The Kingston Hudson River Maritime Museum 50 Roundout Landing
I recently visited the Hudson River Maritime Museum after a boat cruise around the Hudson River and I found this wonderful little under-rated museum to packed with information not just about the history of the Hudson River Valley but the rich history of boating and boat building, the economic impact of the area in mining, brick building, ice manufacturing and cement development.
The Tug Boat display
It was interesting to see how the natural wonders of the area have given the rise to so much development in not just building the area but its long lasting contribution to New York City. This was not just in industry but in the pleasure and shipping boat industries as well.
The Ferry display
One part of the museum is dedicated to transportation up and down the river with sailing and steamboats in the forefront especially how the luxury steamboat industry went full force until about 60 years ago. It was considered the nicest form of transportation to and from New York City. It was interesting how the modern train and car lead to the demise of something that today would be embraced as unique and fun. The pleasure steamboat industry continued on until 1971.
The leisure ferry industry down the Hudson River
Another part of the museum was dedicated to the history and development of the area from the Native American tribes living along the shore and the Dutch settlements to the rise of modern development of manufacturing along the shores to its after effects and clean up in the 1960’s and 70’s. These included fishing, ice manufacturing and brick making.
The Ice Industry on the Hudson River
There were really nice displays on the ship building, sail companies and maritime industries that supported them. The manufacture of raw materials and building supplies because of the natural resources of the Hudson River Valley show how rich in minerals, clay, cement and stone from the cliffs built New York City and how they nearly destroyed nature.
The Brick industry in the Hudson River Valley
The displays tell the stories of activists who saved the area, Robber Barons that exploited it and the everyday people who contributed to making the valley the interesting place that it is today. It showed how protests and free speech saved the Valley from devastating development.
The Alexander Hamilton Ferry ride down the Hudson River
With each room at the museum, there is a story to tell and pictures to explain why the Hudson River Valley and the Kingston Roundout is such an interesting place to see. Outside you can find an example of the Tug Boat industry
The Tug Boat “Mathilda” on the museum grounds
The tugboat display by the riverfront
Take time to guide through the rooms and read the signs and stories. There is a lot to see and do here and make sure to leave plenty of time to walk the grounds and see the tug boat and sailing displays and walk the river front. There is even a display of ships models to explore. It makes for an interesting afternoon.
The ‘Ship Models’ display
History of the Hudson River Maritime Museum
(This information was taken from the Museum’s website and pamphlet)
Hudson River Maritime Museum
The Hudson River Maritime is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related industries.
Ship building was very important in the region
The Hudson River Maritime Museum was founded in 1980 to preserve the history and maritime heritage of the Hudson River. Our collections range from steamboats, tugboats and sailboats to the canal system and waterfront industries, dating back to the early 19th Century.
The ferry display
The museum has a library and archives open to researches by appointment. Some of our collections have been digitized and are available online at http://www.hrvh.org/hrmmkingston.
Passenger steam boats, Hudson River rowing, ferries, ecology and conservation, ice boats, tugboats, fishing, ice harvesting, brick making, early exploration, cement production, lighthouses and more. HRMM features a new temporary exhibit every year. Information on exhibits, including online exhibits is available at hrmm.org.
The ‘Cabin Room’ display
Some of the attributes of the museum:
Wooden Boat School:
The Wooden Boat School was opened by the Hudson River Maritime Museum to preserve the rich boat building heritage of the Hudson River Valley. Wooden boat building occurred on Roundout Creek in particular throughout the 19th and 20th centuries including World War I & II and the Korean War.
The ‘Hudson River Weather’ display
Today, the Wooden Boat School offers adult classes, Youth boat program for teens and serves as the headquarters for the Sailing & Rowing School, Sea Scouts Ship 609 and the Kingston Sailing Club.
Kingston Home Port:
A timber framed carbon neutral structure, the Kingston Home Port and Education Center was completed in 2012 to serve as the winter home port and maintenance center for HHRM partner the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater during the winter season. During the summer months, the Home Port serves as an event, lecture and educational space for the museum.
The ‘Steamboat Captain’ display
The Kingston Home Port also functions as the main operational headquarters for the Roundout Rowing Club and the Kingston High School Crew Team.
The ‘Erie Canal’ display
The ‘Erie Canal’ display
The Hudson River Maritime Museum (HRMM) features a variety of programs and events throughout the year including:
*Lighthouse Tours
*Local History tours, including guided walking and car tours.
*Woodworking, maritime art and boat building classes at the Wooden Boat School
*Sailing, boating and rowing classes at the Sailing & Rowing School
This is the best way to experience seeing the Hudson River by walking on top of it. It is especially nice on a beautiful day.
The rail car from the entrance to the Walkway by the Highland Park side of the walk
The day I walked over the “Walkway over the Hudson” it was a rather cool September day in the last days of the summer but still it was a spectacular day to see the river with blue skies and sunshine. I also revisited the Walkway in July of 2024 and the views are just as amazing when everything in full bloom.
The history of the bridge that crosses the Hudson River
The start of the walk by the Highland NY side of the bridge
The views from the bridge on the Highland NY side
The views of the Mid Hudson Bridge
The views of Poughkeepsie and Hyde Park
On both sides of the bridge, there are small parks to sit and relax. There are signs all over the bridge to tell the story of the bridge and the people who helped save it. The best part is to just sit around the rails and see the views of the Hudson River. On the Poughkeepsie side of the river, you have the entrance to the Little Italy section of city right near the riverfront. Since my initial walk, three of the restaurants have closed since COVID.
The historic sign at the halfway point
Looking up the Hudson River to the north of the bridge
Looking north to Hyde Park, NY
Looking south down the Hudson River
What is nice too is when you are leaving the Walkway is that you can tour Little Italy and Downtown Poughkeepsie. The Riverfront area of the City is changing quickly and new bars and restaurants are opening.
The towns and neighborhoods to visit after leaving the Walkway in Poughkeepsie and Highland NY
The Little Italy section of Poughkeepsie from the Walkway over the Hudson
The sign in Little Italy in Poughkeepsie
The history of the ‘Walkway Across the Hudson’:
The bridge now known as the Walkway Over the Hudson opened in 1889 as the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge to transport western raw materials to eastern industrial centers. Rosendale cement was used in the original construction of the piers. At the same time of its opening, it was the longest bridge in the world.
Downtown Poughkeepsie in front of me
In addition to freight trains, the bridge hosted passenger trains connecting Boston, New York, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington as early as 1890. Trolley cars termed “rapid transit” were modified to run on both trolley and railroad tracks and served tourists, students and shoppers (from New Paltz to Lucky Platt’s). Special West Point Football trains ran from 1921-1930. Circus trains, milk trains, trains for hogs and cattle-the uses were varied and the impact was huge. At its peak as many as 3,500 rail cars crossed the bridge each day.
The waterfront of Poughkeepsie
There were two sets of tracks until 1918 when gauntlet track, also called interleaved track, was installed to handle the weight of diesel locomotives. It was removed in 1958.
Looking south down the Hudson River
During World War II the bridge was painted black to make it less visible in the event of an attack. Painting continued until the 1960’s. The high quality of the steel used in the original construction does not need to be painted. Metal experts during reconstruction stated that the absence of paint in fact helped keep the steel in the good condition it is in today.
The Poughkeepsie waterfront
The fire that destroyed the tracks in 1974 was probably started by a spark from a train’s brakes. From Carleton Mabee’s ‘Bridging the Hudson’, page 247: “An hour after a Penn Central train with 100 cars crossed the bridge on May 8, 1974, a thick cloud of black smoke hung over the bridge. Wooden ties were smoldering and wooden walkways were burning, fanned by a moderate breeze. Because Penn Central had no guards or maintenance men on the bridge at the time, the fire was not quickly reported. When firemen arrived at the site, they found they could not easily pump water up to the top of such a high bridge.
Downtown Poughkeepsie from the bridge near the waterfront
When firemen arrived arrived at the site, they found they could not easily pump water up to the top of such a high bridge. When they tried turning on the water to flow into the bridge. When they tried turning on the water to flow into the steel pipe which ran the length of the bridge, a line meant to help fight fires, they found that because it had not been drained the previous winter, it had burst at several points-Penn Central had known it but had not repaired it.”
View from the bridge on the Poughkeepsie side right near Little Italy
It was rebuilt and re-opened in October 2009 as the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park thanks to the efforts of a dedicated friends group, the Dyson Foundation, many donors and New York State.
The Highland Park side of the bridge at dusk
At 212 feet above the Hudson River, this 1.28 mile linear park boasts scenic views north to the Catskills and south to the Hudson Highlands.
The Walkway is amazing on a sunny day
The Walkway is part of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail Network and was inducted into the Rail-Train of Fame in 2016, it connects Ulster County’s Hudson Valley Rail Train to the William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail.
The ADA compliant 21 story glass elevator provides seasonal access from Poughkeepsie waterfront at Upper Landing Park a short walk from the Metro North train station.
The Walkway welcomes more than 500,000 visitors annually from all over the world who enjoy walking, cycling and running amidst its scenic beauty.
Today, the Walkway is operated and owned by NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the NYS Bridge Authority it is open year round, offering programs, events and tours made possible through membership and donations to the Walkway organization.
(This information was taken from the Walkway over the Hudson website and pamphlet and I give them full credit for all of this information).
I enjoy coming up to Germantown to visit the Clermont Mansion at any time of the year especially at Christmas time. I came for a tour of Clermont in the Christmas season of 2019 (pre-COVID) to tour the home. The old mansions of the Hudson River Valley show their real beauty at this time of the year.
The Clermont Library decorated for Christmas
In 2020, the home closed like everything else for COVID and because of extensive renovations on the property and in the home, did not open again until June of 2023. I came up finally in July of 2023 for another tour of the home. The mansion looked very refreshed and bright on a blue, sunny afternoon. The grounds were in full bloom and everything looked so green.
The views of the river when you arrive
Walking around Clermont is like walking through a history book. To think you are walking around the very rooms that family members who wrote the Declaration of Independence, were Governors and Ambassadors from our country and who owned most of Upstate New York lived is really incredible. The Livingston Family did so much for the United States in the formation of this country is a testament to the family.
Once you arrive at the Visitors Center and pay for your tour, you will have time to walk around the exhibition of the history of the family in the old stables. Here you will learn about the family who built and lived in this wonderful home. The family lived here for seven generations and like most families over time when the money depleted, they had to move out. The last daughter of the family, Honoria, sold the estate to the State of New York as a park. The upkeep got to be too much for the family.
The Visitor’s Center display on the family
The family story boards in the old stables
The history of the estate and the Livingston family in the Visitor’s Center
The history of the estate
The tour 2019 was wonderful because of the one on one conversation I had with my tour guide, Molly. It was the same in 2023 when Aaron took me on a one on one tour of the mansion. We started in the entry hallway where the family hang many of the family portraits and the long hall lead to wonderful views of the Hudson River.
The Entrance Hall of Clermont
Just off to the right of the front entrance of the home (the front entrance faces the river not the back entrance where you start the tour) is the Receiving Room. This was the room in 2023 during my summer tour of the house. The Receiving Room is where guests would wait to be welcomed by family members or people would call on the family and leave their calling cards.
The Receiving Room was also used as a Music Room as well
The Receiving Room was decorated for the holidays in 2019 with more beautiful views of the river and a very interesting clock on the mantle that there are only two in the world. This clock represented the first balloon launch in France and this was the clock where the balloon went up. In France was the other clock with the balloon going down. I thought that was pretty interesting.
The Balloon Clock on the mantle decorated for Christmas
Our next stop was the Library which seemed very homey and relaxing. It looked like a room that a family would want to spend their time in after a long day. The windows faced the river and the formal gardens at that time and let in a lot of light. The room was decorated with a elegant tree and looked like the family was ready to walk in and join us for the holidays.
The Library of Clermont
The Office/Library on the first floor
Next it was off to the formal Dining Room where the portraits of Margaret Beekman Livingston (a VERY distant relative of mine by marriage) and her husband, Robert Livingston hung. She had saved these along with the grandfather clock before her first house was burned by the British during the war years. It was set for Christmas lunch when the family would dine together.
The Clermont Dining Room is very elegant at Christmas. This is in 2019 (pre-COVID)
In the summer months, the room was pretty plain with no set up on the table. The Dining Room has just had some renovation work so the walls and ceiling looked really nice.
The Clermont Dining Room in the summer of 2023
The Dining Room portraits
Margaret Beekman Livingston’s Wedding portrait in the Dining Room
Robert Livingston’s Wedding portrait in the Dining Room
We also toured where the food was prepared and prepped from the kitchen to the Dining Room, which was all done in organized fashion. I was told by the tour guide that for the most part the family lived here year round unlike some of the other mansions who only lived here during certain times of the season.
The Kitchen at Clermont
We took a walk upstairs to see the upstairs bedrooms and see where the third Mrs. Livingston lived. I thought it was interesting that she had two beds in her room in which neither was big enough to accommodate her. One was the main bed and the smaller one was a Day bed when she wanted to take a nap but did not want to mess up her main bed.
The last Mrs. Livingston’s bedroom until the 1960’s
We then toured what had been Honoria’s and Alice’s bedroom when they were children and then became the Guest Room. It still looked like a Children’s Room.
The Daughter’s/Guest Bedroom
Then it was back down to the formal hallway for the end of the tour. The one thing I have to say about Clermont is that it looks like someone’s home not some grand mansion like the Mills or Vanderbilt mansions that looked like they for a moment time or only for a season. This family lived here all the time.
The upstairs bathroom was one of the remodeling features
The family lived here until the 1960’s when upkeep of the estate got to be too much for the family and it was sold to the state. The New York Park is now maintained by the New York State Park system.
The Gardens:
The formal gardens were in bloom when I got there that weekend. Since the house opened in June most of the Spring plantings were already gone but the Summer plantings were in full bloom. There were three gardens on the property, two of which had been brought back to nature, the Wilderness Garden and the South Spring Garden and then the Walled Garden was well maintained and planted.
The Wilderness Garden was well-maintained and planted with natural plants
The South Spring Garden
The South Spring Garden has given way to nature
The Walled Garden was the most formal of all the gardens
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
In the Fall, I went back up to Clermont for the Ghost Tour and the foliage was amazing, but the rain knocked a lot of it off. Still the colors were glorious.
Clermont in the Fall of 2023
The formal gardens in the Fall
The formal gardens in the Fall
The gardens in the Fall.
The I toured the rest of the estate and saw the ruins of the other mansion, Arryl, that is on the other side of the parking lot and then saw the ruins of the Old House and the Root Cellar.
The Ice House
The Root Cellar
The flowers by the Root Cellar
View of the Hudson River
The History of Clermont:
The name Clermont derives from “clear mountain” in French and was inspired by the view of the Catskill Mountains across the Hudson River from the estate.
The front of Clermont that faces the Hudson River
The estate was established by Robert Livingston following the death of his father, the first Lord of the Manor was inherited by the eldest son, Philip Livingston, 13,000 acres in the southwest corner later named Clermont was willed to Robert. The original house was built around 1740.
The path leading to the main house
Robert Livingston of Clermont died on June 27, 1775 and the estate passed to his son, Robert, who was known as ‘Judge Livingston’ to distinguish him from his father. Judge Livingston was a member of the New York General Assembly from 1759 to 1768, served as Judge of the admiralty court from 1760 to 1763 and was a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress of 1765. He married Margaret Beekman, daughter of Colonel Henry Beekman. Their son, Robert R. Livingston, later known as “Chancellor”, served on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Judge Robert died about six months after his father, on December 9, 1775.
Burning and Rebuilding:
In October 1777, British ships sailed upriver from New York City in support of General John Burgoyne who was north of Albany. That same force had already stormed two forts in the Hudson Highlands and burned Kingston, New York. Major General John Vaughan led a raiding party to Clermont and burned Livingston’s home because of the family’s role in the rebellion.
The history of the ‘famous’ Robert’s of Clermont
Margaret Beekman Livingston rebuilt the family home between 1779 and 1782. Robert R. Livingston became the estate’s most prominent resident. Chancellor Livingston administered the oath of office to President General Washington, became Secretary of Foreign Affairs and negotiated the Louisiana Purchase.
Margaret Beekman Livingston
He also partnered with Robert Fulton in 1807 to create the first commercially successful steamboat on the Hudson River, the North River Steamboat (later known as the Clermont) which stopped at the house on its inaugural trip.
Robert Livingston in the famous Gilbert Sullivan painting.
The home’s final Livingston owners were John Henry Livingston and his wife, Alice. They added to the home and greatly valued the homes important historical role. The Livingston’s built second mansion on the property known as Arryl House, which burned down in 1909. The ruins of Arryl House are still visible at the south end of the property.
The burnt ruins of Arryl Mansion on the other side of the property.
The Arryl Mansion in the Fall of 2023
Alice Livingston was responsible for creating many of the landscaped gardens that are continued to this day. Following John Henry’s death, Alice turned the Mansion and property over to the State of New York in 1962 so that all the people of New York could enjoy it.
The landscaping around the old Ice House
The house is now a New York State Historic Site and was designated a United States National Historic landmark in 1972. It is a contributing property to another National Historic Landmark, the Hudson River Historic District. Although locate in the town of Clermont, its mailing address is in the nearby town of Germantown.
The views from the back of Clermont to the Hudson River
(This information is a combination from the Clermont Website and Wiki and I give them full credit for this information. Please check the website above for more information on the site and its activities through their Friends site.)
The Clermont Grounds
The Fall in the Hudson River Valley is one of the most brilliant times to visit and the foliage is so colorful. The constant rain knocked a lot of it down already but all around the house their were still signs of the reds, golds and oranges. I came up for the Ghost Tours which the mansion resumed this year to sold out crowds.
The Clermont Estate in the Fall.
The river front of the estate in the fall.
The Hudson River in all its glory.
The Ghost Tour of the estate:
The Ghost Tour took us on a tour through the house to meet the costumed characters throughout the mansion. The mansion was decorated for the Halloween and with the lights dimmed, it gave the house an eerie appearance to it.
When I arrived at the estate, the house loomed in the distance in its it glories with the golden colors of autumn.
Jack-a Lanterns lined the pathways and lit the way to the house.
We were greeted with fresh Apple Cider Doughnuts and Apple Cider from a local farm in Kingston, NY.
We were also treated to old fashioned Halloween candy with Mary Janes, Tootsie Rolls and other treats.
We started our tour at 7:00pm at twilight with the lanterns lit and the house waiting in the distance.
The hallway was decorated for Halloween.
First we met an embittered Robert Livingston (who over acted)
We stopped in the haunted Living Room to talk to the maid.
We met the ghost of Janet Livingston Montgomery in the Parlor.
Then it was off to the Dining Room to meet the last inhabitant of the house, Janet Livingston.
Margaret Beekman Livingston guarding the Dining Room.
On the way to the kitchen, we met Captain Kidd, the Livingston children and the last owners of the house on the way out the back door to end the tour. The whole tour took less than an hour.
We exited the house through the kitchen and out the door to a moon lit night with jack-a-lanterns taking us back to the Visitors Center. The night had fallen in the early evening at the mansion as we were the second to last tour of the evening and the moon had come out giving the sky a ominous and spooky look about it.
I visited again for the Christmas Open House in early December to see the decorations. I had not been there since 2018 and wanted to see how things had changed for the winter months. Everything was decked out for Christmas. The rooms were decorated but not in an over the top way as some of the other Hudson River homes.
The Clermont Estate at Christmas time.
The Clermont Estate at Christmas time.
The Front porch at Christmas time.
The Christmas tree on the porch.
Even the logs on the porch were decorated for the holidays.
The entrance foyer from the stairs.
Upon entering the front door, you could see the beauty and simplicity of the Christmas holidays in the early 1800’s before Victorian traditions took over and the house was overdone with decorations. Garland, Holly and simple pine trees adorned the rooms and welcomed everyone to the Christmas Holiday Open House sponsored by the Friends of Clermont. The home was nicely decorated for the holidays circa 1840’s.
Entering the Front Door at Clermont at Christmas.
The wreath was beautiful on the door.
Livingston Painting in the foyer
The Sugar Spun Clermont Sculpture.
Painting in the Foyer of Robert Livingston
Portrait of Margaret Livingston in the Foyer.
The holiday display.
The Office of Clermont
The Table Top tree in the Office.
The Library was set for Christmas morning with a large tree, homemade presents from the family and a morning of Christmas cheer. The views from the windows would have shown the beautiful views of the river.
The Library at Clermont
The Clermont Library at Christmas time.
The Christmas tree in the library.
The Library decorations.
Library decorations.
The Living Room was set for Afternoon Tea and for greeting guests who would have entered through the front door right off the main hallway.
The Living Room decorated for Christmas.
The Living Room was set for Afternoon Tea.
The portrait of Robert Livingston in the Living Room.
The portraits of Alida and Robert Livingston.
The Dining Room was not set for dinner but in anticipation of the holidays. The elegant runners, china, crystal and silver were off to the side awaiting the servants to set the table and prepare for Christmas dinner.
The Dining Room decorated for the holidays.
Holiday display in the Dining Room.
The Wedding Painting of Margaret Beekman Livingston in the Dining Room.
The family’s private bedrooms were decorated with garland and a small tree in the foyer.
Heading to the Second Floor of Clermont.
The view of the foyer from the upstairs.
The Livingston girls Bedroom.
The Livingston girl’s doll adorns the room.
The Christmas tree in the upstairs Foyer outside the bedrooms.
The Gingerbread House display in the Foyer.
When touring the kitchen which is located to the side of the house, the counters and tables were filled with all the delicious foods that would have been served at Christmas. Roasts, Trifles, Cakes and Pies would have been served by the staff for holiday get togethers and dinners at the mansion.
The Kitchen staff preparing the family’s Christmas dinner feast.
Preparations for Christmas dinner for the family.
Preparing Christmas dinner in the kitchen at Clermont.
After the Christmas Open House tour was over, the Friends sponsored Marshmallow roasting on the front lawn of the mansion and refreshments and talks up at the Visitors Center.
Roasting Marshmallows over the firepit on the mansion’s grounds after the walking tour of the mansion.
Christmas cookies, Apple Cider and Classic Candies in the Visitors Center ended the tour and the Open House for the day.
After the tour was over, I toured the gardens, which were dormant at the time and the grounds along the Hudson River. The views were just amazing and the gardens awaited the coming of the Spring when flowers would be blooming again.
Both the Open Houses at Halloween and at Christmas are a lot of fun and very special at Clermont. The Friends of Clermont do a nice job depicting the holidays and how the family would have celebrated them.
In the Summer of 2024, I took a special Garden Tour of the Livingston Gardens. A new Lead Gardener had been hired by the State of New York and she was starting to renovate the gardens. So we took a tour of the four gardens near the mansion. While we toured the estate grounds, we visited the South Spring Garden, the Walled Garden, the Children’s Garden and the Cutting Garden to see how they were progressing. The staff here is doing a good job bringing these gardens back to life to how Alice Livingston envisioned them.
The first was the South Spring Garden which is closest the house. This was built when the stairs to the side of the home were built and one of Alice Livingston’s first gardens.
The South Spring Garden sign
The South Spring Garden in Summer 2023
The South Spring Garden being cleaned up in Summer 2024
The grown in wall of the South Spring Garden
The Root Cellar sign
The Root Cellar remains by the South Spring Gardens
The flowers in the South Spring Gardens
The sign for the Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden Statuary
The Walled Garden
Then we visited the Wilderness Gardens that were just beyond these and they also had been brought back to life by the gardeners. This was to be a transition from the formal gardens to the woods.
The Wilderness Gardens:
The Wilderness Gardens sign
The Wilderness Gardens
The Wilderness Gardens
The we visited the Children’s Garden and the Cutting Gardens which were the newest gardens on the estate. The Children’s Garden playhouse had just been renovated and the beds had been replanted.
The Children’s Garden with the Children’s playhouse
The Children’s Garden from the entrance
The Children’s Garden Garden
The Children’s Garden
The Cutting Gardens were created so that Alice Livingston could grow the types of flowers that would decorate the house at various points in the season. These gardens have been brought back to their original purpose and the flowers and assortments that have been planted are colorful and the fragrances are so nice. On a beautiful day, walking amongst the beds is so nice and relaxing.
The Cutting Garden
The Cutting Garden
The Cutting Garden
The Cutting Garden trellis
The bridge between the Walled Gardens and the Children’s and Cutting Gardens
The Gardens Tour was very informative. Alice Livingston’s love of flowers and how they accented the house were her pride and joy. The Cutting Garden were all the flowers that she used to decorate the house with and the Children’s Gardens taught her daughters responsibilities and knowledge of horticulture.
The biggest problem in recent years is how to maintain all these gardens. This takes a lot of effort and work to weed. plant and prune these beds and make them look nice. The new gardener hired by the State and her team of two staff and volunteers are doing a nice job cleaning out the old beds and replanting and pruning all the plants and bushes that were already there. You can tell by the pictures there is a lot more to do but the gardens are on their way back to their original look.
After touring the mansion at Christmas time in December 2023, I visited Downtown Germantown, which itself was decorated for the both holidays.
Downtown Germantown, NY decorated for the Christmas holidays.
Downtown Germantown during the Christmas holidays.
Downtown Germantown at the Christmas holidays.
Downtown Germantown for the Christmas holidays and church service.
After the tour in July 2024 for the Summer Garden tour, I revisited Germantown again to see what it was like during the summer months. It is a very active and historical downtown with nice restaurants and shops, a wonderful gourmet grocery store and beautiful historical churches. It is a nice place to spend the weekend when touring the mansions in Columbia and Duchess Counties.
Germantown in the Summer of 2024:
Downtown Germantown, NY in the summer
The town square and historical sign
The Inn downtown
The restaurant row of Germantown with Gaskin’s in the background
The Reformed Church of Germantown. For some reason the clouds started to roll in after a sunny day.
The church grounds across the street
Germantown is a small town that keeps changing as more people from the City move up to the Hudson River Valley. A lot of the buildings in town are becoming art galleries, furniture shops and new restaurants. With each season, there are more changes coming to the town.
A trip to the Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-the-Hudson is an interesting step back into the Colonial history of this country. During the summer, there is an interesting walking tour of the home offered usually from the end of July to Labor Day. Then the house is closed to prepare for the huge ‘Pumpkin Blaze’ during the months of October and November and then the house is shut down until the spring.
The house tour is interesting because it shows the home as a working farm and place of commerce for the family. This was not a weekend home for the family working in the City but crops being grown for shipping, vibrant gardens that supplied the house and a small tavern for travelers along the Albany Post Road as well as a place for shipping goods down the rivers.
Van Cortlandt Manor
The home is furnished in the most modern furnishings of the time and you can see how the house reflected the needs of the family at that time. It was more of a home than a luxurious place to entertain. The furnishes are practical, very in fashion of the time and nicely decorated.
The Dining Room
The tour of the kitchens and storage areas show that even in what was the modern era was not such easy living without servants. The estate was somewhat self-contained with animals and provisions being raised on the land and there is even an area where fabric such as flax and cotton where spun and made into clothing.
The kitchen dining area
The upstairs bedrooms show that the linens were under lock and key even with the servants and that the rooms were well-appointed and comfortable. A lot of the family heirlooms still reside in the house and it gives you a perfect look at what life must have been like when the family lived here.
Don’t miss the gardens as well. Some have been over-grown because of the lack of volunteers but still you can see the beauty of the flowers and trees around the house. The house sits right on the cross between the Croton and Hudson rivers and even though it is now grown in, you can see that the house stood at one of the busiest sections of Upstate commerce.
The Pumpkin Blaze-Hudson Valley Historical Association:
During the months of Halloween, there are thousands of pumpkins that line the walks and beautiful displays to see along the paths of the estate and the river. This event is sponsored by the Hudson Valley Historical Association and is one of their biggest fundraisers. Don’t miss this annual event every fall.
The Blaze is amazing!
The Pumpkin Blaze in 2019:
Some pictures from the MoMA Pumpkin Museum:
Their version of “The Scream”:
The Van Cortlandt Manor ablaze with lights and sounds
Justin Watrel at the Pumpkin Blaze
My Aunt and I at the Pumpkin Blaze in 2019
The Pumpkin Blaze in 2022:
Entering the Pumpkin Blaze in 2022
Pumpkins greeting you in all shapes and sizes
The Pumpkin Planetarium at the Pumpkin Blaze
Pumpkin Bee Hive
The “Terror Zee Bridge” at the Pumpkin Blaze
The Pumpkin Carousel
The Pumpkin Fire Services
The Headless Horseman is the theme of many October festivals in the Hudson River Valley
The History of the Van Cortlandt Manor:
By Royal Charter, Van Cortlandt Manor was originally a 86,000 acre tract granted as a patent to Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1697 by King William III, stretching from the Hudson River on the west to the first boundary line between the Province of New York and the Colony of Connecticut, on the east, twenty English miles in length by ten miles in width in shape nearly a rectangular parallelogram forming, “The Manor of Cortlandt”.
The massive holding was acquired by direct purchase from the Indians, in part by Stephanus van Cortlandt, a native born Dutch gentleman of New York and in part by others whose titles he subsequently bought, this tract together with a small tract on the west side of the Hudson River opposite the promontory of Anthony’s Nose, which he also purchased from the Indians.
The Manor House was built sometime before 1732 but was not any owner’s principal residence until a grandson, Pierre Van Cortlandt, moved there in 1749. At the time the manor house was on a 1000 acre portion of the original tract.
Pierre brought his family to the estate in 1749 and established the manor into it most vibrant days, according to some. During this period, the manor was operating an apple orchard, dairy farm, a bee house, a kiln, a tavern and a carpenter and blacksmith shops. Van Cortlandt Manor was a self-sustaining community while Pierre and his family resided in the estate. At this time, tensions leading to the Revolutionary War were building and the manor would become a place of wartime retreat.
Pierre sided with the colonies and the manor was used to assist the Continental Army, using its resources to make food and supplies. Pierre was involved with military legislature and his son Philip was a soldier for the Continental Army. Eventually Pierre and his family vacated the manor in the thick of war. The manor was ransacked by the British Army and left in poor standing. Philip, becoming a brigadier general by the war’s end, returned and along with his sister, Catherine, brought the manor back to working order.
Van Cortlandt Manor became an essential stop on the route from New York to Albany in the years that followed the war. The mills were once again thriving and provided the community and travelers with food, supplies and lodging. Pierre and his wife did not return until 1803 once the manor was in full working order again. The manor was passed down in the family until it was sold to a non-relative, Otis Taylor in 1945. By this time, the property had lost its luster and was not the flourishing estate it had once been.
In 1953, John D. Rockefeller Jr. purchased the property and began restoring the manor to previous prominence. In 1961, Van Cortlandt Manor became registered as a National Historic Landmark.
Disclaimer: This information on the history of the house was provided by Wiki and I give them full credit on the information.
Places to Eat:
Located in the ShopRite Mall next to the Blaze:
The food at New Happy Garden in the Shoprite Mall is excellent and you can sit down in the restaurant. It is the perfect place for lunch or dinner before or after the Blaze. Their Lo Mein and General Tso’s Chicken are excellent. Please read my reviews on TripAdvisor.
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 