Long Time Gone
Staff | May 2, 2017 | Comment
The Hudson Valley has always been beautiful, this is no secret. For hundreds of years, people have been basking in its glory. The early inhabitants of our land and their successors have left behind some incredible historic sites. History and nature enthusiasts, here are some spots to excite your minds.
Historic Huguenot Street
Huguenot Street in New Paltz was first established in 1698 by a group of French Huguenot families. In 1894, their descendants formed what is today the community of Historic Huguenot Street to preserve their legacy. This 10-acre National Historic Landmark District includes a visitor center, seven historic stone houses, and a reconstructed 1717 Huguenot church. Rich in archaeological heritage, the site contains a burial ground that includes the graves of some of the original inhabitants.
Hurley Reformed Church
Hurley’s Main Street is a National Historic Landmark, with 10 stone houses, all 230-330 years old, within a quarter mile. Each second Saturday in July (this year: July 8), a handful of these private homes are opened to the public for the Hurley Stone House Tour. Other attractions on the tour include guides in Colonial attire, craft demonstrations, and a 1777 Ulster Militia Encampment.
Locust Grove
The independent, not-for-profit museum Locust Grove is located in Poughkeepsie. Set on 200-acres, Locust Grove features an Italianate villa dating to 1851. Designed for Morse code inventor Samuel F. B. Morse, the mansion is the work of architect A. J. Davis. Its carriage roads, views of the Hudson River, and manicured gardens make for a picturesque afternoon.
Olana
A tour of the 250-acre historic estate of Hudson River School artist Frederic Edwin Church will leave you inspired, to say the least. Located just outside the city of Hudson, the estate boasts a Persian-inspired mansion filled with original sketches, studies, and paintings by Church, while its landscape, also designed by Church, is perfectly intact.
Staatsburgh State Historic Site
This historic preserve was the country home of financier Ogden Mills and his wife, Ruth Livingston Mills. A prime representation of a Gilded Age estate, the house has been restored to its turn-of-the-century splendor and is open for tours.
FDR Estate/Presidential Library
America’s only four-term president resided in Hyde Park on 300 acres of trails and gardens. Aside from a tour of the first Presidential Library, visitors can also take part in a guided tour of Springwood, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s beloved home. Visitors also have the option to take a two-hour tour of the Dutch Colonial-style Top Cottage, which was designed by FDR himself during World War II as a place to meet with other Allied representatives.
Vanderbilt Mansion
A monument to an earlier era, Vanderbilt Mansion is situated on 211 acres of parkland with 100-year-old tree plantings and Italian gardens. The estate was modeled on the grand, traditional concept of the English country house.