USA > New York > Dutchess County > Dutchess county > Part 16
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South of Hughsonville the highway runs through a tract formerly part of the original Verplanck estate, acquired by purchase from the Indians and by patent from the British Crown.
At 9.3 m. appears a broad view of the entire Fishkill Range in the distance, and in the foreground rolling farm lands of the fertile valley.
At 10 m. (R) is junction with dirt road. (See Tour No. 3B.)
At 11.5 m. is junction with dirt road.
Left on this road is BAXTERTOWN, 2 m., a settlement of whites and negroes, now dwindled to a thin sprinkling of humble dwellings and
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the ruins of the M. E. Zion Church, the roof of which has caved in from the weight of snow. In the blood of these negroes flows also that of the Wappinger Indians. Old residents speak of a former Indian reservation in the nearby woods, and one ancient grandmother tells of the return of Red Men in search of relatives. As white settlers took possession of the best land, the Indians were relegated to the poorer acres. Negroes, originally slaves intermarried with them, and the two races merged. Some of the first negro settlers were slaves in Fishkill families; others had bought their freedom or had come north on the underground railroad. The land on which they settled is rocky or marshy, unfavorable to agriculture. Today 4 negro and 10 white families re- main. In their community cemetery on the crest of Osborn Hill are markers dating back to 1832. Some are for Civil War volunteers; one is in memory of James Gomer, "for 42 years a servant in the family of Prof. Charles Davies."
At 12.1 m. is the entrance (R) to STONY KILL, built in 1842, the residence of the Verplanck family, direct descendants of Gulian Verplanck, the original patentee. Title to the land has never passed out of the family. The house contains many valuable paintings and family heirlooms.
At 12.2 m., at the SE. corner of a by-road leading eastward to Glen- ham, is a little RED SCHOOL HOUSE (L), standing as it has stood for more than a hundred years, with school still in session. The Little Red School House Club maintains an active interest in its continued useful- ness to local children.
At 12.4 m., at the foot of the hill S. of the school house, is the STONY- KILL DAIRY FARMHOUSE (R), an early stone dwelling believed to be over 200 years old, which gives an old world touch to the landscape. Nearby is another stone structure comparatively new, built to match the old house.
At 12.7 m. is junction (R) with concrete road.
Right on concrete road is the U. S. VETERANS' HOSPITAL, I m. (visitors admitted 11-12, 3-5, 7-8), situated on a bluff commanding a broad sweep of the Hudson, the distant Shawangunk Range, and the near Fishkill Range. This hospital for disabled tubercular veterans is administered by the Veterans Administration Facility of the Federal Government.
The buildings include the usual institutional structures. The grounds cover 323 acres. The hospital has 479 beds and facilities for out- patients. It was erected in 1924, and opened in September of that year. In the first 12 years 7,217 veterans were cared for. Patients are drawn from 16 counties lying chiefly in the Hudson valley region.
The government provides recreational activities, including two movies a week, and various organizations provide band concerts and other entertainment.
Castle Point, the old name of Chelsea, has been adopted by the hospital as its name and post office address.
At 12.8 m. MOUNT BEACON, 1,520 ft. high, looms on the L. On its summit overlooking the river the Mount Beacon Casino, reached by an in- clined railway, is visible.
At 12.9 m. is MAGNOLIA FARMS (R). George Gale Foster main-
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tains a summer camp here for the use of Beacon Girl Scouts and similar organizations.
Across the highway, opposite Magnolia Farms and upon the summit of a gently rising hill, may be seen the massive red brick buildings of the MATTEAWAN STATE HOSPITAL for the criminal insane. The extensive grounds of the hospital enclosed by a high wirefence, border the highway for some distance. (See Beacon.) Before the State acquired the property, it was the home and training ground of famous trotting horses. In a grove of trees far back from the highway is the house that was once the country home of John J. Scannell, a prominent horse- nian and an associate of Richard Croker in the nineties. (See Beacon Point of Interest No. 24).
At 13.9 m. stone gate posts and a white oak tree 15 ft. in diameter mark the entrance (R) to MOUNT GULIAN, the Verplanck estate. The his- toric garden, one of the oldest in Dutchess County, may still be seen, but the house was destroyed by fire in 1931, leaving only the fire-blackened walls, a stark ruin softened by half-concealing vines. Much of the contents of the house was fortunately saved and given in part to the New York His- torical Society. The old mansion, built in 1740, one of the first residences in the county, was a fine example of Dutch Colonial architecture, with un- usual stone mantels.
Many historic events occurred at Mt. Gulian. It was the headquarters of Baron von Steuben toward the close of the Revolution. Washington and LaFayette and other prominent leaders visited it. In 1783 the Society of the Cincinatti was formed here, with Washington as its first president. (The formation of this exclusive military order gave rise to its rival group, the Tammany Society.) During the Revolution the first Catholic mass in this region was celebrated here by two visiting priests. Great quantities of flour were stored for the use of Washington's Army in Verplanck's grist mill at the mouth of Stony Kill nearby.
Since Colonial days the Verplanck family has been prominent in war and peace. Gulian Verplanck, grandson of the patentee, was one of the first to develop the Hudson valley region. His son Samuel held office under
Mount Gulian, the Verplanck House, Fishkill-on-the-Hudson
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the British crown, and was a governor of King's College, now Columbia University, a founder of the New York Chamber of Commerce, and dur- ing the Revolution a member of the Committee of Safety. Daniel C. Ver- planck was a member of Congress and a judge of Dutchess County in the early 19th century. Gulian C. Verplanck (1786-1870), member of Congress, State senator, and a prominent member of Tammany Hall, was also a publicist and edited Shakespeare. William E. Verplanck, author and his- torian, occupied the house in the early 20th century.
The GLAD TIDINGS HOME, 14.1 m. (L), is a summer home for poor children, a subsidiary to the Glad Tidings Tabernacle in New York City. All creeds and colors are represented. During the first two weeks after school closes in the spring, 50 girls are accommodated here; and during the second two weeks, 50 boys. This rotation is continued to the end of sum- mer.
At 14.2 m. on the outskirts of Beacon, a lane (R) leads to SPOOK FIELD, the J. B. R. Verplanck home, a modern country residence. Numer- ous antiques have been incorporated in it, such as the mantels and fire- places of older dismantled houses, many of them associated with the Ver- planck family. Several ancient millstones have been utilized in the con- struction of terrace and gardens. The odd name of the estate originated from an old legend that the ghost of a murdered Hessian soldier buried here often walks at night.
Nearby on the river shore is the site of the traditional LANDING PLACE OF HENRY HUDSON. His famous ship, The Half Moon, anchored offshore here, and a number of the crew landed. The rock upon which they were said to have landed was removed in the course of railroad construction. The Indians received them cordially, and even offered them land. The scene has been painted by Robert W. Weir (1803-1889), for 42 years professor of drawing at West Point.
At Bank Square in Beacon, 14.9 m., is the junction of State 52 and 9D. Section b follows State 52; for continuation of State 9D see Tour 3C.
Section b. Beacon-Fishkill-Brinckerhoff. State 52. 6.8 m. L. on Main St. (State 52).
The road between Beacon and Fishkill is one of the historic highways of Dutchess County, dating from the early settlements. It follows the north bank of Fishkill Creek, with occasional glimpses of the little stream flowing in a deep cut to the right. Parallel with the road and a mile to the right, towers the majestic Fishkill Mountain range, dominating the scene by its natural grandeur. The road, though for the most part straight, is hilly: the immediate countryside is devoted to agriculture.
At 2.3 m. is junction (R) with macadam road.
Right on this road is GLENHAM, 2.5 m. (200 alt., 825 pop.). The name comes from the gorge cut through a ridge by Fishkill Creek. A dam impounds the water to form a long mill pond. Trees and under- brush have overgrown the ruins of old mills. At a bend in the creek, a falls furnishes electric power to this little industrial village.
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Until the panic of 1873, Glenham was a thriving manufacturing town. The mill period began about 1811, and in 1822 the Glenham Mill for the manufacture of woolen goods was organized by Peter H. Schenck, John Jacob Astor, Philip Hone, Dr. Bartow White, and others. Later came the Darts, who supplied indigo blue goods to clothe the army dur- ing the Civil War. A. T. Stewart, the Manhattan merchant prince, built a woolen factory at the upper end of the glen. Most of these mills closed in 1873. On the site of the old Stewart woolen mill the Texaco Co. now maintains a laboratory for research in motor fuels.
The HENDRICK KIP HOUSE, 3.6 m. (R), a long, low stone house painted red, was built in 1753. About 1777 it served as the Fishkill head- quarters of Baron von Steuben; Washington and Count Pulaski visited here. The interior consists of a hall with one room on one side and three on the other. The kitchen wing was added in 1860. A door in the rear is a perfect 18th century divided door with bullseyes in the upper half. In the north front wall, in line with the chimney, is a stone marked "1753;" and immediately to the east of the front porch is another stone marked "HK 1753."
The ZEBULON SOUTHARD HOUSE, 3.9 m. (L), built in the middle 18th century, is a small, rectangular house; but its simple lines and proportions create an impression of generous and comfortable living. Zebulon Southard, the builder, was a captain in a Dutchess regi- ment in the Revolution.
The thick, hard walls are made of a lath framework filled with a mixture of clay, straw, and cornstalks, then clapboarded. The interior comprises two rooms on the main floor and a large half-story above. The basement contains a built-in oven at one side of a large fireplace, large hand-cut ceil- ing beams, and great 18th century doors with wrought-iron hinges. On the main floor, opening upon the long front porch, are two divided Dutch doors which are battened and carry the original iron hardware. A steep, enclosed stairway in the southwest corner leads to the half-story.
Near the road, at 4 m. (L) is the site of a FORGE, where in Revo- lutionary times John Bailey, a cutler who left New York when the British took possession, found temporary shelter and plied his trade. The forge existed as late as 1820, but Bailey returned to New York at the close of the Revolution. In this forge he made a sword for General Washington, and stamped it "J. Bailey, Fishkill." This sword, carried by Washington during the war, is now in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C. It is said to be the sword that is shown in Leutze's celebrated painting Washington Crossing the Delaware.
At 4.2 m. on the hillside (R), is the NORWAY SKI CLUB JUMP. Sponsored by the Norway Ski Club, a private organization, many experts compete here during the winter months.
FISHKILL VILLAGE, 4.3 m. (See Fishkill Village.)
At 5.1 m. is junction with US 9. (See Tour No. 3D.)
At 6 m. (L), 100 ft. N. on the old course of the highway, is the site of the FIRST ACADEMY in Dutchess County, which stood on the hill, now the Rowestone Farm. The date of its erection is not known, but prior
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to 1765 it was conducted as a grammar school, and after that date as an academy. From 1765 to 1790 Rev. Isaac Rysdyck, theologian and scholar, was in charge and many distinguished men received their early education here. (See Tour No. 2.) During the Revolution the building was used as a hospital, and several young physicians were quartered in a house nearby. For a time the Rev. Chauncey Graham supervised the academy. It was taken down shortly after the Revolution and rebuilt in Poughkeepsie. (See Poughkeepsie.)
At this point there is a splendid long-range view of the Fishkill valley. Fishkill Creek, with trees and shrubbery lining its banks, flows through the center of the flat, undeveloped lands, with bare, open spaces stretching away for miles.
BRINCKERHOFF, 6.4 m., called also Brinckerhoffville, once an im- portant community with grist mill, church, academy, and general store, has lost all but the store. The village took its name from the Brinckerhoff family, the first to settle in this region. Derick Brinckerhoff came from Long Island and purchased 2,000 acres of land from Madam Brett in 1718. During the Revolution Abram Brinckerhoff kept a store: the building, though remodeled and greatly changed, is still standing. When tea became scarce during the war, Brinckerhoff was well supplied and took advantage of the scarcity to profiteer. An army of 100 indignant housewives of Fish- kill and Beekman, commanded by Vrouw Catharine Schutt and marching in military order, drew up before the store, and demanded tea at the lawful price of six shillings per pound. Threatened with the destruction of his stock, Brinckerhoff quickly met the demands of the housewives.
The MIDDLE CHURCH (Presbyterian), 6.6 m. (L), built in 1747, rebuilt in 1830, and burned in 1866, stood on a knoll west of the high- way upon the present cemetery grounds. It was used as a military hospital during the Revolution.
DERICK BRINCKERHOFF HOUSE, 6.7 m. (L), at the junction of State 52 and State 82, is a fine old Colonial mansion built about 1719. In this house LaFayette was ill many weeks during the Revolution and was attended by Dr. Cochran. A monument at the roadside was presented by LaFayette Post, D. A. R., in honor of LaFayette. The house has been re- modeled several times, but has never passed from the possession of the Brinckerhoff family.
Site of the OLD STAR MILL (R), is beside the creek. It was built by Abram Brinckerhoff in 1735, razed by fire about 1777, and rebuilt by order of General Washington by troops encamped near Fishkill. This mill was used to grind grist for the Revolutionary army. When it was de- molished of late years and a small electric transmission station erected, cannon balls were found beneath the floor.
At 6.8 m. is junction with State 82.
Section c follows State 82; for continuation of State 52 (See Tour No. 3E.)
Section c. Brinckerhoff-Hopewell Junction-Billings. State 82. 11.2 m.
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At 1.3 m. square stone gate posts mark the entrance (R) to a lane, bordered by old locust trees, leading to the COL. JOHN BRINCKER- HOFF HOUSE, erected in 1738. General Washington, a frequent guest, made the house his headquarters while the Army was in Fishkill. He occupied the bedroom back of the parlor. Another distinguished guest was General LaFayette.
Architecturally the house represents an early type of stone construction, with brick gable ends and dormer windows. On the wall facing the road are the figures "1738" worked in black bricks against the red brick back- ground. The house has two stories, the lower of stone and the upper of brick. The three dormers are later additions. The front is faced in stucco.
The house and surrounding land are now included in CAMP LAMOLA (Finnish, vacation place), established in 1926 by the Finnish Co-operative Society of New York and Brooklyn. A little removed from the cottages stands a simple frame building-the steam bath. Constructed according to Finnish models, it has three rooms, chief of which is the steam room, with benches tiered along the sides, and in one corner a huge Slavic stove. Large cobble- stones on top of the stove are heated by wood fire inside, and when water is poured over them clouds of steam arise. The hour for the steam bath is struck-one bell for the men, and two for the women. The hardy devotees of the bath follow the steaming with a dip in the cold stream nearby.
At 1.7 m. is junction (L) with dirt road (red schoolhouse on left).
Left on this road stand (R) the ruins .2 m. of the first house of JACOBUS SWARTWOUT (1734-1827), who had a long and varied public career. He was a captain at Ticonderoga and Crown Point in 1759, saw active service during the Revolution, and was successively a mem- ber of the New York Assembly and Senate. As delegate to the State Constitutional Convention in Poughkeepsie in 1788, he voted against the ratification of the Federal Constitution.
At .4 m. (R) is the later home of Jacobus Swartwout, which dates from about 1789. This excellently preserved frame building, painted white with green trim, retains the charm and dignity of 18th century houses. The porch, although of a later period, harmonizes with the original plan of the building. In 1824, at the age of 90, Swartwout journeyed from this house to Poughkeepsie to be present at a recep- tion in honor of LaFayette.
GRIFFIN'S TAVERN, 1.9 m. (L), enclosed by a wood picket fence, was known in Revolutionary times as Griffin's Tavern or the RENDE- VOUS. In Rombout Precinct, which included the towns of Fishkill and East Fishkill, the Committee of Observation held three meetings in this tavern at the beginning of the war. The original record of the first meeting is still in the possession of a descendant of Colonel Griffin. Among the guests entertained here were Washington, LaFayette, Putnam, Von Steuben, and a number of French soldiers.
AARON STOCKHOLM HOUSE, 2.4 m. (L), at a dirt lane, is a large, white clap-board house with fanlights in the gable ends. It is more than 100 years old.
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At 3 m. State 82 passes the site of the former village of SWARTW- OUTVILLE, now marked only by the foundation of former homes and stores. Swampy lands bordering the highway furnished peat for a wide neighborhood, and peat-mining and brick-manufacturing helped develop this section. At present dairying and farming are the major pursuits.
At 4 m. is the CORNELIUS R. VAN WYCK HOUSE (L), built about 1785, a story and a half in height, with a gambrel roof and original panel shutters. On the first floor are four rooms and a central hall. The staircase is enclosed in mid-18th century manner. Behind the house are original frame buildings and a stone smoke-house. To the north and east is the family burial ground, enclosed by a stone wall.
Cornelius R. Van Wyck (1753-1820), a captain in the Revolution, was a member of one of the numerous Van Wyck families prominent in the early history of the county.
At 4.1 m. is the junction with State 376 in the village of HOPEWELL JUNCTION. (See Tour No. 2.)
On State 82, at 4.4 m., the highway crosses the main line of the New York, New Haven & Hartford R. R. tracks over a new concrete bridge. North of this point the main section of the Mid-Dutchess County valley is followed through fertile, well-developed farm lands. Parallel to the high- way are the New Haven tracks, formerly the Newburgh, Dutchess & Con- necticut line.
At 4.9 m. is junction with macadam road.
Right on this road is SYLVAN LAKE, 4.5 m., an oval-shaped body of water I m. long, its wooded shores marked by scattered summer camps. An iron mine formerly operating here was abandoned when a cave-in of a passageway beneath the lake flooded the mine.
At 7.8 m. the new EASTERN PARKWAY will cross State 82. Grad- ing operations of the lead-in roads are visible (R).
ARTHURSBURG, 7.9 m., a dairy-farming and fruit-raising hamlet, was named for Chester A. Arthur, twenty-first president of the United States, who when a boy was employed here during one summer in a relative's grocery store.
BILLINGS, 11.2 m. (440 alt., 198 pop.), a station on the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R., is a shipping point for the surrounding farming and dairy sec- tion. The Sheffield Milk Co. maintains a pasturizing plant here (open to the public).
In the village center is junction of State 55 and 82.
Section d proceeds L. on State 55; tor continuation of State 82, see Tour No. 3F.
Section d. Billings-Freedom Plains-Manchester-Poughkeepsie.
State 55. 7.5 m.
This short section of the route has a fine concrete road, comparatively free of travel since it passes through sparsely settled farm lands. The road is winding and hilly, the high points offering extensive views which have made this a popular short drive out of Poughkeepsie.
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FREEDOM PLAINS, 2 m. (325 alt., 104 pop.). The name Freedom was given to the township in 1821 by Enoch Dorland, a Quaker preacher. In 1829 it was changed by the Board of Supervisors to LaGrange, after the ancestral estate of the Marquis de LaFayette in France. Later the name of the village was changed to that of the township in which it lies.
Freedom Plains is typical of the early 18th century American rural com- munity. The FREEDOM PLAINS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, built in 1828, is constructed of wood in Colonial church style. It serves as the principal social center of the community. In and about Freedom Plains are many houses built early in the 19th century. Diversified farming is the principal occupation.
At 3 m. is the top of a hill, from which a backward glance will reveal a panaramic view of the Mid-Dutchess County valley. The Berkshires in the far distance lie in a hazy blue cloak, and the nearer Fishkill Mountains rise on the right.
At the top of the hill, at 4.5 m., is another view. To the west lies the city of Poughkeepsie, the Hudson River, and the Catskills in the distance; on the southwest are the Fishkill and Shawangunk ranges. Many people drive for miles to view the sunset and the twinkling lights of Poughkeepsie from this vantage point.
At 5.7 m. the highway leads under a bridge of the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. (The driver should proceed carefully as the roadway is narrow.) Immediately the road bears, (R) and crosses a bridge over Wappinger Creek.
MANCHESTER, 5.7 m. The row of red brick houses (R) were formerly occupied by workers in a large brickyard recently abandoned. Limestone was quarried nearby, and there are clay pits in the vicinity. The site of the brickyards is now occupied by the office building of the Dutchess County Highway Department.
Intersection of State 55 and US 44, 7.5 m. Straight ahead on Main St. to Poughkeepsie.
TOUR 3 A
Junction US 9 and New Hamburg Road-New Hamburg. New Ham- burg Road. 3.8 m.
This route over a macadam and concrete road to New Hamburg closely parallels US 9. It has the quiet surroundings of a country road, with pleasant vales and undulating hills at frequent intervals.
At .4 m. is junction with two roads .. The route continues straight ahead.
The GALLAUDET HOME FOR DEAF MUTES, 1.1 m. (R) (visitors welcome), is situated on a high knoll occupying over 100 well- cultivated acres; the front lawn affords a view of the Hudson River. The institution was founded in 1872 by Dr. Thomas Gallaudet, who introduced deaf mute sign language in the United States.
At 1.3 m. is junction with dirt road.
Right on dirt road is STONECO, I m., occupied entirely by the New
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York Trap Rock Company, owner of the largest dolomite quarry in the world. Its product, calcium magnesium carbonate (Ca Mg (Co3)2), used in road and building construction, is shipped all over the United States. The average daily output under normal conditions is nearly 5,000 tons of stone. The ridge from which the stone is quarried is from 80 to 100 ft. high and is known to extend more than 180 ft. below the river level. The product is 94 to 97 per cent dolomite with very thin layers of quartz. The surface stratum is calcareous sand. The houses in Stoneco are occupied by employes of the quarry and are owned by the company.
Within the firm's acreage is the site of the former homestead of DeWitt Clinton.
At 3.3 m. is junction with 2-strip concrete road. The route turns R. on this road.
NEW HAMBURG, 3.8 m. (20 alt., 500 pop.) is located on a point of land extending out into the Hudson River above the mouth of Wappinger Creek. Its station on the New York Central R. R. is the shipping point for the village of Wappingers Falls, 1.5 m. NE. Fishing, the chief industry, is particularly active during the latter part of April when shad are running. A yacht club is maintained privately.
Early 19th century river commerce aided in the development of the community, but the village grew slowly until the opening of Hudson River R. R. in 1850. Then several prominent families from the metropolitan district built summer homes here, many of which have been vacated in the past twenty years.
A FERRY HOUSE, now used as a storehouse, built in 1813 to serve the ferry previously inaugurated between the New Hamburg and Marl- borough, still remains. In the outer wall of the building are several fine specimen of ripple limestone.
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