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44-586: The West Point Foundry was a major American ironworking and machine shop site in Cold Spring, New York , operating from 1818 to about 1911. Initiated after the War of 1812 , it became most famous for its production of Parrott rifle artillery and other munitions during the Civil War , although it also manufactured a variety of iron products for civilian use. The increase of steel making and decreasing demand for cast iron after

88-853: A grassroots , sustainable approach to revitalizing the dilapidated downtown area. Scenic Hudson has helped establish and advance numerous environmental initiatives, including the Hudson River Estuary Program, the New York State Coastal Management Program, the Hudson River Valley Greenway, the Clean Water Act , the Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act and the National Heritage Area Designation , and

132-457: A deed to the tract from Wappinger leaders, totaling as much as much as 17,480 acres (according to recent historical analysis) along the eastern bank of the Hudson River from the peak on Anthony's Nose to (and including) Pollepel Island , and east to a marked tree which would establish the tract's eastern border. This tract contained a large portion of modern-day Phillipstown, NY , including

176-586: A fire brigade known as the Cold Spring Hose Company, No.1. A horse-drawn hook and ladder was donated in 1899. The Municipal Building, designed by Louis Mekeel, was constructed in 1926 to house the company's first firetruck, an American LaFrance. The company, renamed Cold Spring Fire Company No.1 in 1900, serves the Villages of Cold Spring, Nelsonville and a district in the Town of Philipstown. Mr. Willis Buckner,

220-524: A former slave from the South, was a driver and groom for Susan and Anna Bartlett Warner at their farm on Constitution Island . Mr. Buckner taught Sunday School at the Methodist Church. In the early decades of the 20th century, blacks who stayed in this part of New York state migrated away from rural towns to nearby cities with waterfront manufacturing such as Peekskill, Beacon, Newburgh and Ossining. During

264-509: A piece of low Land lying Southeasterly from Kichtondacongh called Paukeminshingh." Nimham goes on to contest the sale of any land beyond this initial tract deeded by the Wappinger to Dortlandt and Sybrant, however, recognizes the initial transaction of land (including present-day Cold Spring) as legitimately ceded by the Wappinger to the Dutch. The first permanent settler in the village of Cold Spring

308-523: A result after some of it exploded during a 1999 fire). The platform used for mounting artillery for proofing was uncovered during Superfund work in the early 1990s. Besides artillery, the foundry also produced iron fittings for civilian uses, such as pipe for the New York City water system and sugar mills for shipment to the West Indies . A number of early locomotives were built at the foundry, including

352-574: Is Kristin Gamble, who succeeded James C. Goodfellow. The organization has three major focus area: Protecting land, creating and enhancing parks and preserves, and advocating for environmentally responsible policies and development outcomes. Working primarily along the Hudson River between New York City and Albany, the organization acquires land and conservation easements to create parks and preserves, protect lands of high scenic and ecological importance, and conserve farmland. Much of its land protection work

396-676: Is completed in partnership with private landowners, local land trusts, and local, state, and federal public agencies. Land and conservation easements are typically acquired and held by Scenic Hudson's affiliate organization, The Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc. The organizations have protected over 31,000 acres in nine counties. In 2011, the organization received the Land Trust Alliance 's National Land Trust Excellence Award. Scenic Hudson has created and enhanced more than 60 parks, preserves, and historic sites. Scenic Hudson works with municipalities and other environmental organizations to connect

440-514: Is that the farm will give the community safer spaces to be outside, as well as a food supply. The Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm is a part of a response to the status of the city of Poughkeepsie as a food desert . A 2014 study found that one in four households in Poughkeepsie was food insecure . This statistic was the same for access to a car, which has been proven to impact food security. Today there are only three accessible food stores within

484-423: Is water. As of the census of 2020, there were 1,986 people, 834 households, and 834 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,300 inhabitants per square mile (1,300/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 94% White , 0.49% African American , 0.44% Native American , 3.05% Asian , 2.12% from other races , and 0.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.07% of

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528-818: The Best Friend of Charleston (the first to be put into commercial service), the West Point (the third built for service in the United States), the DeWitt Clinton (the fourth, and first to operate in New York state), Phoenix , and Experiment . In 1835, Captain Robert Parker Parrott , an 1824-graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point , was appointed as an inspector of ordnance at

572-499: The Hudson Highlands , sits at the deepest point of the Hudson River, directly across from West Point . Cold Spring serves as a weekend getaway for many residents of New York City . Commuter service to New York City is available via the Cold Spring train station , served by Metro-North Railroad . The train journey is approximately one hour, ten minutes to Grand Central Terminal . On July 15, 1691, Dortlandt and Sybrant secured

616-626: The 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan had a presence in Cold Spring as well as Fishkill and Nelsonville. Pete Seeger formed the Clearwater organization, an environmental group dedicated to advances in sewer treatment, industrial waste disposal, and addressing the discharge of major pollutants into the Hudson. In 1970, the sloop Clearwater docked for a songfest at Cold Spring. As Seeger appeared on stage to thank

660-510: The Civil War caused it to become bankrupt gradually and cease operations during the early 20th Century. The establishment of the foundry was encouraged by President James Madison , who, after the War of 1812 , wanted to establish domestic foundries to produce artillery . Cold Spring was an ideal site: timber for charcoal was abundant, there were many local iron mines, and the nearby Margaret's Brook provided water power to drive machinery. The site

704-541: The Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance. Revitalizing Downtown Poughkeepsie In 2020, Scenic Hudson along with other local partners acquired two old manufacturing buildings and properties in the city of Poughkeepsie . The acquisition is a part of a bigger project slowly underway by Scenic Hudson to revitalize the city’s Northside neighborhood. The spaces will likely be used for office spaces, “parkland,” and public gathering spaces. Another element of

748-574: The New York Common Council (and eventually the British Crown) in resolving land disputes over land claimed both by the heirs of Adolph Philipse and Wappinger natives. In this testimony, Nimham states that Wappinger ancestors had sold a tract of "Low Lands on that Part of the Peeks kill [north of modern-day Annsville Creek]... and also a pine swamp containing... a few Acres called Kichtondacongh and

792-493: The audience for coming, fifteen drunks stood up waving little American flags, yelling “Throw the Commies out.” That night someone cut the sloop's moorings and there were threats to torch the boat. All of this created tension within the Clearwater organization. Towards the latter part of the nineteenth century artists, writers and prominent families came to Cold Spring, and mansions were built along Morris Avenue, including "Undercliff,"

836-578: The case became a cornerstone of environmental law in the United States , and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. After the Storm King Mountain case, Scenic Hudson gained more visibility. It began working with other local communities to protect important natural resources and adopting sound environmental policies. The Chair of the Board of Directors of the organization

880-411: The central office building remains intact; the remainder are in ruins. 87 acres (35 ha) around the site form a preserve owned by Scenic Hudson . It can be visited by a short trail from the nearby Cold Spring Metro-North station. A major archaeological study of the site, funded by Scenic Hudson and performed by Michigan Tech , occurred from 2002 to 2008. The West Point Foundry Archeological Site

924-522: The city limits, two of which are on the outskirts and may be difficult to access without reliable transportation. In 2018, Duchess Outreach Fresh Market distributed 8,000 pounds of food grown in the Hudson Valley region, and the Pershing Avenue Farm will provide an additional stream of local food to that critical source. Additionally, in encouraging local residents to learn to grow their own food,

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968-632: The east. Those trips by sloop usually took a week. In 1818, Gouverneur Kemble established the West Point Foundry opposite West Point to produce artillery pieces for the United States Government. The nearby mountains contained veins of ore, and were covered with timber for fuel. A brook provided hydropower, and the Hudson a ready shipping outlet. In 1843, the Foundry built the USS Spencer ,

1012-456: The entire the Village of Cold Spring. While many land transactions in colonial America were disputed by settlers and natives, the original lands deeded to Dortlandt and Sybrant (containing the Village of Cold Spring) appear to have been legitimately obtained with the consent of the Wappinger. This is evidenced by testimony from Wappinger leader Daniel Nimham , who, in 1765, sought the assistance of

1056-595: The fact that President Abraham Lincoln visited and inspected it in June 1862. The fame of the foundry was such that Jules Verne , for his novel From the Earth to the Moon , chose it as the contractor for the Columbiad , a spaceship-launching cannon. In 1867, Parrott resigned as superintendent, although he continued to experiment with artillery designs until his death in 1877. Business of

1100-510: The first iron ship built in the U.S. With the influx of workers at the Foundry, local housing, businesses and churches increased, and Cold Spring was incorporated as a village in 1846. The first President of the Village was Joshua Haight. The Foundry became famous for its production of Parrott rifles and other munitions during the Civil War , when the foundry grew to a sprawling 100-acre complex employing 1,400. It also manufactured cast iron steam engines for locomotives, gears, and produced much of

1144-459: The foundry decreased due to competition from more modern techniques of iron and steel production. It had discontinued the use of charcoal and begun to purchase coal from Pennsylvania about 1870. However, it was unable to avoid receivership in 1884 and bankruptcy in 1889. It was sold in 1897 to the Cornell brothers, makers of sugar mills, and ceased operation in 1911. Of the buildings on the site, only

1188-506: The foundry for the U.S. Army. The following year he resigned his commission and on October 31, 1836, was appointed superintendent of the foundry. It prospered over his long tenure, and was the site of numerous experiments with artillery and projectiles, culminating in his invention of the Parrott rifle cannon in 1860. In 1843 the foundry also manufactured the USS Spencer , a revenue cutter which

1232-557: The home of publisher George Pope Morris , and "Craigside," the home of Julia and General Daniel Butterfield . To the south, West Point Foundry employees Dr. Frederick Lente built " The Grove ," Robert Parker Parrott built " Plumbush ," and Hudson River School painter Thomas P. Rossiter built " Fair Lawn ." The village is bordered by the Hudson River to the west, and is bound by the Hudson Highlands State Park to

1276-621: The hope is that there will be a further increase in accessibility to healthy food. While Scenic Hudson has been a critical actor in this project, a number of other organizations in the area have been instrumental. These include Cornell Cooperative Extension, Nubian Directions, Duchess Outreach, Poughkeepsie Farm Project, Poughkeepsie Alliance, and the City of Poughkeepsie. Additionally, press releases from Scenic Hudson indicate that they will continue to work with community members for insights on planning. All of these moving parts are instrumental in ensuring

1320-521: The north, where Mount Taurus and Breakneck Ridge rise out of the banks of the Hudson and form two basically parallel ridges that track each other inland. The valley between them has an abandoned dairy farm, two lakes, and a camp. According to the United States Census Bureau , the village has a total area of 0.60 square miles (1.55 km ), of which 0.59 square miles (1.54 km ) is land and 0.004 square miles (0.01 km ), or 0.91%,

1364-542: The pipework for New York's water system. The rise of steel making and the declining demand for cast iron after the Civil War caused the Foundry to cease operations in 1911. Many artifacts from the Foundry's history can be viewed at the Putnam History Museum on Chestnut Street. Built in 1830, the building was originally a one-room schoolhouse for the Foundry's teenage apprentices and the children of employees. On January 22, 1896, local businessmen of Cold Spring formed

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1408-406: The population were below the poverty line , including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over. The Foundry Preserve Trail is located here. The Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library was established in Cold Spring in 1913. Magazzino Italian Art is a museum focused on Postwar and Contemporary Italian Art and features a herd of Sardinian donkeys . In 1826, Union Church

1452-413: The population. Out of the 834 households, 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 3.0. The median income for a household in the village was $ 98,056 (an increase of 83.7% from 2010), and the median income for a family was $ 135,500 (an increase of 78.2% from 2010). About 8.4% of

1496-500: The project slightly farther along is the Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm, of which the construction started in fall 2020. The farm will consist of a quarter acre plot, with half being used for educational purposes, and all food grown will be distributed through Duchess Outreach, another local non-profit organization. The second half will act as a community garden where community members can rent out space. The hope

1540-478: The public with the Hudson River, improve water quality, encourage responsible development practices, and revitalize urban waterfronts. In 2010, the organization published Revitalizing Hudson Riverfronts , a handbook which provides guidance for balancing conservation and development goals on urban waterfronts. More recently, it launched a series of task forces to help riverfront communities adapt to climate change-induced sea level rise . The organization also works with

1584-610: The village is on the National Register of Historic Places as the Cold Spring Historic District due to its many well- preserved 19th-century buildings, constructed to accommodate workers at the nearby West Point Foundry (itself a Registered Historic Place today). The town is the birthplace of General Gouverneur K. Warren , who was an important figure in the Union Army during the Civil War . The village, located in

1628-463: Was Merrick Williams in 1730. In 1772, a highway master was chosen for the road from Cold Spring to the Post Road from New York to Albany. Prior to Williams presence, the land was woodlands. A small trading hamlet grew alongside the river by the early 1800s. A couple of sloops made regular weekly trips from Cold Spring to New York, carrying wood and some country produce, which came over this model road from

1672-653: Was built in 1867, designed in the Victorian Gothic style by architect and vestry member George Edward Harney . Cold Spring is home to the Haldane Central School District . The school is located at 11 Craigside Drive and teaches students grades K-12. The school received a blue ribbon award in 2017 from the U.S. Department of Education. Cold Spring has two weekly newspapers: Highlands Current , founded in 2010, and Putnam County News and Recorder , founded in 1868. Scenic Hudson Scenic Hudson

1716-598: Was built. By mutual agreement the Presbyterians used the building in the morning and the other religious groups in the afternoon. In 1830, the Baptists constructed a church on land donated by Samuel L. Gouverneur . The first Methodist church was built in 1833. The building was sold in 1870, and a new brick Italianate structure was built in 1868. The Dutch Reformed Church was built around 1855 in Neoclassical style. The building

1760-677: Was founded as the Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference on November 8, 1963, when Hudson Valley residents organized to save Storm King Mountain from being transformed into a pumped-storage hydroelectric plant. The organization successfully mounted the Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference v. Federal Power Commission court case, which saved the mountain and, for the first time, gave U.S. citizens legal standing to challenge development proposals on environmental grounds. Known as "The Scenic Hudson Decision,"

1804-611: Was guarded by West Point , across the Hudson River , and the river provided shipping for finished products. The West Point Foundry Association was incorporated by Gouverneur Kemble , who was of a merchant family in New York City (his mother's family had associations in Putnam County ), and the foundry began operation in 1817. Artillery was tested by shooting across the Hudson at the desolate slopes of Storm King Mountain (which would later have to be swept for unexploded ordnance as

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1848-503: Was later replaced by the Julia L. Butterfield Library. Many of the workers at the Foundry were Irish immigrants. Our Lady of Loretto church was constructed in 1833 of locally made red brick covered with stucco. The church was abandoned in 1906 and fell into disrepair. It was repaired and re-dedicated in 1977. Saint Mary's in the Highlands church was incorporated in 1840. A second larger church

1892-486: Was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2021. Cold Spring, New York Cold Spring is a village in the town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York , United States. The population was 1,986 at the 2020 census. It borders the smaller village of Nelsonville and the hamlets of Garrison and North Highlands . The central area of

1936-491: Was the first iron ship built in the U.S.A. The foundry was busiest during the American Civil War due to military orders: at that time it had a workforce of 1,400 people and produced 2,000 cannon and three million shells. Parrott also invented an incendiary shell which was used in an 8-inch Parrott rifle cannon (the "Swamp Angel") to bombard Charleston . The importance of the foundry for the war effort can be measured by

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