for more information about the Bedford Historical Society and its historic properties.
Bedford Historic Hall is located in Bedford Village. Bedford Historic Hall was moved to its present site in 1837 by twenty yoke of oxen. Historical Hall was the impetus for the founding of the Bedford Historical Society. In 1916, a group of citizens purchased the building to preserve it and prevent it from being turned into a tenement. It has been improved and maintained by the Society ever since and is used for private parties, meetings and exhibitions.
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The Jackson House c1857 is located in Bedford Village. The corner property on Court Road was purchased by the Society in 1946 to protect the adjacent Court House. Built by George W. Jackson, the house was owned in the 1860's and 1870's by the town's livery stable proprietor, Cyrus K. Saunders, who also ran the stage to Bedford Station, now Bedford Hills. In 1998, the original building underwent extensive structural and cosmetic renovations; in 2001, the annex was restored and in 2006, the two interior spaces were reconnected. The building is currently leased to Wendy's Closet, a women's clothing store. Press Blue Button for more information about the Bedford Historical Society and its historic properties.
The Bedford Historic Library c1807 is located in Bedford Village. Until 1902, this was the Bedford Academy, one of Westchester's first classical schools. The Corporation of Bedford Academy gave the building to the Historical Society in 1972. It is currently leased for $1 a year to the Bedford Free Library who is responsible for its maintenance. Press Blue Button for more information about the Bedford Historical Society and its historic properties.
The Lounsbery Building c1906 is located in Bedford Village. Also of Greek Revival style, the store adjoining the Post Office was put up by Richard P. Lounsbery to replace a nearby one that had been burned down. It was the village A & P for many years. In 1972, it was purchased by the Society who maintains its offices on the second floor. The ground floor is currently leased to the Horse Connection. Press Blue Button for more information about the Bedford Historical Society and its historic properties.
The Post Office c1838 is located in Bedford Village. An example of Greek Revival style, the Post Office was originally a harness shop. It has been the village Post Office since around 1900. It first stood next to the Library but was moved in 1930 to make room for the Fire House. It was purchased in 1972 by the Society and enlarged in 1975 so that the Post Office could remain in the village.
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The School House c1829 is located in Bedford Village. This small stone building on the Green, often called the Stone Jug, was the village school from 1829 to 1912. From 1913 to 1969 it housed the Bedford Museum which was moved to the second floor of the renovated Court House. The School House was then restored to its original use as a 19th century one-room school. It is open to the public from May to October.
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The Bedford Historical Society is a non-profit, educational institution committed to preserving our historic Town and original Village Green, to educating students of all ages in Bedford's unique history and to interpreting our collections for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.
In addition to operating and maintaining our historic buildings, we open our two museums to the public from April to December with the help of our devoted volunteers. The Society also sponsors lectures of historical and community interest, educational tours, special exhibits of our collections, and special events that promote an appreciation of our history. We work to preserve and collect our local historic treasures and to provide educational information to those studying local history. Press Blue Button for more information about the Bedford Historical Society and its historic properties.
At the comer of Guard Hill and Succabone Roads stands a tall, handsome brick tower which is a landmark and a source of joy and some amusement to the townspeople. This is the famous Sutton Clock Tower, and this is the story behind it.
In the late 1880s when the Sutton family moved to their country home in Bedford, Mrs. Sutton was homesick for New York City. Among other things, she missed the sound of the city's church bells. Thereupon Mr. Sutton installed in his barn a huge clock, an E. Howard time and strike model with a 550-pound bell. After Mrs. Sutton’s death, the property was sold. The barn was dismantled but the clock and bell were rescued and in 1939 a group of neighbors raised $3000 to build a tower to house the clock. They then donated the tower to the Town of Bedford. Since 1985, the Historical Society has leased the tower and maintains the clock. A small group of neighbors, known as the Clock Winders, takes turns winding the clock, which is accurate to this day as the chimes ring the hours across the surrounding fields and meadows.
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Croton Point Park is a 508-acre park situated on a peninsula on the east shore of the Hudson River. This park offers year-round events and activities, including camping, hiking, and swimming. Also, home of wine cellars, thought to be the oldest in New York State, and the Croton Point Nature Center that offers a year-round schedule of interpretive programs.
Things To Do Boat Launch Cabin Rental, RV Camping, and Tent Camping Fishing Hiking / Walking Historic Wine Cellars Museum Nature Study Pavilions Picnicking Playground Swimming Beach
Van Cortlandt Manor, situated on the banks of the Croton River in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, is a working estate and elegant country house that brings the new nation period vividly to life. The history of the estate is richly documented and the manor house contains primarily original furnishings, which provides an element of authenticity rarely seen in house museums.
A National Historic Landmark, the 18th-century stone manor house is the centerpiece of the property. It features a fine collection of Georgian and Federal period furnishings, many original to Van Cortlandt Manor. Of particular note is an extraordinary kitchen on the ground floor, with original hearth, beehive oven, and extensive collection of cooking equipment and utensils. Also on the grounds is an 18th-century tavern situated on the historic Albany Post Road at the site of a ferry crossing over the Croton River. The tavern showcases an extraordinary collection of vernacular Hudson River Valley furnishings and evokes fascinating tales of travel and transport in the post-revolutionary period. Press Blue Button for photos and more information about Van Cortlandt Manor.
Attractions Gardens Guided tours of the house and grounds Stone manor house Tenant farmer's house and tavern
The word is: Great fun for the kids and children of all ages, as costumed guides demonstrate and invite visitors to try blacksmithing, brick making, open-hearth cooking and more from the past.
During the 1830s New York City was in dire need of a fresh water supply to combat the steady rise of disease and to fight fires. In 1837 a 41 mile aqueduct and dam was designed in order to run water from the Croton River to New York City. Three to four thousand workers, mostly Irish immigrants earning up to $1.00 per day, completed the masonry marvel in just five years.
The Irvington Town Hall Theater is located at 85 Main Street, Irvington, New York 10533. The Irvington Town Hall Theater was built in 1902 in the Classic Revival Style. Designed by A. J. Manning and patterned after the Ford Theater in Washington, DC, the Theater is a multipurpose concert hall/music theater located on the entire third floor of Town Hall in downtown Irvington, New York. The 432-seat theater features an orchestra, mezzanine, balcony and six charming gold leafed boxes, a proscenium stage and thrust complete with five backstage dressing rooms. Theater patrons sit in intimate ambiance. Gleaming white columns and Ionic capitals set off the warm ivory interior. The walls are wainscoted in warm oak. Victorian chandeliers and sconces were copied from the originals, during the restoration to its original elegance in 1980. A plush red stage curtain and a forty-two foot high skylight complete the setting. Architecturally significant, the Theater is listed on the national Register of Historic Places.
With pleasing proportions and marvelous acoustics, the Theater has been touted as “one of the finest municipal halls in eastern New York State” by Alvah French History of Westchester County, “A jewel of a theater on the Hudson” by Robert Sherman New York Times and “Acoustically superb” by Lou Cevetillo Opera Critic Gannett Newspapers. Press Blue Button for the Irvington Town Hall Theater - Children's Theater, Box Office, House Map, and more.
V. E. Macy Park is a 172-acre park centrally located at Saw Mill River Road, Irvington, New York. The park is actually divided into three distinct areas with slightly different atmospheres. One part functions as a local park with ballfields, a playground, comfort station and picnic pavilion. Another includes Woodlands Lake, fishing, ice skating, access to the South County Trailway, and 500 feet of the former Putnam Division Railroad. The final area is largely undeveloped.
The Great Hunger Memorial “A section of V. E. Macy Park has been renamed so that the history of the Irish who fled to Westchester in the 1840s to escape poverty and famine will never be forgotten".
Point of Interest: The Great Hunger Memorial
Things To Do Fishing Great Hunger Memorial Picnicking Playground
The John Jay Homestead State Historic Site is nestled in the rolling Westchester countryside in the town of Bedford. It is the gracious home and farm of John Jay (1745-1829), one of America's principal Founding Fathers. Jay co-authored the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War, and the Federalist Papers, which aided ratification of the U.S. Constitution. He served as President of the Continental Congress, U.S. Secretary for Foreign Affairs, first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the second governor of New York State. During many years of devoted service to the State and the Nation, he looked forward to the day when he would retire with his wife and children to "the house on my farm in Westchester County".
In 1958 the house and thirty of the original acres were purchased from Eleanor Jay Iselin’s heirs by Westchester County and transferred to the State of New York, which opened it to the public in 1964 as John Jay Homestead State Historic Site. The historic house is open most of the year, and can be seen by a guided tour through twelve beautifully furnished period rooms, restored to an 1820's appearance. Specialized tours and education programs are available by appointment. The historic site now encompasses sixty-two acres, including lovingly-tended formal gardens, magnificent woodland walks, rolling meadows, and a cluster of 19th century farm buildings. An 1820's schoolhouse and an 1830s barn are open for touring.
John Jay: First Chief-Justice of the United States John Jay during the latter part of his life resided in the northern part of Bedford, NY. The annexed sketch of his life is from Blake's Biographical Dictionary: "John Jay, LL.D., first chief-justice of the United States under the constitution of 1789, graduated at Kings, (now Columbia College) in 1764 and in 1768 was admitted to the bar. He was appointed to the first American congress in 1774. Being on the committee with Lee and Livingston to draft an address to the people of Great Britain, he was the writer of the eloquent production. In the congress of 1775, he was on various important committees, performing more service perhaps than any other member except Franklin and John Adams. In May, 1776, he was recalled to assist in forming the government of New York, and in consequence his name is not attached to the Declaration of Independence... Though not a member of the convention, which formed the constitution of the United States, he was present at Annapolis and aided by his advice. He also assisted Madison and Hamilton in writing the Federalist. In the convention of New York he contributed to the adoption of the constitution. He was appointed chief justice by Washington, December 26, 1789. In 1794, he was appointed minister plenipotentiary to Great Britain, and succeeded in negotiating the treaty that still goes by his name. Chief-Justice John Jay was governor of the state of New York from 1795 to 1801. The remainder of his life passed in retirement. He died in 1829, aged 84."
Attractions Audio-Visual Programs Bridle Path Demonstrations Educational Services Gardens Gift Shop Group Tours Hiking Historic Site Interpretive Sign Picnic Area Scenic Views Self Guided Tours
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Thomas Paine National Historical Association is located at 983 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10804. The Thomas Paine National Historical Association, founded January 29, 1884 in New York City, is among the oldest historical associations in the United States. Our mission, to educate the world about the life, times and works of Thomas Paine, is designed to ensure Paine's rightful place in history as the preeminent founder of the United States of America. He was, in fact, the first person to coin this phrase. In the course of his lifetime, Paine was an outstanding political and social influence upon the entire world.
The Thomas Paine Memorial Building is located north of the Paine Monument at the corner of North Avenue and Valley Road in New Rochelle. The construction of this building began May 30,1925 when the great American inventor Thomas A. Edison turned the first spadeful of earth. For years this beautiful old building has housed our library and museum collection. Press Blue Button to explore the Thomas Paine National Historical Association.
The Herrick House is home to the Peekskill Museum, located at 124 Union Avenue, in the business district on the edge of the Artist's District, Peekskill NY 10566, Westchester County in the Hudson Valley. The purpose of the Peekskill Museum is to collect, preserve, study, and interpret objects and documents pertaining to Peekskill and the surrounding area.
The Herrick House is a restored Victorian building that was owned by Dwight S. Herrick, a prominent Peekskill attorney. The Peekskill Museum was presented to the Field Library by Mrs. Ida M. Adams by deed dated January 3, 1944. It is one of Peekskill's most famous Victorian houses. The house was designed by the famous architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and Bigelow. The Herrick House is a fine example of a "well to do" Victorian home - with a spacious staircase, library, parlor and a fireplace with Dutch 'Delft' tiles depicting Biblical scenes.
The house was built between 1873 and 1877, occupied by the Herrick family until approximately 1912. Mr. Herrick's picture, presented to the Museum by Jennie Mabie in 1948, hangs on the wall in the front foyer, ready to greet visitors as Mr. Herrick would have done. The house itself was published in the best architectural journal of it's day, "The American Architect and Building News" on June 2, 1877. More recently, the house has been mentioned by Vincent Scully, a professor of Art History at Yale, in his book "The Single Story". Press Blue Button for more information about the Herrick House and the Peekskill Museum.
Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate, is now a historic site of the National Trust. Many believe it is the Hudson Valley's most exceptional house and gardens. Be sure to include this magnificent landmark on any tour of the Historic Hudson Valley.
Completed in 1913 for John D. Rockefeller by architects Delano and Aldrich, Kykuit has been home to four generations of the Rockefeller family. Kykuit commands a breathtaking view of the Hudson River and occupies a landscape of extensive stone terraces, formal gardens, and glorious fountains designed by landscape architect William Welles Bosworth. The gardens include Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller's extraordinary collection of 20th-century sculpture. The house itself contains fascinating collections of art, fine furniture, and Chinese ceramics. Horse-drawn vehicles and classic automobiles from the family's collection fill the coach barn.
Tours include an introduction to each part of Kykuit, the main floor of the house, the art galleries, terraced gardens with classical and 20th-century sculpture, and the Coach Barn with antique carriages and classic cars. The sculpture collection, sited throughout the grounds, includes works by Pablo Picasso, Aristide Maillol, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi, Louise Nevelson, and many others.
Click to enlarge photo of Union Church in Pocantico.
The Union Church of Pocantico Hills features stained glass windows created by two modern masters: Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Marc Chagall (1887-1985). Commissioned as memorials by members of the Rockefeller family whose estate, Kykuit, is nearby, the windows include the final work of Matisse, completed just two days before his death, and the only cycle of church windows created by Chagall in the United States.
On behalf of his family, Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller commissioned Matisse to create a rose window in memory of his mother Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (1874-1948), a distinguished patron of the arts, a founder of the Museum of Modern Art, and wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Before his death, Matisse had finished the design and had also selected the colors and exact type of glass to be used in the window. His daughter carried out his instructions, and the window was dedicated on Mother's, Day 1956.
David Rockefeller, representing his brothers and sister, commissioned Chagall in 1963 to design a similar memorial to their father, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. who had died in 1960. The large window "The Good Samaritan" was installed and dedicated in 1965. Chagall created eight smaller windows in the sanctuary, seven of which are devoted to Old Testament subjects. The eighth window, established as a memorial to Michael Rockefeller (1938-1961) who was lost in New Guinea, has a New Testament theme.
Attractions Stained Glass Windows by Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall
The society maintains a museum/library at 255 Westchester Avenue in Pound Ridge. The building was erected in 1853 by the Presbyterian Church of Pound Ridge to serve as a lecture room. In 1921, the building was sold to the town of Pound Ridge for use as a Town Hall. The building was leased to the Historical Society in 1982.
The 4,315-acre park makes Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Westchester County’s largest park. The Ward Pound Ridge Reservation is divided in area between both Pound Ridge and Lewisboro. The northern one-third of the park is in Lewisboro and the remaining two-thirds of the park are in Pound Ridge.
With its varied terrain, landscapes and miles of wooded trails, the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation provides a variety of activities in all seasons. There are areas for picnicking, lean-to camping, fishing and cross-country skiing. The park is home to the Trailside Nature Museum, which hosts weekend nature interpretive programs year-round.
Things To Do Camping Equestrian Trails & Horseback Riding Fishing Gardens Hiking & Walking Trails Museum Nature Study Picnicking Play equipment is available in two areas of the park
Jay Heritage Center is located at 210 Boston Post Road, Rye, NY 10580. The Jay Center, a National Historic Landmark, is the boyhood home of New York State’s only native Founding Father, John Jay (1745-1829). Located next to a marshlands preserve with public trails, this sylvan and historic 23 acre park is all that remains of the original 400 acre Jay family estate where America’s first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and author of The Jay Treaty grew up. Located just 35 minutes from Manhattan, the Property has an 8000 year old scenic vista of Long Island Sound over a meadow bordered by sunken stone ha-ha walls, a European garden design feature added by Jay’s eldest son circa 1822. It is also located on the historic Boston Post Road where mile marker “24” out of 230, designated in 1763 by Jay’s colleague, Benjamin Franklin, is set into the perimeter wall.
The centerpiece of this National Historic Landmark is an 1838 Greek Revival mansion with soaring Corinthian columns built by Peter Augustus Jay atop the footprint of his father and grandfather’s original home “The Locusts” reusing original timbers and nails from the same house. Visitors can literally see the layers of history being uncovered here. The PA Jay House is being carefully restored and managed by the not-for-profit organization, the Jay Heritage Center (JHC) for use as an educational facility hosting Programs in American History, Social Justice, Landscape Conservation and Environmental Stewardship. The house is an official project of the Save America’s Treasures Program and at 170 years old, it is the oldest National Historic Landmark in New York State to be using an energy efficient geothermal heating and cooling system.
The Jay site is also listed on Westchester County’s African American Heritage Trail. John Jay is well known for advocating emancipation, serving as President of the Manumission Society and establishing the first African Free School. Press Blue Button for tour information, hours, and more about the Jay Heritage Center.
Rye Playland is Metro New York's great family amusement park and entertainment center. Featuring more than 50 rides for children and adults, Playland also offers free entertainment and has a beach, pool, boardwalk and pier on scenic Long Island Sound, lake boating, picnic area, mini golf and indoor ice-skating.
Point of Interest: Rye Playland has the distinction of being America's first totally planned amusement park and prototype for today's successful theme parks. Dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in 1987, Playland has provided family fun since 1928. Often referred to as "Rye Playland", it is America's only government owned and operated amusement park.
There are approximately 1,700 interments in the Old Dutch Burying Ground, the majority from the mid 18th century through the late 19th century. The Friends of the Old Dutch Burying Ground does not keep or have access to the records of the church, but we are happy to share information from our own research.
Philipsburg Manor is a historic site of great historical importance. Once the headquarters of a large Hudson Valley manor, the site vividly interprets aspects of the history of colonial New York and the system of racially-based slavery which helped keep the estate running in the 18th century. The visitor center at Philipsburg, located on Rt. 9 in the village of Sleepy Hollow, offers a wide range of services and changing exhibitions, and also serves as the visitor center for Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate.
Philipsburg Manor is a late 17th/early 18th-century milling, farming, and trading complex owned by an Anglo-Dutch family of merchants. Philipsburg Manor was tenanted by farmers of diverse European backgrounds, and operated by enslaved Africans. In 1693, Frederick Philipse, a carpenter who rose to become the richest man in the colony of New York, was granted a charter for 52,000 acres along the Hudson River by William and Mary of England. Historically, the site is of particular interest because of the size of the enslaved community and the highly developed nature of this 18th-century commercial property.
Featuring a stone manor house filled with a handsome collection of 17th-and 18th-century period furnishings, this famous house also includes a working water-powered gristmill and millpond, an 18th-century barn, a slave garden, and a reconstructed tenant farm house. The grounds are home to historic breeds of cattle, sheep, and chickens.
Points of Interest: Philipsburg Manor is a living history museum. Guides in 18th-century costume conduct tours of the site and numerous special events are held throughout the year. One of many fun things to do with children in the Hudson River Valley.
Attractions include: The Greenhouse Cafe, Picnic grounds, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery located next to Philipsburg Manor, Tours of Kykuit that originate at the Philipsburg Manor Visitor Tourist Center.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery surrounds the Old Dutch Burying Ground and Old Dutch Church, but neither is affiliated with the cemetery. Washington Irving himself is laid to rest at the south end of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery overlooking the grounds of the Old Dutch Church. Press Blue Button to explore Sleepy Hollow Cemetery website.
Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial, located on Route 35 in Somers, NY, Westchester County, is a magnificent 234-acre property consisting of woodlands, open grass meadow and formal gardens with flower and shrub specimens from all over the world. Lasdon is also the site of the Chinese Friendship Pavilion and four inspirational memorials and a museum honoring Westchester veterans.
The house that presently stands on this property was built in 1933 by Dr. Voislawsky after the original Van Cortlandt dwelling was destroyed by a fire. This three-story Colonial style mansion was modeled after George Washington’s Virginia home, Mount Vernon . . .
Enjoy the wonderful Midsummer Night Music Series featuring varied fare of classical, show tunes and more. Spend a magical evening under the stars and listen to the “Midsummer Night Music” concerts featuring the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra on four Saturdays this summer at Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial in Somers. Each concert will feature varied and exciting musical fare to appeal to music aficionados of all kinds, so pack a picnic supper, sit back and enjoy the music.
Things To Do Botanical Specimens Chinese Friendship Pavilion Formal Gardens Open Grass Meadow
Midsummer Night Music concerts at Lasdon Park
Gates open at 5 pm for picnicking; the music begins at 6 pm. Tickets will be sold at the gate on the evening of the performance. In case of rain, concerts will be cancelled. Call for tickets prices.
Just 25 miles north of New York City, lies a historic medieval castle, overlooking the majestic Hudson River. The Castle on the Hudson, situated on 11 hilltop acres, was originally called Carrollcliffe and later Axe Castle. It was built in two stages between 1897 and 1910 by General Carroll, the son of a Civil War General. The grounds are enclosed by a stone wall and support a veritable arboretum of evergreens and rare varieties of trees, grasslands and flowers.
The Castle has changed very little in its first century. Much of the original interior woodwork and furnishings, which were built by a team of carpenters brought from Germany, still remain intact. Designed for graceful living and entertaining, the Castle has been renovated into a luxury hotel. In 1981, the town of Tarrytown designated the Castle a historic landmark, protecting the outside structure from ever being changed.
The Equus restaurant and General's bar, open to the public, occupy elegantly appointed rooms and an enclosed veranda with splendid views of the Hudson River and the New York City skyline. Press Blue Button for menus, photos, and more about The Castle on the Hudson.
Friends of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Inc., located in Sleepy Hollow, New York, was established in 1997 to encourage public participation in protecting the Preserve's wildlife and habitat, sustaining its historical and archeological features, and maintaining its unique system of carriage roads.
Click to enlarge photo of Lyndhurst from rear grounds.
Circa 1838. Lyndhurst, a historic site of the National Trust, is a preeminent architectural landmark. It resides on a 67-acre park representing 19th century architecture, decorative arts, and landscape. Overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, NY, Lyndhurst is one of America's finest Gothic Revival mansions. The architectural brilliance of the residence is complemented by a park-like landscape and a comprehensive collection of original decorative arts. Its noteworthy occupants included: former New York City mayor William Paulding, merchant George Merritt, and the railroad magnate and Wall Street tycoon Jay Gould.
In the late 1830s, William Paulding acquired property high above the Hudson River overlooking the Tappan Zee. Lyndhurst was first conceived in the minds of architects A. J. Davis and William Paulding who constructed the country villa in 1838 and called it "Knoll". In 1864 Lyndhurst was acquired by George Merritt who hired Davis to more than double its size. In 1870, they also built one of the largest private greenhouses in the world.
In 1880, Jay Gould purchased the estate and renamed it Lyndhurst. The 1870 greenhouse that burned was replaced in the Gothic Revival style. The Goulds redecorated the house and embellished the spectacular art gallery with works by Corot, Courbet, Bouguereau, and others.
The important "gardenesque" landscape is the work of Ferdinand Mangold, a master gardener who worked at Lyndhurst for forty years. Many of the landscape features created by Mangold, his predecessors, and successors, are preserved. The spectacular specimen trees are of special interest.
The romantic Gothic Revival design immediately drew attention to the building. Critics called it "Paulding's Folly" because its fanciful turrets and asymmetrical outline were unlike most homes constructed in the post-colonial era. Fascination with the property continued for decades and, as ideas of wealth and status changed with the growing nation, so did the estate, reflecting the tastes and interests of wealthy New York.
Point of Interest: Lyndhurst is adjacent to Washington Irving's Sunnyside. The ability to walk between these two historic sites has a special appeal. At present, visitors may walk along the publicly maintained Croton Aqueduct Trail from Lyndhurst to West Sunnyside Lane. A pathway connecting Lyndhurst and Sunnyside along the riverfront will shortly be open. If you are a tourist or local resident exploring the Hudson River Valley, be sure to include this landmark in your list of sights.
Circa 1835. Historic site of the National Trust and architectural landmark. Meticulously restored picturesque home of renowned author Washington Irving, America's first successful, internationally known author. Washington Irving's writings include numerous works of fiction, history and biography.
Washington Irving was born in New York City on April 3, 1783 (1783 - 1859) as the youngest of 11 children. His father was a wealthy merchant, and his mother, an English woman, was the granddaughter of a clergyman. Early in his life Irving developed a passion for books. He studied law privately but practiced only briefly. From 1804 to 1806 he travelled widely in Europe. After returning to the United States, Irving was admitted to the New York bar in 1806.
Washington Irving was a short story writer, essayist, poet, travel book writer, biographer, and columnist. He is best known for the short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Washington Irving also held diplomatic posts in Great Britain and Spain.
Sunnyside is one of the most famous historic landmarks in the Hudson Valley. This important house and landscape enjoys a quiet and unspoiled riverside setting in Tarrytown, New York. Sunnyside is adjacent to Lyndhurst, a historic landmark of distinction open to the public, to which it is possible to walk via the Croton Aqueduct Trail.
Sunnyside and its Romantic landscape are presented to visitors by guides dressed in the costume of the mid-Victorian period. You may take a guided tour of the house and grounds, or purchase a grounds-only ticket for a self-guided experience.
Point of Interest: For children, Sunnyside offers "Irving's Traveling Totes" that come stuffed with five to seven engaging family activities, a brief guide, a Talk Back card for feedback related to the activities, and a blank book for visitor responses. Visitors can learn about Washington Irving by reading The Legend of Sleepy Hollow picture book and It Looks Like Spilt Milk, which, though not written by Irving, celebrates the life of the imagination, something Irving aspired to do. Children can play the Sunnyside Matching Card game and join in for a Scavenger Hunt. Dominoes, a 19th-century game, rounds out the experience. If you are a tourist or local resident exploring the Hudson River Valley, be sure to include this landmark in your list of places to see.
Attractions include: Seasonal Café, Sunnyside Tours, Museum Shop, Picnic Grounds.
Early Dutch settlers were attracted to the area now known as "Historic River Towns" of Westchester. Visit the charming many towns overlooking the Hudson River and walk through areas both rich in history and beautiful to explore. Tourists and Weschester residents will enjoy wonderful sites including: Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park, The Old Dutch Burying Ground in Sleepy Hollow, Lasdon Park Arboretum & Veterans Memorial consisting of woodlands, grass meadows, formal gardens or the beautiful Lyndhurst National Trust Historic Landmark.
Bring your family and experience the wonder of the Hudson River Valley with special programs and events geared especially for children.
Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, New York, may be the most popular site in the Hudson Valley for children. This working 17th century farm and trading center features demonstrations of early farm techniques with oxen, cows, and sheep. A working water-powered grist-mill is fascinating for children of all ages. Demonstrations of spinning and open-hearth cooking in the tenant farmer's house are scheduled frequently.
On November 28, 1776, the same year that 56 Americans signed the Declaration of Independence, well over 200 colonial New Yorkers placed their signatures on a "Declaration of Dependence". These signers were Loyalists, citizens who remained faithful to their sovereign, George III, King of Great Britain. Prominent among the signatures was that of Frederick Philipse III, Lord of the vast Manor of Philipsburg and resident of the elegant mansion known today as Philipse Manor Hall.
Frederick Philipse III and his family lived in luxury, well supported by rents from the many tenant farms on his property. Times were changing, however, and while others rebelled against Great Britain, Frederick III defended the Crown. His Loyalist beliefs were so strong that General George Washington ordered him arrested in 1776. Philipse and his family later fled to British occupied New York City and then to England, where the last "Lord of the Manor", broken in spirit and health, died in 1786. His land and his mansion were confiscated by the New York State Legislature and sold at public auction.
In 1868, after passing through the hands of many owners, the house became Yonkers Village Hall and, in 1872, the first City Hall. By the 20th century, city growth threatened the Manor Hall’s future until it was acquired by New York State in 1908. Today, Philipse Manor Hall serves as a museum of history, art and architecture, as well as host to community organizations, meetings, educational programs and special events. Highlights of the Hall include its 18th century, high style Georgian architecture, a 1750s papier mache Rococo ceiling, and an impressive collection of presidential portraits, including the six Presidents from New York State.
Attractions Collection of Presidential Portraits Educational Services Georgian Architecture, 18th century high style Group Tours Guided Tours Interpretive Sign
Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site is located at 32 Catherine Street, Albany, NY 12202 in the Upper Hudson River Valley. Schuyler Mansion was home to Philip J. Schuyler, the renowned Revolutionary War general, US Senator, and business entrepreneur. He and his wife, Catharine Van Rensselaer, descended from affluent and powerful Dutch families. Together they raised eight children in this home. The Georgian structure, reflecting Schuyler's English tastes - was built on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River. Originally situated on an 80-acre tract of land, the grounds once included an orchard, a formal garden, and a working farm. Throughout the Schuyler family occupancy from 1763-1804, the mansion was the site of military strategizing, political hobnobbing, elegant social affairs, and an active family life.
Today, visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the mansion as well as an orientation exhibition in the Visitor Center focusing on Philip Schuyler's life. Temporary exhibitions and public programs are scheduled year-round. Tours for school and adult groups, as well as outreach programs, are available by reservation. Press Blue Button for attractions and more information about Schuyler Mansion.
Crailo State Historic Site is located at 9 1/2 Riverside Avenue, Rensselaer, NY 12144 in the Hudson River Valley. Crailo State Historic Site is a museum of Colonial New Netherland history in the Upper Hudson Valley. Originally a part of the vast landholding called the Manor or Patroonship of Rensselaerswyck, the Crailo farm was named after the Van Rensselaer's estate in the Netherlands, variously spelled Crayloo or Cralo in the 17th century, and meaning "crows' wood" in Dutch.
Crailo was built in the early 18th century by Hendrick Van Rensselaer. Hendrick died in 1740 and his eldest son, Johannes, inherited Crailo. He remodeled the house and added an east wing in the Georgian style, reflecting the increasing influence of the English on the Albany-area Dutch.
Crailo today tells the story of the early Dutch inhabitants of the Upper Hudson Valley through exhibits highlighting archeological finds from the Albany Fort Orange excavations, special programs, and guided tours of the museum. Press Blue Button for attractions and more about Crailo State Historic Site.
Clermont State Historic Site is located at One Clermont Avenue, Germantown, NY 12526 in Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Clermont State Historic Site was the Hudson River seat of New York's politically and socially prominent Livingston Family. Seven successive generations of the family left their imprint on the site's architecture, room interiors, and landscape. Robert R. Livingston, Jr. was Clermont's most notable resident. His accomplishments include: drafting the Declaration of Independence, serving as first U.S. Minister of Foreign Affairs, administering the oath of office to George Washington, negotiating the Louisiana Purchase, and developing steamboat technology with Robert Fulton. Today, Clermont appears much as it did in the early 20th century . . . Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973, Clermont is an anchor in the 1990 Hudson River National Landmark District.
Clermont hosts a variety of annual events throughout the year. The spring Sheep and Wool Showcase is based on historical model farming events at Clermont, where groundbreaking work in agriculture and sheep breeding occurred. What better place to celebrate Independence Day than the former home of a drafter of the Declaration of Independence. Families will enjoy a variety of music, performances, and viewing of local fireworks displays. The summer fun continues in August as Clermont celebrates its ties to the steamboat industry on Steamboat Day, a family event in which children can craft their own scrimshaw ornament and watch a theatrical performance on an actual steamboat. Since Clermont was home to the many Livingston dogs, the estate continues to welcome "a man's best friend" every October to participate in contests, demonstrations, makeovers, and exhibits in Every Dog Has Its Day. Christmas at Clermont kicks off the winter season with guided tours, candlelight receptions and children's activities. Press Blue Button for attractions and more about Clermont State Historic Site.
American Revolution / War of Independence Because of the Livingston family's prominent role in support of independence, Clermont was burned by British troops under the command of General John Vaughan during a foray up the Hudson River in the autumn of 1777. Margaret Beekman Livingston, who managed the estate during most of the war years, rebuilt the family home between 1779 and 1782.
Olana is located at 5720 Route 9-G, Hudson, NY 12534 in Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Olana is a masterpiece created by Frederic Edwin Church (1826 - 1900), one of the most renowned American artists of the Hudson River School. The stone, brick, and polychrome stenciled Persian-style villa is the best known element of Olana. Church designed "the castle" as the family home for his wife and four children, as well as a multidimensional work of art. Church's architectural approach paralleled the way he planned his artwork - first pencil sketches, followed by more finished colored sketches, then creation.
The exotically furnished interior remains as it was during Church's lifetime, decorated with an eclectic mixture reflecting Church's aesthetic sense, objects from Church's extensive travels, and paintings by the artist and his friends. Notable is the intricate stenciling on both the exterior of the building and the interior rooms. Each decorative stencil was created by Church, its design inspired by his travels to the Middle East and illustrations from books in his extensive library. The site also has the last of Church's studios, built as an addition to his home in 1888-1890.
Olana encompasses the house, the farm and the entire 250-acre estate owned by Frederic Church. The picturesque landscape, with panoramic vistas of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains, like the house, was designed by Church. Over a 40-year period he transformed 250-acres of treeless farm fields into an artistic composition encompassing a lake, park, farm, extensive road system, and gardens. Visitors throughout the year enjoy guided and self-guided tours of the Church-inspired landscape. Press Blue Button to learn more about Olana.
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site is located at 1013 Old Post Road, Kinderhook NY 12106, Columbia County in the Hudson Valley. "The history associated with Martin Van Buren and the culture of ante bellum America are deep, rich veins for discovering much about the country. Likewise, his farm Lindenwald provides a microcosm for us to learn about the transformations taking place in America during the 1840's and 1850's.
"Van Buren was preeminent among the second generation of American politicians. As eighth President, the first born under the U.S. flag, he continued building the Democratic Party he helped organize. His administration faced daunting challenges: The nation suffered a severe and lingering economic depression. Crises with Great Britain, Spain, and the Republic of Texas taxed his diplomatic skills.
"Most troubling throughout his political career was the issue of extending slavery into new states. Van Buren opposed extension while still trying to cultivate a coalition of northern and southern interests. The issue divided the nation and his party and foreshadowed the whirlpool of frustration, anger and violence which was to consume the country in the 1860's."
"The lover of the expressive in nature, or the beautiful in art, will find here innumerable subjects for study. The natural scenery in many portions approaches the character of grandeur, and the foreground of rich woods and lawns, stretching out on all sides of the mountain, completes a home landscape of dignified and elegant seclusion, rarely surpassed in any country" by Andrew Jackson Downing
Montgomery Place, a serene reflection of nearly 200 years of continuous family stewardship, is best known as an architectural landmark designed by Alexander Jackson Davis and a landscape influenced by the great Andrew Jackson Downing. But the totality of the estate - house furnishings, gardens, woodlands, orchards, and hamlet make it a unique American treasure.
A National Historic Landmark, Montgomery Place is an extraordinary 434-acre Hudson River estate with magnificent views of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains. It is located on historic River Road in the hamlet of Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, just north of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge.
Montgomery Place was established by Janet Livingston Montgomery, widow of Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery. She built the Federal-style house in 1804-05 and established a prosperous commercial nursery on the property. During the first half of the 19th century, her descendants created one of the most beautiful estates in the nation. The era's preeminent designers, architect Alexander Jackson Davis and landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing, assisted them in their endeavor. In 1850, Downing wrote that Montgomery Place is "...nowhere surpassed in America in point of location, natural beauty, or landscape gardening charms." In the 1930s, the generation living there created a 20th-century horticultural showcase, one that continues to flourish today.
The home of Franklin D. Roosevelt, a National Historic Site, is located at 4097 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park NY 12538, Dutchess County in the Hudson River Valley. Visit the Home of FDR and Presidential Library & Museum to learn about the only President elected to four terms.
"All that is within me cries out to go back to my home on the Hudson River" FDR
This quote captures FDR's connection to Springwood, the estate that he loved and the place he considered home. The first US Presidential Library was started by FDR here. The Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site includes:
FDR's Springwood, the lifelong home of America's only 4-term President Presidential Library and Museum Mrs. Roosevelt's Val-Kill Cottage Summer Programs for children and their families. Tours:
Guided tour of FDR's home
Self-guided tour of the Museum, grounds, gardens, and trails of this 300-acre site. Start your visit at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Education Center and watch the introductory film. Arrange for self guided tours of the Presidential Library and Museum, and Ranger-led tours of the historic home.
Visit FDR’s Top Cottage retreat, the place he built in 1938 to, "escape the mob" at Springwood. He also brought close friends and political allies here to discuss the state of the world or to simply relax. Designed by FDR to emulate the Dutch colonial architecture found throughout the Hudson River Valley, the structure was planned with accessibility in mind to accommodate his wheelchair and give him greater independence. Two hours
Press Blue Button for schedule of events, fees & reservations, things to do, things to know before visiting, family events, kids section, and more about this National Historic Site.
The word is: At least one day is recommended to experience Franklin D. Roosevelt, National Historic Site. Visit Springwood, Top Cottage retreat, and Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill Cottage along with the grounds, the library, family events and more.
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is located at 4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park NY 12538; on the eastern shore of the Hudson River, four miles north of Poughkeepsie, New York, midway between New York City and Albany. The Library is easily reached by car, train or plane.
History of the FDR Library and Museum The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is America's first presidential library and the only one used by a sitting president. It was conceived and built under President Roosevelt's direction and opened to the public in 1941.
Prior to Roosevelt's Presidency, the final disposition of Presidential papers was left to chance. Although a valued part of the nation's heritage, the papers of chief executives were private property which they took with them upon leaving office . . .
In erecting his library, Roosevelt created an institution to preserve intact all his papers . . .
"Fireside Chat" from the Library, December 24, 1943. Roosevelt's actions served as a precedent. When Congress passed the Presidential Libraries Act in 1955, it regularized the procedures initiated by President Roosevelt for privately built and federally maintained libraries to preserve the papers of future Presidents . . .
. . . He visited the library often during the war to sort and classify his records and memorabilia; and from his study in the library he delivered several of his famous radio speeches or "fireside chats".
In early planning for the Library the President expressed the hope that Mrs. Roosevelt's papers would eventually find a place here . . . At the time of her death in 1962 Eleanor Roosevelt's papers totaled a staggering three million pages. In 1972, the wings FDR envisioned were added to the original building. Mrs. Roosevelt's papers were stored in the South Wing, and a gallery devoted to Eleanor and her life and accomplishments was created in the museum portion of the new addition.
The Library reflects the vision that its founder displayed when he spoke at the dedication of the library on June 30, 1941. To maintain archival facilities and records, he stated: ". . . a Nation must believe in three things. It must believe in the past. It must believe in the future. It must, above all, believe in the capacity of its own people so to learn from the past that they can gain in judgment in creating their own future." by Franklin Delano Roosevelt
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Val-Kill at Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site is located at Hyde Park NY 12538, Dutchess County in the Hudson River Valley.
“The greatest thing I have learned is how good it is to come home again,” Eleanor Roosevelt
This simple statement expresses her love for the modest house she called Val-Kill. The only National Historic Site dedicated to a first lady, Val-Kill welcomes visitors in the style of Mrs. Roosevelt. Come and be part of the entire Roosevelt Experience at Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill.
Eleanor Roosevelt chose Val-Kill for her retreat, her office, her home, and her "laboratory" for social change during the prominent and influential period of her life from 1924 until her death in 1962. During that time she formulated and carried out her social and political beliefs. This is the place most closely associated with one of the most prominent women of 20th-century America.
Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill (ERVK) works to preserve ER's home as a living memorial, a center for exchange of significant ideas, and a catalyst for change and the betterment of the human condition. They offer programs such as the Girls Leadership Workshop, held every summer.
Enjoy fun things to do with your children this summer. Join a park ranger for free Summer Family Programs. Press Blue Button for a schedule and description of Family walks and hikes on the grounds of the FDR estate. "Play like Franklin Roosevelt did in the olden days of the 19th century. Learn to use a Jacob’s ladder, a jump rope, or the hoop and stick." Previous scheduled walks for children included:
Springwood Stroll: A Historic Site Grounds Walk ER’s Woodland Walk: Nature Study at Val-Kill FDR’s Boyhood Fun
Note: Children ages 4 and up, and for big kids of all ages.
Press Blue Button for schedule of events, fees & reservations, things to do, things to know before visiting, family events, kids section, and more about this National Historic Site.
The word is: At least one day is recommended to experience Franklin D. Roosevelt, National Historic Site. Visit Springwood, Top Cottage retreat, and Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill Cottage along with the grounds, the library, family events and more.
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is located at 119 Vanderbilt Park Road, Hyde Park NY 12538, Dutchess County in the Hudson River Valley. "Vanderbilt Mansion NHS, in terms of architecture, interiors, mechanical systems, road systems and landscape, is a remarkably complete example of a gilded-age country place, illustrating the political, economic, social, cultural, and demographic changes that occurred as America industrialized in the years after the Civil War. Vanderbilt Mansion was the first home in the Town of Hyde Park to have electricity.
"The Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site was established as a monument to an era rather than a tribute to any one person or family. The estate illustrates a way of life modeled on the English country house and is only unusual today because so few examples survive in the 21st century. More than a place to discuss the lifestyles of the rich and famous, the park offers a window into the philosophy of the American country house, the lives of its domestic staff, and its relationship to the surrounding community.
Formal Gardens "The Frederick W. Vanderbilt Garden Association was formed in 1984 with a mission to restore the Formal Gardens as closely as possible to their appearance in the 1930s." Visitors may walk the grounds, hike carriage trails, or picnic at the overlook." The above information is sourced from the National Park Service.
Press Blue Button for directions, kids and teachers' section, history and culture, and planning a visit to the Vanderbilt Mansion.
The word is: Tour the house and stroll the 200 + acres of park land that boast centuries old tree plantings, stunning Hudson River and Catskill Mountain views and Italian Gardens. At least one full day is recommended to experience the Vanderbilt Mansion and Franklin D. Roosevelt, National Historic Sites.
The vernacular stone house now known as Clinton House State Historic Site was built in 1765. The house was actively utilized from 1777 - 1783 when Poughkeepsie was the capital of New York State and several branches of state government convened in town. After a fire in 1783, General George Washington's New Windsor Cantonment ordered carpenters to rebuild this important structure. In addition to repairs, the house was enlarged and the present stairway was constructed at this time.
Clinton House State Historic Site has foundations which are two feet thick. The walls are constructed of rough fieldstone, while the gabled ends are made of wood. It is named in tribute to George Clinton, first governor of New York State, who resided in Poughkeepsie for twenty-one years.
Locust Grove, the Samuel Morse Historic Site, is located at 2683 South Road, Poughkeepsie NY 12601, Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley. Locust Grove was the nineteenth-century country estate of Samuel Morse, the artist, founder of the National Academy of Design, and the inventor of the telegraph and Morse Code.
In honor of the site’s history and connection to the visual arts and the Hudson River School of Art, Locust Grove opened its doors in 2006 to contemporary artists whose work reflects this style of artwork. Juried by a panel of art professionals, selected artists are offered a solo show at the estate’s elegant Museum Pavilion. Locust Grove encourages artists to develop new works of art for this exhibition opportunity. Contact Ursula Morgan at 845.454.4500, ext. 17 or at u.morgan@lgny.org.
"The historic site's stately trees, rolling hills, and picturesque views from the house and gardens situated on the highest bluff above the river all combine to create the natural landscape garden that Morse found so appealing . . . Near the house, Victorian style gardens and urns are set within the larger context of this landscape garden. Both the Morse and Young families loved flowers and the Main Perennial Garden preserves the unique style of these enthusiastic "students" of horticulture and plant collectors. It is truly a one-of-a-kind garden in the Hudson Valley."
About the Trails Walk or hike three miles of trails comprised of carriage roads and footpaths, all clearly marked with trail maps available tol visitors.
Garden Volunteer Program Volunteers are vital to the horticulture program at Locust Grove. Most garden volunteers come on a regularly scheduled day for two to three hours to help the professional horticulture staff with all variety of garden related projects.
Press Blue Button for Trail Maps, History, Gardens and Grounds, and Visiting information at Locust Grove.
"On October 3, 2009 Governor David A. Paterson opened the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park as a legacy project of the Hudson Fulton Champlain Quadricentennial. The park provides access to the Hudson River's breathtaking landscape for pedestrians, hikers, joggers, bicyclists, and people with disabilities. The bridge deck stands 212 feet above the river's surface and is 6,678 feet (1.28 miles) long, making it the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world.
"The Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge was built in the late 19th century to link New York and New England to an extensive, nationwide railway network. For decades, it was a major rail corridor for both freight and passengers.
"After a fire in 1974, the bridge was abandoned and sat for decades as an oprhaned relic. This brand new park was made possible due to the unwavering commitment of the community, who, through a non-profit organization called Walkway Over the Hudson, forged a public private partnership involving the State of New York, the federal government, neighboring municipalities, private corporations and other not for profit groups. The amazing result of this wonderful partnership is a brand new state park, now open for all to enjoy."
The park offers interpretive signs and a Talkway Over the Walkway cell phone tour. The park closes as sunset. Please visit sunrisesunset.com to plan your trip. There are two entrances to the park, one on either side of the Hudson River
Press Blue Button for hours of operation, directions, history, maps, amenities and activities and more about the Walway Over The Hudson - Entrances to Walkway Over the Hudson are located in Poughkeepsie NY 12601 in Dutchess County, and in Highland NY, Ulster County.
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is located at 9 Norton Road, Rhinebeck NY 12572, Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley. A great deal has changed here at Old Rhinebeck since a Spad XIII, Aeronca C3 and a Fleet biplane touched down on a thousand feet of dirt and gravel nearly 51 years ago. But Cole Palen's dream and vision lives through it's dedicated staff, volunteers and membership.
On Saturday June 12th, the Aerodrome will begin its 51st Season. The 2010 season will run through October 17th, with air-shows every Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting. The gates open and biplane rides begin at 10:00am, the air show starts at 2pm and ends at 4pm, and the Museum is open daily 10:00am - 5:00pm. Press Blue Button for more about the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome.
Wilderstein Historic Site is located at 330 Morton Road, Rhinebeck NY 12572, Dutchess County in the mid-Hudson Valley. The history of Wilderstein begins in 1852 with Thomas Holy Suckley's purchase of the river front site, then a sheep meadow of the adjacent late 18th-century estate, Wildercliff . . .
Thomas Suckley and his wife Catherine Murray Bowne wanted a building site endowed with striking natural features in the best traditions of the picturesque aesthetic. The landscape setting for Wilderstein fulfilled this criteria by virtue of its varied terrain and the scenic views it afforded of the river and distant mountains - the vistas framed by tall cedars and evergreens.
Suckley named the property "Wilderstein" (wild man's stone) in reference to a nearby Indian petroglyph, an allusive reminder of a cultural heritage that preceded European settlements in the region.
The original Italianate villa designed by John Warren Ritch was remodeled and enlarged in 1888 by Thomas's son Robert Bowne Suckley and his wife, Elizabeth Philips Montgomery. Poughkeepsie architect Arnout Cannon was hired to transform the two story villa into an elaborate Queen Anne style country house . . .
The fashionably appointed interiors were designed by the New York City decorator, Joseph Burr Tiffany. With the ground floor rooms executed in contrasting historic revival and aesthetic movement styles, the interiors at Wilderstein offer a splendid microcosm of the decorative arts during this period of American design.
The self-conscious opulence of the newly remodeled Wilderstein was complimented by the Picturesque Landscape design of Calvert Vaux who laid out the grounds at Wilderstein according to the principles of American Romantic Landscape style . . .
The last resident of Wilderstein was Margaret (Daisy) Suckley. A cousin and confidante of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Miss Suckley traveled extensively with FDR during his presidency, gave him his famous black Scottish terrier Fala and helped to establish his library in Hyde Park. Miss Suckley was with FDR when he was fatally stricken at Warm Springs, Georgia in 1945. She died at Wilderstein in 1991, in her 100th year. The letters they exchanged during their friendship, discovered in a black battered suitcase at Wilderstein, provide one of the best resources for understanding the private side of Roosevelt’s life during his presidency. Press Blue Button for more about Wilderstein Historic Site in the Hudson Valley of New York.
Staatsburgh State Historic Site is located at Old Post Road, Staatsburg NY 12580, Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley. Staatsburgh State was the elegant country home of Ogden Mills and his wife Ruth Livingston Mills. Sitting atop a grassy hill overlooking the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains, their house is a fine example of a great estate built by America's financial and industrial leaders during the Gilded Age (1876 - 1917). Also known as the American Renaissance, this period in American history was marked by America's rapid economic growth and emergence as a world power.
Darius Ogden Mills, father of Ogden Mills, established the family fortune by investing in banks, railroads and mines. Ogden Mills, like his father, was a noted financier and philanthropist. In 1882 he married Ruth Livingston, whose family had been prominent landowners in the Hudson Valley since the 17th century. In 1890, Ruth Livingston Mills inherited her childhood home and property which had once belonged to her great-grandfather, Morgan Lewis, the third governor of New York State. In the 1890s Mr. & Mrs. Mills commissioned the prestigious New York City architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White to remodel and enlarge their home. Work began in 1895 and when completed in 1896, the house had been transformed from a 25-room Greek Revival style home into a Beaux-Arts mansion of 65 rooms and 14 bathrooms. Although the interior was lavishly decorated, mostly in the styles of 17th and 18th-century France, many architectural features of the earlier Livingston home such as the trims, moldings and many of the fireplaces had been preserved. This melding of grandeur and heritage is characteristic of the American Renaissance period.
Owning five homes, the Mills family resided in their Staatsburg home primarily in the fall and entertained as many as 80 guests at a time. The home and surrounding property was passed to their son, Ogden Livingston Mills in 1929. After his death in 1937 his sister Gladys Mills Phipps inherited the property and in 1938 donated the house and 192-acres of the estate to the State of New York as a memorial to her parents. Today the elegant mansion, restored to its turn-of-the-century appearance, is open for tours and the house and grounds offer special events throughout the year.
Attractions Biking Educational Services Gift Shop Group Tours Hiking Historic Site Interpretive Sign Picnic Area Scenic Views
The Thomas Cole National Historic Site is located at 218 Spring Street, near the western entrance to the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, in the village of Catskill NY 12414, Greene County in the Hudson Valley.
"In the early nineteenth century, many in this country were searching for a style of art that they could call their own. Painter, poet, and essayist Thomas Cole (1801-1848) responded to this quest by creating pristine landscape paintings unlike any yet seen in America. His vision of wild and untouched scenery with majestic mountains and tangled forests stood in stark contrast to the gentle landscape images that had come before.
"Influential people of the nascent New York cultural scene embraced his work enthusiastically, and Cole became the leader of an informal alliance of landscape artists now known as the Hudson River School. Cole, Asher Durand, Frederic Church, Sanford Gifford, Jasper Cropsey, and other painters, along with literary figures such as William Cullen Bryant and James Fenimore Cooper, forged a self-consciously “American” style and landscape vision for what was still a relatively new nation.
"The artists of the Hudson River School were united by their belief that their art might lead to spiritual renewal and contribute to the formation of a uniquely American national culture. Their work established a notion of America as a new Eden, a concept that still resonates with artists, environmentalists, and landscape enthusiasts to this day."
Visit the Thomas Cole Historic Site and join a guided tour of Cole’s home and studio, see the film about his art, stroll through the flower gardens and enjoy the sweeping view of the Catskill Mountains. Take in a special lecture about the Hudson River School, or join a guided hike to the magnificent nearby places seen in Thomas Cole’s paintings.
"New York's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) helps communities identify, evaluate, preserve, and revitalize their historic, archeological, and cultural resources. The SHPO administers programs authorized by both the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the New York State Historic Preservation Act of 1980. These programs, including the Statewide Historic Resources Survey, the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places, the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit, the Certified Local Government program, the state historic preservation grants program, state and federal environmental review, and a wide range of technical assistance, are provided through a network of teams assigned to territories across the state. The SHPO works with governments, the public, and educational and not-for-profit organizations to raise historic preservation awareness, to instill in New Yorkers a sense of pride in the state's unique history and to encourage heritage tourism and community revitalization."
The Bronx Zoo is the flagship zoo of the largest network of metropolitan zoos in the country. The Bronx Zoo is the heart of the Wildlife Conservation Society and our work to save wildlife and wild places around the globe. With award-winning, cutting-edge exhibits featuring over 4,000 animals, there is no other zoo in the world that offers the diversity, superb viewing, and world-renowned expertise that assures a rewarding experience and the knowledge that visitors can make a difference in the world around them.
Whether you're nose-to-nose with Western lowland gorillas in our famous Congo Gorilla Forest , spotting snow leopards in our naturalistic Himalayan Highlands Habitat, or experiencing almost an acre of an indoor Asian rain forest, you're always within roaring distance of the world's most amazing wildlife. In the end, you'll know that your admission fees went to a conservation organization that has more expert researchers in the field than any other. Together, we make a difference.
Press Blue Button for photos, education about animals and their habitat, and to explore the Bronx Zoo website.
The D&H Canal Park and the Neversink Valley Area Museum are located in Cuddebackville, Orange County, NY along the banks of the Neversink River. The Neversink Valley Area Museum preserves and documents the history of the peoples and industry of the Neversink and Shawangunk valleys of New York's Catskill region.
The Neversink Valley Area Museum occupies historic canal-era buildings in the D&H Canal Park right on the Neversink River.
For the Kids The Neversink Valley Area Museum has a number of activities that are especially suited to kids and their families.
The County Park, our home, has lots of grass and a playground.
Children love our Narrated Boat Rides along the D&H Canal (Sundays: 30 minute boat rides, boat seats 12 people, rides are $5.00).
Discover the beauty of the Neversink Valley This lovely region of Orange County is home to the Neversink, the Minisink, the amazing D&H Canal, a rich archaeological history and a network of small museums and historical societies devoted to presenting it all to you. Join us at the Neversink Valley Area Museum and our sister institutions for a tour of the natural beauty and rich history of our little corner of New York State. Press Blue Button for Kids & Family, events, and more about Neversink Valley Area Museum
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is located in Fort Montgomery, New York 10922 in the historic Hudson River Valley.
Information Source The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton during the American Revolutionary War; a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery historic trails.
Click to enlarge sign about Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Welcome to Fort Montgomery "You are standing near the western end of Fort Montgomery: a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River. On October 6, 1777, the British captured Fort Montgomery and destroyed it in the days that followed.
"Trails from this parking area lead to two of the fort's redoubts. The trail that passes beneath the highway will take you to the Fort Montgomery visitor center and Fort Montgomery's remains where interpretive signs will help you understand the history of the fort and the battle."
Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce battle for control of the Hudson River during the American Revolutionary War; the Hudson was considered strategic by both the Americans and the British during the American War for Independence.
Building Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that the Hudson River was critical to the American cause. If the British controlled the river, they could divide the rebellious colonies. Therefore, the Americans began work on Fort Montgomery in March 1776. . .
" . . . When the Americans discovered that the land on the opposite side of the Popolopen Creek was higher and would threaten Fort Montgomery if held by the enemy, they began constructing a second fort there, called Fort Clinton. They connected the two forts by a pontoon bridge. . .
"Fort Montgomery was a bustling community of hundreds of people. Soldiers, laborers, merchants, families, servants, and slaves lived at or visited the fort. Ships and boats arriving and departing added to the atmosphere of a small city.
"Supplies were often hard to obtain, morale was often low, and discipline was a chronic problem. Nevertheless, Forts Montgomery and Clinton were largely complete by October 1777, when the British attacked them."
Fort Clinton "Originally, the commissioners in charge of the work were confident that no overland attack on the fort was possible, but misgivings led them to begin extending the fortifications inland. They began fortifying several pieces of high ground that became Fort Montgomery's three redoubts. The realization that a higher piece of ground just across the Popolopen Creek threatened Fort Montgomery led to the construction of Fort Clinton."
Click to enlarge sign about the Battle of Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Battle of Fort Montgomery "To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery.
"In the afternoon, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war.
"Following the battle, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, garrisoned Fort Clinton, and burned New York's capital at Kingston. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point."
Click to enlarge photo of the Wounded Patriot at the Battle of Fort Montgomery.
Men in the photo represent two American patriots: Private, Ulster County Militia, and Private, 5th New York Regiment. The militiaman, in civilian clothing, is armed with a British musket. He assists his wounded comrade carrying a French musket from the 1750s.
The American Revolution - 1777: History of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton The following historical accounts record the Battles of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton from different historical perspectives:
The War of the Revolution, by Christopher Ward, Volume II (Macmillan, 1952)
"An opaque fog lay close to the surface of the Hudson River on the morning of October 5, 1777. The awakening bugles of General Israel Putnam’s Continentals at Peekskill on the eastern shore of the river seemed muted by the white and misty blanket. The slow-rising sun burned irregular holes in it, however, and through these the General’s sentinels, who had been posted south of his encampment during most of the summer, saw something that banished their accustomed boredom. There were barges and galleys downriver—many of them—and above the low lying haze rose the towering masts of British frigates. From downriver, too, came the muffled sounds of alarm guns. The long-dreaded invasion of enemy troops from occupied New York had begun.
The elderly Yankee Israel Putnam was busy at once. An oarsman, rowing desperately, bore messages across the wide stream to Fort Montgomery, an unfinished cluster of earthworks then under the command of the thirty-eight-year-old governor of the new state of New York, Brigadier General George Clinton. At this bastion, nearly a hundred and fifty feet above the spot where the Popolopen Creek joins the Hudson, the Governor received Putnam’s letter. Immediately he sent a summary of its contents to his older brother, General James Clinton, then in command of Fort Clinton, a smaller stronghold on the steep south bank of the narrow creek.
In the meantime, the British under Sir Henry Clinton (a distant cousin of the American generals of the same surname) were disembarking at Verplanck’s Point on the east bank of the Hudson, not far below Putnam’s headquarters. The grating of their boats in the shallows of the river, the sharp voices of their officers ordering immediate formations, came strangely through the thick fog to the ears of Putnam’s scouts, informing them only that the invaders were in considerable numbers . . .
. . . Perhaps the Battle of Fort Montgomery would have been utterly neglected had not two young American soldiers chosen to visit the site on a sunny spring day of the following year. Historians do not usually end their chapters on such footnotes as these men provided, but their reports have so documented the narrative that they deserve place here. One of them, a young chaplain named Timothy Dwight (later president of Yale College), wrote in his journal that while he was climbing from a river barge to the place where the battle had been fought, the stench of dead bodies caused him great distress.
We found, at a small distance from Fort Montgomery, a pond of a moderate size, in which we saw the bodies of several men, who had been killed in the assault upon the fort. They were thrown into this pond, the preceding autumn, by the British … Some of them were covered at this time; but at a depth so small as to leave them distinctly visible. Others had an arm, a leg, or a part of the body, above the surface. The clothes which they wore when they were killed, were still on them, and proved that they were militia; being the ordinary dress of farmers. Their faces were bloated and monstrous; and their postures were uncouth, distorted and to the highest degree afflictive . . ."
Battles Of The Revolutionary War: 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (Dec 23, 2003)
"On October 6th, 300 Continental soldiers of the 5th New York regiment, 100 artillerymen of Lamb's Artillery, and some 300 Levies and militiamen defended the unfinished Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton against a combined force of roughly 2,100 Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton attacked Forts Montgomery and Clinton from the landward side (which was only partially completed) with support from cannon fire from British ships on the Hudson River. The land columns attacking from west of the fort consisted of the New York Volunteers, the Loyal American Regiment, Emmerich's Chasseurs, the 57th and the 52nd Regiments of Foot.
The Americans had emplaced an iron chain and a boom across the Hudson River, protected by four warships, to impede the British flotilla.
Lt. Col. Mungo Campbell and several British regulars approach the fort with a flag of truce indicating that they wish to avoid `further effusion of blood.' Clinton sends Lt. Col. William S. Livingston to meet the enemy. The British officer requests that the patriots surrender. They are promised that no harm would come to them. Livingston, in turn, invites Campbell to surrender and promises him and his men good treatment. Fuming at this audacity, the British resume the fight. British ships working against an ebb tide attack the forts and American vessels. A steady volley ensues with each side receiving a share of the bombardment. British officers Campbell and Vaughan close in on all sides of the twin forts. Leading his men into battle, Campbell is killed in a violent attack on the North Redoubt of Fort Montgomery. Vaughan's horse is shot from under him as he rides into battle at Fort Clinton.
After a fierce battle lasting until dark, the British pushed the courageous Americans from the forts at the points of their bayonets. The defenders are overpowered by sheer numbers and the British gain possession of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. American casualties numbered about 350 killed, wounded and captured, while the British paid a price of at least 190 killed and wounded. Those who were not killed or did not escape are shipped to the infamous Sugar House Prisons in New York City and then onto British "hell ships" (prison ships) in the harbor. A "return," or report of prisoners, is sent to communities in the Highlands to inform families of their loved ones' capture. It is up to the families to send provisions lest the prisoners starve. Countless patriots perish on the prison ships.
U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, 5-6 October 1777 U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, The British Attack, Dusk, 6 October 1777 Forts Montgomery and Clinton, located just south of West Point, were built for the defense of the Hudson Highlands in 1776. It was here that British and loyalist troops overwhelmed Clinton's outnumbered patriots in October.
Although the Americans lost the battle for the Highlands, a relative handful of Americans aided in delaying British reinforcements from joining Burgoyne in the upper Hudson Valley and allowed Gates to gain much needed militia reinforcements in time to ultimately win Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga."
A guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron (Savas Beatie LLC, NY 2006)
American Perspective: "Waiting within the American fortifications on Bemis Heights was the bloodied Continental Army led by Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates. Not an audacious commander, Gates was content to await General Burgoyne's next move. While Gates market time on Bemis Heights, Patriot forces assigned to defensive positions guarding the entrance to the Hudson Highlands worked to complete two forts on the Hudson River 100 miles south of Albany, New York. Their commander was Brig. Gen. George Clinton (not to be confused with the British commander with the same last name). The forts over which the American Clinton (who was also governor of New York) labored were named Montgomery, in honor of fallen Patriot Gen. Richard Montgomery, and Clinton, after himself as commander of the forces in that region. Built on opposite banks of Popolopen Creek, which emptied into the Hudson River on its western shore at a strategic bend, eight miles south of West Point, the bastions were key to the strategic defense of the Hudson Highlands.
Fort Montgomery guarded the northern bank of the creek and Fort Clinton the southern bank. To the east of both forts flowed the majestic Hudson River. All told, the American fielded 600 men and 20 pieces of heavy artillery. The Patriots strung a heavy iron chain across the river and seeded the water with log obstacles to disrupt any maritime assault upon the American forts. Patrolling the Hudson were two Americans warships, Montgomery and Congress, supported by a handful of smaller vessels . . .
. . . Fort Clinton was constructed on the south side of Popolopen Creek on a rocky ridge overlooking the Hudson River below, oriented to cover a 400-yard wide plain before the drop to the waterway. Fort Montgomery also overlooked the Hudson River, but was situated on the northern shore of Popolopen Creek, which ran west from the Hudson . . .
After a perfunctory request that the defenders capitulate (which was rejected), the twin assaults began. There was no element of surprise or effort at finesse. The British attached nearly simultaneously with the sun setting behind Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell's columns. Sir James Wallace's British river fleet also arrived and opened fire on the American vessels and forts, providing the British land forces with supporting fire.
Fort Montgomery fell first . . . Fort Clinton's defenders offered a better account of themselves, but the outcome was the same. Sir Henry Clinton ordered his command to launch a direct attach (there was little room to maneuver). His regulars and Hessian allies swept forward through a line of obstructions, taking terrible casualties during the approach and in the close-quarter fighting that followed. The weight of British metal carried the day, however, and within a short time the garrison was dead, wounded, captured, or fleeing . . .
By 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. the fighting was over. Only 300 Americans, including Generals James and Governor George Clinton, escaped, most from Fort Montgomery . . . Casualties: British: 190 killed and wounded; American: 350 killed, wounded, and captured."
Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has decided not to recreate Forts Montgomery and/or Clinton. "Because of the limits of available information, any recreation would be inaccurate and would hide the violent end of these massive fortifications. Instead, the remains are preserved, just as the have survived the ages, as hallowed ground."
Fort Montgomery stands as an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery, Today Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. This Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14 acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River.
The site includes a Visitor Center and interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking views of the Hudson River. The Visitor Center features artifacts discovered in Fort Montgomery, mannequin displays, a 3 dimensional map model, and a 14 minute orientation film.
Attractions Include Audio-Visual Programs Demonstrations Group Tours Hiking Interpretive Signs Scenic Views Self Guided Tours Visitor Center
Fort Montgomery West Redoubt in the American Revolution.
Click sign at the Fort Montgomery West Redoubt.
The sign reads: Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt "Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt was one of three strong points built to defend the fort from an overland attack.
"New York State's Governor, Brigadier General George Clinton, commanded Fort Montgomery during the battle on October 6, 1777. Clinton ordered his men into the fort's three redoubts, where they were attacked by 900 British and Loyalist soldiers. After mounting a brave resistance, the Americans were driven from the redoubts and were forced to abandon the fort."
One of the drawings in the sign shows that: "Aware that the British were approaching, Governor Clinton ordered some of his men to take a 3-pounder cannon down the road that lead to the fort and delay them. The Americans were able to temporarily stop the advancing British and Loyalist soldiers, but were eventually forced to abandon the gun and return to the fort."
Click trail marker for the Historic 1777 & 1779 American Revolution Trail.
The sign reads: The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails "You are walking part of the 1777 historic trail that retraces as nearly as possible the routes taken by the British army during the Revolutionary War.
"The 1777 trail represents the route taken by British General Sir Henry Clinton's forces on October 6, 1777. After landing 2100 men at Stony Point, he marched north to capture Forts Clinton and Montgomery. At Doodletown, the trail splits. The east branch of the trail follows the march of forces under Sir Henry Clinton and Major General John Vaughn that captured Fort Clinton. The west branch follows the route of Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell's force, which captured Fort Montgomery.
"The 1779 trail traces the route taken by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's Corps of Light Infantry in its assault on the British fortifications at Stony Point just after midnight on July 16, 1779. After a brief but fierce fight, Wayne's men captured Stony Point, achieving one of the Continental Army's most spectacular victories."
Walk the grounds of the Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails at Fort Montgomery Historic Site. You can pick up the 1777 & 1779 trails close to the Bear Mountain Bridge and/or near the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center.
From April 1782 to August 1783, General George Washington, commander in chief of the Continental Army, made his military headquarters and residence at the Hasbrouck family's farmhouse in Newburgh. Washington's Headquarters is located 12 miles north of the forts at West Point.
George Washington (February 22, 1732 - December 14, 1799), also called Father of his Country, was an American general and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and later the first President of the United States (1789–1797). He also served as President of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. George Washington is recognized as one of the most important figures in U.S. history. George Washington played an important role in both the "French and Indian War" and in the "American Revolution".
In 1754, Washington was commissioned as a colonel in the Virginia militia. In 1755, Washington accompanied the Braddock Expedition of the British Army during the French and Indian War. In 1757, he resigned his commission and married Martha Dandridge Custis, the wealthy widow of Daniel Parke Custis. The couple moved to Mount Vernon where he took up the life of a genteel farmer. He became a member of the House of Burgesses. By 1774, Washington had become one of the colonies' wealthiest men. In that year, he was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress and the next year to the Second Continental Congress. He did not support colonial independence until 1776, when he read Thomas Paine's "Common Sense".
In the First Continental Congress, twelve colonies sent delegates to discuss how to return to a state of harmonious relations with the Mother Country and not have a revolution! But radical thinking won out. Parliamentary acts were declared "unconstitutional". Taxes were not paid, an import-export ban was established, and Colonists were urged to arm themselves. The "shot heard 'round the world" was fired at Lexington where armed colonists tried to resist British seizure of an arsenal. Eight Americans and 273 British soldiers were killed. The Revolutionary War began. The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775 and they declared themselves the government. They also named George Washington Commander in Chief of the newly organized army.
The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 and unlike many other revolutionary leaders, Washington voluntarily relinquished power. On December 23, 1783, General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Army to the Congress, which was then meeting at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. This action was of great significance, establishing the precedent that civilian elected officials, rather than military officers, possessed ultimate authority. If Washington had wanted to retain power he may have been able to seize it. There was some support among his most devoted followers for making Washington a permanent ruler or king, but Washington, like most of the Founding Fathers of the United States, abhorred the very idea. This established an important precedent of republican democracy throughout the world.
On February 4, 1789, America's first presidential election took place. On April 30, 1789, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, Washington took his oath of office as the first President of the United States.
Congressman Henry Light Horse Harry Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade, famously eulogized Washington as "a citizen, first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen".
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. On several occasions during the Revolutionary War, Major General Henry Knox, Commander of the America artillery, established his military headquarters at John Ellison's 1754 Georgian-style house in Vails Gate. From October 1782 until the spring of 1783, as 7,000 soldiers and 500 "camp followers" were establishing winter quarters at the New Windsor Cantonment, and General Washington was lodged at Jonathan Hasbrouck's house in Newburgh, New York, Major General Horatio Gates occupied the elegant home from which he commanded the cantonment. Here the army awaited the end of the Revolutionary War that became effective when Washington issued the cease fire orders on April 19, 1783.
For most of the 18th and into the 19th century, the Ellison family had important commercial dealings in milling and trade. From their mill, flour was shipped down the Hudson River to New York City and the West Indies. At present, remains of the mill, with traces of the underground racecourse, and the Jane Colden Native Plant Sanctuary may be visited. Explore how the Ellisons and other families of the mid-Hudson Valley lived 200 years ago.
Point of Interest Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is fun for the children and family of all ages.
Attractions Costumed Interpreters Demonstrations Educational Services Gardens Group Tours Guided Tours Hiking Interpretive Sign Picnic Area Re-enactments Scenic Views
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. In October 1782, General George Washington moved his army to New Windsor, above West Point and just beyond the Hudson Highlands, to establish winter quarters. He was accompanied by 7,000 troops including 500 women and children or "camp followers." By late December 1782, they had erected nearly 600 log huts into a "cantonment," a military enclave. High-ranking officers were quartered in private homes.
Washington was pleased that the army was better housed, fed, and clothed than ever before in the long war, but life for the officers and troops at the Cantonment remained hard. It was at the New Windsor Cantonment that the cease fire orders were issued by Washington ending the eight-year War of Independence on April 19, 1783. The final success, however, was the gradual, orderly disbandment of the army at the Cantonment, and the peaceful march of its still largely unpaid officers and men back to their homes or new pursuits.
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is fun for children and family. See the staff in reproduction period dress and uniforms demonstrate musket drills, blacksmithing, military medicine and camplife activities. View the exhibits at the Visitor Center and the reconstructed Temple Building, which served as a chapel for the soldiers.
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
As a department of the United States Military Academy, the Museum supports cadet academic, military and cultural instruction. Its collections include nearly all aspects of military history and encompass the history of West Point and the United States Military Academy, the evolution of warfare, and the development of the American Armed Forces. While only a portion of the collection is on display, all artifacts are available for cadet academic instruction, special exhibition and research.
Based upon captured British materials brought to West Point after the British defeat at Saratoga in 1777, the Museum collections actually predate the founding of the United States Military Academy. When the Academy opened in 1802, many Revolutionary War trophies remained to be used for cadet instruction. By the 1820s, a teaching collection of artifacts existed at the Military Academy and after the Mexican War (1846 - 1848).
West Point was designated by Executive Order as the permanent depository of war trophies. In 1854 the first public museum was opened and in 1989 the West Point Museum in Olmsted Hall opened at Pershing Center. Today it represents the culmination of more than two centuries of preserving our military heritage. Press Blue Button for West Point Gallery, History of US Army Gallery, American Wars Gallery, and more about West Point.
The West Point Museum is considered to be the oldest and largest diversified public collection of miltaria in the Western Hemisphere. Its collections include nearly all aspects of military history and encompass the history of West Point and the US Military Academy, the evolution of warfare, and the development of the American Armed Forces.
Boscobel is located at 1601 Route 9D, Garrison NY10524, Putnam County in one of the Hudson Valley River Towns. Boscobel is a neoclassical style mansion (built 1804-1808) located on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River. This is where the river cuts through the Appalachian chain of mountains, creating the Hudson Highlands. The mountains on both sides rise up more than 1000 feet from the water's edge at what is the narrowest, deepest and most treacherous stretch of the river.
From the front lawn at Boscobel, one can see the Constitution Marsh Sanctuary and Constitution Island immediately below, the Bear Mountain Bridge to the south, the United States Military Academy at West Point across the river, and Storm King Mountain to the north. Spectacular views of the Hudson River and the Hudson Highlands, including Crow’s Nest, Storm King, and Sugar Loaf Mountains are visible from Boscobel’s grounds. The Hudson has been an inspiration for artists through the centuries, and great works by Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Doughty, Thomas P. Rossiter, and Frederic Church, have depicted the majesty of the River and its surroundings.
Boscobel was originally located in Montrose, New York, about fifteen miles south of the present site, with views overlooking the Hudson River at Haverstraw Bay. It was built by States Morris Dyckman (1755-1806), a descendant of one of the early Dutch families of New Amsterdam.
The Boscobel Mansion dates from the early nineteenth century and contains one of the nation's leading collections of furniture and decorative arts from the Federal period with high-style furniture by Duncan Phyfe and other recognized New York cabinetmakers of the day. Much of Dyckman's English china, silver, glass, and part of his library have also survived and are on exhibit.
Points of Interest There are many tourist attractions and things to do close to Boscobel. Visitors can explore the quaint nineteenth century village of Cold Spring with its antique and specialty shops, Historic West Point, Storm King Art Center, Theatre, and beautiful Parks including Bear Mountain State Park.
Did you know that the Hudson River was recently named one of ten "American Heritage Rivers."
Attractions Guided Tour of Boscobel mansion Self-Guided Tour of beautiful grounds Rose Garden, Orangery, Springhouse and Garden House Woodland Trail Panoramic Views of Hudson Highlands
Battles of the American Revolution Battle of Bennington Date: August 16th, 1777 Between: British, including British marksmen, German (Hessian), Canadian, Indian and Loyalist (Tories) troops against American Continental Army (mostly New England militia). Location: Walloomsac, New York; just 10 miles from Bennington, Vermont
"Bennington, in fact, was one of the most important fights of the Revolution, contributing as it did so largely to the final surrender of Burgoyne's whole army at Saratoga, and the utter ruin of the British invasion from the north. It is also interesting as an extremely gallant bit of fighting . . . There stood the enemy strongly entrenched on a hill, and Stark, calling his undisciplined lines about him, went at them . . . He and his men fought well their hand-to-hand fight on that hot August day, and carried the entrenchments filled with regular troops and defended by artillery. It was a daring feat of arms, as well as a battle which had an important effect upon the course of history and upon the fate of the British Empire in America." Henry Cabot Lodge
This battle was fought on August 16, 1777 in a British effort to capture American storehouses in Bennington to restock their depleting provisions. The British forces had underestimated the strength of their enemy and most of their men were killed or taken prisoner while the Americans sustained smaller losses. The British surrendered on October 17, 1777, after two unsuccessful battles in Saratoga.
Casualties and losses were recorded as: American losses: 30 killed and 40 wounded = 70 casualties. British losses: 207 killed and 700 captured = 907 casualties.
Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site is located in Grafton, NY 12082, in Rensselaer County in the Hudson River Valley. Bennington Battlefield is the location of a Revolutionary War battle between the British forces of General John Burgoyne and Colonel Friedrich Baum against the American forces under Brigadier General John Stark and Colonel Seth Warner. Press Blue Button for more about Bennington Battlefield.
The Appalachian Trail "The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, designated a linear National Park by the 1968 National Trails System Act, is a continuous, marked public footpath extending approximately 2,144 miles from Mount Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia along the Appalachian Mountain range. It maintains a wilderness character by following the scenic ridges of the Appalachian Mountain ranges of the White, Green, Berkshire, Ramapo, Kittatinny, Blue Ridge, Great Smoky, and Nantahala Mountains. The Appalachian Trail is protected along most of its course by federal or state ownership of the land. The entire trail environment is maintained as a place for everyone to hike and enjoy the Appalachian Mountains, while at the same time conserving the natural, scenic, historical and cultural resources of this one-of-a-kind, linear park." Source: Signage at the Visitor Center Book Store on the Palisades Interstate Parkway, describing the Appalachian Trail.
In 1921, the idea for the Appalachian Trail originated with a volunteer forester Benton MacKaye. He conceived the Trail as a refuge from modern stresses, stretching along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains, where hikers could re-connect with the natural world. Once MacKaye's idea was published, over the years, volunteers from hiking groups in the Northeast made that dream a reality - a 2,144-mile-long hiking trail which is our nation's first National Scenic Trail.
Click to enlarge photo of the Bear Mountain Bridge taken from Perkins Memorial Drive.
The roadway of the Bear Mountain Bridge carries the Maine-to-Georgia Appalachian Trail. Note that the Bear Mountain Bridge has eight-foot-wide shoulders for pedestrians and cyclists to comfortably walk on both sides of the bridge.
Through a network of 32 hiking and trail clubs from Maine to Georgia, volunteers form the basis of a unique, volunteer-based, cooperative management system for this national parkland. Volunteers take an active role in safeguarding the quality of the Trail both for the hiking public and local communities. The private Appalachian Trail Conference oversees the volunteer effort along the Trail's length.
Click to enlarge photo of View of the Hudson River from Bear Mountain Bridge.
Experience wonderful views of the majestic Hudson River when walking the Appalachian Trail on the Bear Mountain Bridge.
The Appalachian Trail enters New Jersey at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and runs northward along the ridgeline of the Kittatinny Mountains to High Point State Park. There it strikes east along the NJ/NY state line, crosses the Wawayanda plateau, and enters New York state on the ridge overlooking Greenwood Lake. It traverses Harriman-Bear Mountain State Park (where the Appalachian trail was first conceived), crosses the Hudson River on the Bear Mountain Bridge, heading northeasterly towards and through Fahnestock State Park. Continuing northeast, it crosses into Connecticut near Kent, CT.
Click to enlarge photo of Popolopen Creek from the Bear Mountain Bridge.
The Popolopen Creek Footbridge, a bridge for pedestrians only, connects the trail between the twin forts, Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton, and carries the Appalachian Trail on the western side of the Bear Mountain Bridge.
Popolopen Creek Popolopen Creek is a stream that is mostly fed by Lake Popolopen, Stillwell Lake, and Weyant's Pond. Eventually, the creek drains into the Hudson River. In 2002, New York's Governor George Pataki, dedicated a long suspension foot bridge that spans Popolopen Creek.
Click on photo of Appalachian Trail Sign.
Appalachian Trail Sign Look for this sign at the Rockland side of the tool booths of the Bear Mountain Bridge.
Battles of the American Revolution Battle of Stony Point Date: July 16th, 1779 Between: British against the American Continental Army Location: Stony Point, New York
The Stony Point Battlefield marks the "Battle of Stony Point" and the victory of the American light infantry over the British in a daring midnight raid.
Visit the site of the Battle of Stony Point, one of the last major Revolutionary War battles in the northeastern colonies. This is where Brigadier General Anthony Wayne led his corps of Continental Light Infantry in a daring midnight attack on the British, seizing the site's fortifications and taking the British garrison as prisoners on July 16, 1779.
By the late 1770s, the war had been raging for four years and both sides were eager for a conclusion. Sir Henry Clinton, commander of the British forces in America, attempted to coerce General George Washington into one decisive battle to control the Hudson River. As part of his strategy, Clinton fortified Stony Point. Washington devised a plan for Wayne to lead an attack on the fort. Armed with bayonets only, the infantry captured the fort in short order, ending British control of the river.
The site features a museum, which offers exhibits on the battle and the 1826 Stony Point Lighthouse, as well as interpretive programs, such as reenactments highlighting 18th century military life, cannon and musket firings, cooking demonstrations, and children's activities.
Attractions Include Children's Activities Costumed Interpreters Demonstrations Educational Services Group Tours Museum and Visitors Center Picnic Area
The Esopus Meadows Lighthouse is located in Esopus, NY 12429 in Ulster County. Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, fondly nicknamed the “Maid of the Meadows”, was completed in 1871. A lighthouse was needed on the Hudson River to warn mariners of the mud flats known as the Esopus Meadows located off the western shore of the river.
The lighthouse was built on a new foundation, located to the south of the former location, traces of which are still visible on the adjoining small island. Inside the house is a kitchen, sitting room and equipment room on the first floor and three bedrooms and a bath on the second. The light tower extends above the living quarters with an octagonal deck housing the light. Situated 53 feet above the mean water line, the lantern room contained an optic fifth-order Fresnel lens providing a 270 degree arc of light that was visible for 12 nautical miles.
In 1979, the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The road to restoration didn’t really begin until 1990 when the Save Esopus Lighthouse Commission was formed. Press Blue Button for history, photos, and more about the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse.
The D&H (Delaware & Hudson) Canal Historical Society & Museum is located at Mohonk Road, High Falls NY 12440, Ulster County in the Hudson Valley. Established in 1966, the mission of the D&H Canal Historical Society is to preserve, protect and perpetuate the unique history of the Delaware & Hudson Canal, particularly in Ulster County. As part of fulfilling its mission, the Society operates a museum and maintains the Five Locks Walk, a National Historic Landmark.
Museum exhibits convey an appreciation for the history of the canal, including its initial financing, development of the technological innovations with which it is associated, and the nature of life on a canal boat. Numerous tools and artifacts from the canal era are on display, along with the work of famous local artists. The working model of a lock is a highlight of the visit, as it demonstrates how canal boats dealt with differences in elevation over the route.
Brief History Mules pulled barges down the 108-mile long, four-foot deep, 32-foot wide, waterway. Navigation of the full-length of the canal began in 1828, and it operated until 1898. During its construction, small towns and villages, and various industries, sprang up along the route, . The opening of the canal in 1828 proved to be the beginning of a new era for New York’s Ulster County, transforming the area in size and economic development.
Historic Huguenot Street is located in New Paltz, New York. Set in the picturesque Hudson Valley, New Paltz is at the heart of a region rich in history, art and recreational activities. Whether you live in the area, are planning a day trip or vacationing in the valley, Historic Huguenot Street is a place to relax and experience a unique American story.
The Story of Huguenot Street After decades of sojourn and relocation, a group of twelve Huguenot refugees from what is today northern France and southern Belgium and linked by family, religion, and friendship purchased nearly 40,000-acres along the Wallkill River in the Hudson Valley. They purchased this land from the native Esopus Indians, thus establishing a permanent home where they could pursue their Protestant faith free from religious and political persecution. They named the new town after die Pfalz, the region along the Rhine River where they had found temporary refuge before journeying to the new world.
The families began replacing their temporary homes in the early 1700s with stone houses along what is now known as Huguenot Street, seven of which survive today. The houses were added to over the first century or so of their existence to provide more comfortable living arrangements, and today the domestic environments of the colonial period and the early years of the Republic are preserved to inspire and to educate. While four of the houses are similar to their early appearance, the National Historic Landmark district also includes three original stone houses that were altered in the 1830s, the 1890s, and the 1940s, enabling three hundred years of history to be told on the street, displaying both continuity and change in American history.
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Senate House State Historic Site is located at 296 Fair Street, Kingston, NY 12401 in Ulster County in the Hudson River Valley. Amidst the turmoil of a British military invasion in the fall of 1777, the elected representatives of rebellious New Yorkers met in Kingston to form a new state government. While convened in Kingston in September and October, New York's first Senate met in the simple stone house of merchant Abraham Van Gaasbeek.
In 1887, to recognize Senate House's role in the Revolution, New York State acquired the property, which quickly became a vital community museum. A two-story Museum Building was constructed in 1927 to house and display the site's burgeoning collection. Among its treasures are: major art works by John Vanderlyn and other members of the Vanderlyn family of Kingston, dating from the 1720s through the 1870s, and notable paintings by Ammi Phillips, Joseph Tubby, James Bard, and Thomas Sully. Press Blue Button for more information about the Senate House State Historic Site.
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Philipsburg Manor "National Historic Landmark"
