USA > New York > Dutchess County > Dutchess county > Part 11
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The gravestones in Trinity churchyard date back to 1770; many Revolu- tionary soldiers and their enemies were buried here side by side in unmarked graves. A vault contains the bodies of several members of the family of Gulian Verplanck, one of the three joint holders of the Rombout Patent.
Gulian Verplanck, grandson of the patentee, presented to this church and to the Dutch Church identical tankards, which are still used in the celebra- tion of the Lord's Supper. These tankards are inscribed in memory of Engle- bert Huff, a Norwegian, who, once attached to the Life Guards of the Prince of Orange, died in Fishkill at the age of 128 years. A story is still in circula- tion that when Huff was 121, he and a young man, 100 years his junior, simultaneously courted the same young lady. The story does not relate which of the lady's suitors won her favor.
11. At the English Church, Main St. curves R. The OBADIAH BOWNE HOUSE (L), now a frame structure, vacant, stands on a steep bank beside the railroad crossing. Obadiah Bowne built the house in 1818. It is set in a grove of old trees, which include a red beech reputed to be the first in the locality. The elaborate detail of the mantels and interior wood trim show, according to an authority, the hand of a traveling carpenter who was hired at a dollar a day plus board and lodging.
A plaque set in a boulder in front of the house was placed conjointly by the Melzingah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the State of New York to commemorate the uses of a previous house, which stood here during the Revolution. In this earlier house, owned by Robert Brett, son of Madam Brett, Samuel Loudon, the patriot printer, lived and worked, and here the State Constitutional Convention first met. Later the building served as the first post office in Fishkill.
The junction with US 9 marks the end of the foot tour.
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DUTCHESS COUNTY MOTOR TOURS
NOTE ON MOTOR TOURS
Motor tours are divided into sections for the tourist's convenience; at the beginning of each section it is necessary to set the speedometer at 0.0 m. Such parts of the tours as are on the main route are printed in larger type. Side-trips, leaving the main route, usually for only a few miles, are in smaller type, indented. The mileage on the side-trips is computed from the point of leaving the main route, which point is con- sidered as 0.0 m. Upon returning to the main route, it is necessary to set the speedometer back to the main-route mileage given for that point in the text.
TOUR No. 1
Poughkeepsie-Hyde Park-Rhinebeck-Red Hook-Pine Plains-Amenia -Millbrook-Washington Hollow-Pleasant Valley-Poughkeepsie. US 9, State 199, US 44.
Poughkeepsie-Poughkeepsie, 77.2 m.
The road in section a is 3-lane concrete; section b, 2-lane macadam; section c, 3-lane concrete. Between Poughkeepsie and Red Hook, local and interstate busses; in other sections, local busses.
This route follows main roads through northern Dutchess, exhibiting the variety of interests offered by the county. It winds up the historic
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MASS
TO CHATHAM
COUNTY
1
Pine Plains
1997
199
199
NTO HARTFORD
1
: 2
.
TO LAKEVILLE
200
Amenia
D
N
..
9 G
1B
1C
199
Red Hook
RIVER
199
3.68
Rhinebeck
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8 2
Y
COLUMBIA
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Hudson valley through sleepy villages, past grand estates, and between orchards of apple trees; then sweeps east across northern and southwest across central Dutchess through a typical rolling and hilly countryside de- voted to dairying and a quiet life.
Section a. Poughkeepsie Red Hook. US 9. 21.6 m.
From the Court House, Main and Market Sts., Poughkeepsie, the route turns W. on Main St. toward the river, and R. on Washington St. (US 9).
This section follows the heavily traveled Hudson valley route between New York and Albany. Today the highway runs well above the river- level. In an earlier day, when river transportation was of primary import- ance, the road dipped down at intervals to the villages along the water- front ; these sections of the old Post Road are now side-roads leading to such sleepy villages as Camelot, Chelsea, and Staatsburg.
The road on the east shore of the Hudson was first laid out from King's Bridge, New York, to the ferry opposite Albany, following closely an Indian trail which had existed long before the coming of the white man. Begun in the reign of Queen Anne, the road was at first known as the Queen's Road, later as the King's Highway, and since the Revolution as the Albany Post Road.
The heavy traffic includes not only private cars and busses, but also a large number of trucks; much of the New York City milk supply is shipped along this route. Day-driving is not dangerous or unpleasant, but at night, when a majority of trucks do their traveling, caution is necessary.
At 1.6 m. is the entrance (L) to WOODCLIFF RECREATION PARK, the principal playground of Poughkeepsie. Shaded picnic grounds, an outdoor boxing arena, an outdoor dance floor, and a modern swimming pool (adults 25c, children 15c, including lockers) are among the facilities offered. Overlooking the Hudson, the pool is supplied by a continuous flow of filtered river water.
In the 1860's this was the estate of John F. Winslow, partner in a large iron foundry at Troy, holder of the first American rights for the manufacture of Bessemer steel, and staunch patron of John Ericsson. Plans for Ericsson's Monitor, the famous "cheesebox on a raft," were drawn in Winslow's home, now the Park Inn.
At 1.9 m. is the entrance (R) to the HUDSON RIVER STATE HOS- PITAL, an institution for the insane opened in 1871. It has 83 buildings and occupies 1,730 acres. Twenty-eight doctors and 1,100 employees care for an average of 4,400 patients. Ample provision has been made for the practice of recreational therapy.
At 2.9 m. is the entrance (L) to the estate of Miss Ellen Roosevelt, cousin of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The house, 500 ft. from the road, is not visible from the highway.
The ST. ANDREW'S NOVITIATE (L), trains young men for service in the Jesuit Society. Established in Maryland in 1833, the Novitiate was moved to its present location in 1903. The wooded grounds surround- ing the five-story, red brick building are dotted with shrines.
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North of this point, between the highway and the Hudson River, are large, well-kept estates hidden by trees. To the right are farms on gently rising hills. Old trees raise a green arch over the Post Road as it crosses a broad plain, still called by its 18th century name, the Flats. The plain was once thickly forested and some of the early woodland remains, especially several magnificent oaks. Portions of the cleared ground have been under cultivation since before the Revolution. The broad lawns, tilled fields, and meadows have been likened to the countryside of southern England, the riverside mansions to the manors of the English gentry. Westward, ter- races drop from the tableland to the river's edge, and the heights com- mand a view of the Hudson as it sweeps southward into the LONG REACH, the 11-mile straight sailing course from Hyde Park to New Hamburg, named in 1609 by Robert Juet in his log of the Half Moon and known to the Dutch as the Lange Rak.
At 4.4 m. is the ESTATE OF MRS. JAMES R. ROOSEVELT (L), widow of the half-brother of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The two-story clap- boarded house, painted dark red with black trim, is visible through the trees. It was built between 1833 and 1835 by Joseph Giraud, but the original plan of the interior, with a central hall and stairway and two rooms on each side, was modified late in the 19th century.
Included in the Great Nine Partners Patent of 1697, the land was first settled in 1748 by Charles Crooke, a New York merchant, who came here to remove his blind son from the difficulties of city life. Within the next 75 years the estate changed hands several times. Edward and Joseph Giraud and Henry Kneeland, New York merchants, held the property until 1852, when it was purchased by Mrs. Walter Langdon (Dorothea Astor) for her daughter. James Roosevelt acquired the estate in 1868, leaving it to his son, James R. Roosevelt, whose widow is the present owner.
At 4.7 m. is the entrance (L) to CRUM ELBOW, the estate of Mrs. Sara Delano Roosevelt and the birthplace and home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The entrance can be identified by a red sandstone marker, the 86th milestone from New York, which stands at the left of the road between this and the James R. Roosevelt property. (This marker is one of a series of sandstone tablets, now encased in fieldstones, which were erected in the 18th century along the route from lower Broadway, New York, to Albany). A guardhouse, in which state troopers are stationed when the President is in residence, stands inside the gate.
When there are no leaves on the trees a glimpse of the house can be caught from the highway. It stands at the edge of a steep, wooded slope overlooking the river. Southward is a sweeping view of the Hudson and the two bridges at Poughkeepsie. Groups of old trees shade the lawns, with hedges of dense hemlocks and rhododendrons on the north.
The house, built in 1748-51 by Charles Crooke, is a typical country residence of its period, 3 stories high and stuccoed, to which a semi-formal front and two stone wings have been added. A flagged and balustraded terrace leads to the curved Doric portico fronting the original building.
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Milestone near en- trance tờ Crum Elbows
3002 les
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Entrance Drive to the Roosevelt Estate
ござえものと、等教育
Crum Elbow, the Roosevelt Estate
The balustraded deck on the rooftop is a copy of the "Captain's walk" commonly found on houses in New England ports. The projecting wings, of gray stone 2 stories high, are crowned with simple cornice and balus- trade. On the first story of the north wing is an arcade, in one aperture of which hangs an old Spanish bell. Around the house is a mass of ever- greens, ivy, and honeysuckle.
The interior is simple and dignified. The library, in the south wing, is a large paneled room, with carved mantels at each end; the walls are covered with prints of figures in American naval history and early battles. The family interest in the sea finds further expression in the valuable col- lection of books on naval history. The west windows of the library over- look the lawn and the river. On the screened porch at the south of the library stands the tiller wheel of U. S. S. Gloucester, which took part in the battle of Santiago in 1898. The wheel was also used on the Mayflower, the presidential yacht during the administrations of Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, and Woodrow Wilson.
At 5.6 m. is the entrance (L) to CRUMWOLD, the Col. Archibald Rogers estate. The son, Herman Rogers, present owner of the estate, was born here. Mr. and Mrs. Herman Rogers have for many years been friends of Mrs. Wallis Simpson, and during the crisis that resulted in the abdication of Edward VIII, entertained her in their villa in Cannes.
HYDE PARK, 5.8 m. (150 alt., 738 pop.).
Railroad Station: New York Central, .4 m. W. of center of village.
Busses : Twilight Bus Line, New York-Montreal Bus Line, Hyde Park Bus Line. Accommodations: Zeph Hotel.
Hyde Park, founded in 1741, was originally known as Stoutenburg for Judge Jacobus Stoutenburgh, Gentleman, the first white settler. Later, the name was changed to Hyde Park, in compliment to Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, who was Governor of the Province of New York from 1702 to 1708.
The village lies on a plateau at the edge of a bluff a half-mile from the Hudson. On all sides except the west, it is hemmed in by landed estates. Crum Elbow Creek forms the north village line. The older houses are neat, well-kept frame buildings clustered near the crossroads. East of the village and roughly paralleling the highway, an outcrop of Hudson River shale topped by a scanty growth of scrub oaks forms a rugged background.
The village founder, a religious refugee and heir to a large estate, came from Holland at the beginning of the 18th century, moved north from Westchester and built three stone houses near Hyde Park village, on the tract known as the Nine Water Lots, one of which he owned. The big house of the Stoutenburghs and its extensive servants' quarters stood west of Park Pl. near Market St. Stoutenburgh erected a dock and boat-landing by the river on the site of the present landing. In October, 1777, the village was cannonaded by Gen. Sir John Vaughn as he retired down the Hudson after burning Kingston ; marines came ashore to plunder and punish the Whigs, burned Stoutenburgh's landing, a shop, and an Army storehouse, and de- parted.
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In the 19th century Hyde Park was the home port of sturgeon fishermen. The fish were dumped in pens anchored near the village shore; the meat was shipped to Albany to be sold as "Albany beef"; the roe was prepared here for exportation. Porpoises and shad were also attracted by the reefs and natural breeding grounds along the river. An occasional whale sent the entire local fleet in a chase upstream.
Throughout the two centuries of its existence, Hyde Park has witnessed the comings and goings of many celebrities and men who have been promi- nent in governmental affairs: Alexander Hamilton spent much time here; Washington Irving was an intimate friend of James Kirke Paulding, who lived nearby; Morgan Lewis, the Livingstons, the Pendletons, and Dr. Bard, founder of Bard College, were guests or residents.
One block S. of the crossroads is the JAMES ROOSEVELT ME- MORIAL LIBRARY (L), Colonial in design, built in 1927 with stone from the Roosevelt estate. The library was given to the village by Mrs. Sara Delano Roosevelt in memory of her husband. Among the books on the shelves is a compilation of town records by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Just W. of the crossroads (L) stands a building, now used in part as a plumber's shop, which was a 19th century inn. A long upper porch over- looks the road; a covered way leads through the lower story to an open yard and sheds where the horses of the Post Road stage-coaches were changed.
North of the crossroads, on US 9, is the REFORMED CHURCH (R), established in 1789. The white frame building of simple Colonial design, with a square tower over the main entrance, has high, arched windows at the front and old-fashioned small panes and memorial windows at the sides and rear. In the yard behind the church, grave markers date back to that of "Mr. Noah Bunnel, 1790."
At 6.8 m. is the ornate stone entrance (L) to the estate of F. W. Vander- bilt.
At 7 m. is ST. JAMES' CHURCH (R), built in 1844 and long at- tended by the Roosevelt family. English Gothic in style and set back from the road in a handsome grove of trees, it has the grave dignity and beauty of its forebears in the English shires. The chief feature of the front is a tall, square tower, with a low pitched roof that is more Italian than English. The interior, consisting of a nave and chancel, without aisles, is plastered, and has simple woodwork in black walnut, and hammer-beam trusses. The first two windows, with clear diamond panes, are from the original church, built in 1811. Two others, of simple stained glass, were brought from the Church of the Ascension in New York City.
Dr. Samuel Bard, a famous New York physician and president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, donated land for the first structure. The tract had been granted to his family by Queen Anne. The 125th anniversary of the founding of St. James' Parish and the erection and consecration of the original church was celebrated October 25, 1936, at a service attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his family.
North of Hyde Park the contrast between the formal estates and the
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natural beauty of the countryside is striking. The highway here is flanked by concrete and steel fences.
At 7.5 m. is the SITE OF PLACENTIA (L), the home of James Kirke Paulding, Secretary of the Navy under Martin Van Buren. Paulding was Washington Irving's biographer and collaborated with him in the Salmagundi Papers, a satirical literary periodical published in 1807. He was author of many books and for a time an editorial writer for the New York Evening Post under William Cullen Bryant. The house was occupied by Paulding from 1846 until his death in 1860.
A view of ST. JOSEPH'S NOVITIATE (L), across the Hudson River, appears at 9.1 m. The massive stone structure, with its many spires, is situ- ated on a high bluff overlooking the river. Since bluff and river are invisible from the road, St. Joseph's appears to be across the meadow.
MARGARET LEWIS NORRIE STATE PARK, 9.5 m. (L), was donated to New York State by Geraldine Morgan Thompson in memory of her sister, Margaret Lewis Norrie. The 312 acres of ground, with wooded hills, slope down from the highway to the river front. In 1937 a large Civilian Conservation Corps Camp housed the young men who were developing the area into a recreational center. Plans have been drawn for a large swimming pool and picnic grounds with parking fields, and paths radiating from the highway to the Hudson River.
At 9.75 m. is junction (L) with the old Post Road, macadam. (See Tour No. 1A.)
US 9 swings R. up a long, easy grade with views left across the meadows to the river. Twenty miles away tower the Catskill Mountains, their rounded blue bulk filling the Northwest horizon.
At 13.1 m., north of a white mansion, is the PARTHENON (R), a small wooden reproduction of the Greek temple. It was built by J. W. Gardner, a corporation lawyer, and houses his valuable law library. A col- lection of first editions of Blackstone is shown occasionally to visitors. Behind the Parthenon is an original Dutch windmill, imported from Holland.
The Rhinebeck line is crossed at 16.3 m.
At 16.4 m. is the junction (L) with the OLD MILL ROAD.
Left on this dirt road is GRASMERE (Fox Hollow School), 75 m. (L), the home of the late Maunsell Crosby. The dignified mansion of red brick overlooks wide lawns and rolling wooded hills extending toward the Hudson. This was the birthplace of W. A. Duer, president of Columbia College (1829-1842).
Grasmere was begun in 1773 by Gen. Richard Montgomery and completed by his wife after his death. The many locust trees on the grounds grew from seeds scattered by Mrs. Montgomery in her walks about the estate. In 1828, the 700-acre estate was purchased by Peter H. and Lewis Livingston, who lived here until 1850. It was purchased by Mrs. Fanny Crosby in 1894. It is now a private school for girls.
Beyond the Fox Hollow School is ELLERSLIE, 2.7 m., the former home of Levi P. Morton, elected Vice President of the United States in 1888 and Governor of New York State in 1894. The home is now occupied by his daughter, Miss Helen Morton.
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WILDERCLIFF, 4 m. (R), is an estate owned by R. B. Suckley. The name is an example of the fusion of the Dutch and English forms in many place names in the Hudson Valley. With slight variations in spell- ing, it appears to have clung to the estate for 200 years, and may have had its origin in the Dutch wilden, wild men or savages, and clif, old Dutch for rock.
On the northern end of the river cove on the estate is an INDIAN PICTURE ROCK, dating from at least 1686, when the Indians sold the land. Originally the rock showed a cutting of two Indian warriors; to- day only one figure can be seen. The tomahawk which was in the left hand is gone, but the calumet in the right hand can still be made out. The carvings were apparently chipped in the rock by a tool with rotary motion. The picture rock is difficult of access and can be reached only by canoe or by wading knee-deep through water.
RHINEBECK, 16.9 m. (203 alt., 1,569 pop.).
Railroad Station: At Rhinecliff.
Ferry: Rhinecliff.
Bus Line: Twilight Bus Line.
Accommodations and Information: Beekman Arms Hotel.
Motion Picture House : One.
As it approaches Rhinebeck, the road is bordered by large shade trees. The village has an air of age and substance, with dignified buildings close to the highway. In 1670 William Beekman, an employee of the Dutch West India Co., purchased land in this vicinity. In 1697 his son, Henry, secured a patent for a vast tract of land lying opposite Esopus Creek, which included the site of Rhinebeck. This section of the land passed to William Traphagen in 1700. Among the early settlers, mainly French Huguenots and Dutch, was a group of Palatines, who are credited with naming the village for Rheinbach, a village in the Rhine valley. Other sources give the name as a German combination meaning "Rhine-like"; still others contend it is of local inven- tion and merely means "Beekman's Rhine."
Early in the 18th century the village was a change station for stage-coaches ; during the Revolution it was an active military center. Modern Rhinebeck is engaged in dairy farming and fruit raising. The cultivation of violets, for many years an important industry in this section, recently declined, but is again on the rise.
In RHINEBECK CEMETERY (L), at the extreme southern end of the village and bordering US 9, is the grave of Levi P. Morton.
VINCENT ASTOR CONVALESCENT SCHOOL FOR GIRLS (L) is at the southern end of the village. It was established in 1901 at Rhinecliff by Miss Mary Morton, daughter of Levi P. Morton, to provide a suitable environment and recreation for convalescent under-privileged children of New York City, and was later taken over by the Vincent Astor family, patrons of Rhinebeck, who moved it to its present location.
Built in 1809, the REFORMED CHURCH (R), on US 9, one block S. of the village center, is painted white, except for the ivy-covered north side and the brown cornice and blinds. The south end has a pediment with a bulls-eye filled with louvres, surrounded by a wooden tower and belfry. On
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this side are both round and elliptical arches, with the usual Colonial key- stones ; while the east and west sides have high windows with pointed arches and interesting sectional outside blinds.
The sides of the building facing the two streets are of brick, while the east side, away from the road, is of stone. According to local tradition, this con- struction grew out of a dispute between factions as to which material should be used. Those who could furnish stone did so and demanded that the building be built of stone; others who could furnish money demanded brick construction. They compromised.
The history of the church goes back to 1730. In that year Henry Beekman gave a deed for 2 acres of land to the inhabitants of North Ward (Rhine- beck) for the purpose of erecting a church or meeting house within 3 years; and he gave the minister, elders, and deacons the right to cut timber or carry away stones from his land. In accordance with the provisions, a church was completed in 1733. Henry Beekman was buried in 1776 in the church of which he was the benefactor.
The BEEKMAN ARMS HOTEL, at the SW. corner of the intersection of US 9 and State 308, is the largest and most prominent building in the village. It claims to be the oldest operating hotel in the United States. The original inn was a one-story stone house with two rooms and a loft, built shortly after 1700 by William Traphagen on this land which he bought that year. His grandson, Arent Traphagen, enlarged the business, which at his death in 1769 occupied a building 2 stories high and covered the area of the present main structure. It was built like a fortress, with heavy stone walls; and the arrangement of the cellar indicates that it was intended to serve that purpose. The present third story was added in 1865. The wooden wing on the north, the brick wing on the south, and the pillared portico across the front are later additions. The original building is stuccoed, painted white, producing a harmonious general effect. The modern taproom has a fire- place said to date back to the original building. The entrance hall retains its old beamed ceiling, but the post and knees ostensibly supporting it are apparently modern. During its long history the hotel has entertained such distinguished guests as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, De Witt Clinton, and Theodore Roosevelt. Adjoining the hotel on the S. is a courtyard, used during the Revolutionary War as a parade and training ground for soldiers.
The BOWERY HOUSE, a short distance E. (R) on State 308, is a frame structure painted yellow, with brown trim and small-paned windows. The main entrance is set off by a porch with Doric columns.
This inn was erected about 1800 on the land of the Old Dutch Church, which served as the dominie's farm (Dutch, bouwerie). Abram Brinckerhoff, the first proprietor, was succeeded by Pieter Pultz, after whom it is often called the Pultz Tavern. It was once the stopping place of the Yellow Bird Coach line, and rivalled in fame the old hotel (Beekman Arms) on the Post Road.
Right from the center of the village runs State 308, an alternate route
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between US 9 and State 199. This new concrete road winds through a thinly settled farming country, the wooded sections interspersed with small truck farms.
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