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Good News for Preservation During the 2016 Budget Meeting of the Education & Economic Development Committee
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At the meeting of the Education and Economic Development Committee of the Orange County Legislature on October 19th, the 2016 proposed budget for the County Historian's department was reviewed and amended. It will still have to undergo review and approval process of the full legislature but this meeting very positively pointed to a recovery of preservation funding on the County level.
During the budget cycles of 2014 and 2015, a need to repair deficit in the tens of millions of dollars led to the elimination of grant funding and a pause on preservation projects. Through these types of sacrifices in every department, the overreaching gaps have since been balanced. This year the County Executive and Legislature are continuing to scrutinize department spending but they are also looking at ways that spending can benefit the planning phases of projects that we may not have the resources for immediately. An amendment was passed on the committee level by unanimous vote (Legislators present: Leigh Benton, Jeff Berkman, Barry Cheney, Curlie Dillard, Chris Eachus, Tom Faggione, Paul Ruszkiewicz, Shannon Wong) to add $25,000 to the Capital Plan for "Preservation Studies and Interpretive Research" on County-owned historic properties.
The County's historical properties include Hill-Hold Museum in Campbell Hall, Brick House Museum in Montgomery, Dutchess Quarry in Goshen and the Orange Powder Mill ruins at Algonquin Park in Newburgh as well as several historic buildings like the 1841 Courthouse in Goshen and the Masonic Temple in Newburgh. These locations and others will be researched and prioritized over the next few months before the funding will be offered through an RFP process.
Algonquin Park is One of the Sites in Need
Recently we began the process of touring and researching the Orange Powder Mill ruins at Algonquin Park. On October 7th a group of stakeholders including County Legislator Barry Cheney, County Legislator Jim Kulisek, County Legislator Chris Eachus, City of Newburgh Historian Mary McTamaney, Town of Newburgh Historian Les Cornell, O.C. Parks Commissioner Richard Rose, Director of Newburgh Historical Society Matthew Colon, Town of Newburgh Councilman Jim Presutti, Quassaick Creek Alliance advocate John Gebhards and local homeowner Jill Enfield walked the grounds to strategize partnerships between the varying stakeholders and learn about the importance of the site. Because of the recent visit there, the park was a main point of discussion at the legislative session.
The industrial ruins at Algonquin Park are some of the most complete of their kind in the nation. They bear the architectural signatures of the explosives production industry with buildings comprised of three-sided stones walls and wooden roofs.
Originally a sawmill in 1790, by 1815 it was producing black powder for rifles. The black powder was produced by mixing charcoal from willow trees grown on the property with sulfur imported from Sicily and saltpeter imported from India. All ingredients had to be refined and pulverized on site, then mixed and barreled. A narrow-gauge railroad with spark-proof wooden tracks carried the product throughout the complex. The completed powder was delivered via horse and buggy to a large magazine at Sherman's Dock - now the Newburgh Yacht Club site - where it was loaded onto four sailing vessels to be distributed.
The mill was owned by a series of companies for more than a century, the last being DuPont, which sold the property to Frederic Delano in 1919. In 1934 Delano sold the property and the old Orange Mills powder manufacturing site to the City of Newburgh. The property was christened Algonquin Park to recognize the area's Native American heritage.
After falling into disrepair beginning in the 1960s, the park was transferred to Orange County's care in 1978. Since that time, silting in the mills ponds, erosion of the foundation mortar, and the effects of storm surges have taken their toll on the historically significant site. A FEMA grant was awarded for damages done during hurricane Irene and these funds are being administered through the County Parks Department under Commissioner Richard Rose.
There is a lot of positive interest within the ranks of County Government but in order to advocate for the preservation and interpretation of the Orange Mill ruins, we also need public support. Please provide your name, include your email address if you'd like to be contacted with information regarding meetings, public programming, or volunteer opportunities.
The first public information meeting will be held on Friday, November 6th at 3pm. Please join us at 15 Powder Mill Road Newburgh, NY 12550 where homeowner Jill Enfield has gracefully offered to host our group.
Sincerely,
Johanna Yaun
Orange County Historian
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Commemoration of Note
In early November of 1895, the New York State Woman Suffrage Association Convention was held at the Palatine Hotel in Newburgh. At this convention 120 years ago, power passed from Susan B. Anthony to Carrie Chapman Catt and others of the younger generation who would see the movement through to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
To commemorate the 120th anniversary of this event, the RITZ will host a community circle on
Thursday, November 19 from
6 - 8 PM.
The circle celebrates the spirit of the 1895 event by bringing the discussion of the role and state of women in our current society back to Newburgh and engaging the community in dialogue through the model of community circles developed by
The Restorative Center. The event is open to all.
This evening is conceived and organized by independent artists Ophra Wolf and John Delk, inspired by Johanna Yaun, and sponsored by The Restorative Center and Safe Harbors on the Hudson/RITZ.
Safe Harbors/ Ritz
107 Broadway, Newburgh, NY 12550
(845) 784-1199
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Please share & support these local events
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Informative Meeting about the Historic Powder Mill Ruins at Algonquin Park
Friday, Nov 6 at 3PM
Join us at the private home of Jill Enfield to discuss the current condition of the powder mill ruins. Please RSVP with Johanna by emailing to jyaun@orangecountygov.com
15 Powder Mill Road
Newburgh, NY 12550
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Traditional Thanksgiving Tasting at Museum Village in Monroe
Saturday, Nov 7 & Sunday, Nov 8 12pm to 4pm
Museum Village will be having its annual traditional 19th Century Thanksgiving Tasting. This year taste some delicious Civil War Era trimmings as you watch them being prepared over the open hearth flame. Smell the feast as the aromas waft through the Visitor's Center and then sample the dishes presented. Drift back in time and enjoy the savory flavors of a time long ago. Gift Shop will be open.
1010 Route 17M
Monroe, New York 10950
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A Tour of Moodna Viaduct followed by the 52nd Annual Meeting of the
Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society in New Windsor
Saturday, Nov 14 Hike at 10am, meeting at 1pm
Meet at the Otterkill Road parking lot. A visit to the viaduct, a short history of the viaduct and the Graham Line. For O&W members going to the Society convention meet me at the Meadowbrook Lodge at 9:45 AM.
1290 Route 94
New Windsor, NY 12553
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Thanksgiving Celebration at Brick House Museum in Montgomery
Saturday, Nov 14 12pm to 4pm
Quilts and coverlets on display. Authentic holiday arrangements in every room. Gift Shop will be open.
850 Route 17K
Montgomery, NY
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Annual Conference of the National Trust in Washington, DC
Tuesday, Nov 3 to Friday, Nov 6
PastForward, the National Preservation Conference, is the premier educational and networking event for those in the business of saving places. Held in Washington, D.C., November 3-6, PastForward is brought to you by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
For more information, visit
www.PastForwardConference.com.
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Conference on the "Future of History" at SUNY Sullivan
Saturday, Nov 14 10 AM to 4:30 PM
The conference is specifically geared toward municipal and professional historians, educators, librarians, historical societies, and museum personnel. The program schedule bears that out a unique milestone for the conference in that County Historians from Orange, Dutchess and Sullivan Counties will be taking part.
The keynote speaker Dr. Peter Feinman will offer ideas on what historians should be doing, and should bring clarity to the otherwise confusing topic.
Other presentations include an address by Orange County Historian Johanna Yaun on "Heritage Tourism: What It Is, What It Isn't and What it Could Be."
The Sullivan County Historian follows, advancing the discussion of heritage tourism with a presentation entitled "Telling Our Unique Stories: Revolution to Revolution" focusing on The Delaware Company's trademarked concept of promoting Sullivan County by telling the stories associated with its role in the American Revolution and the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s that culminated in the Woodstock music festival celebrated by the Museum at Bethel Woods.
After lunch, which will be provided as part of the conference-Dr. Feinman will speak while participants eat-- Dutchess County Historian Will Tatum III will open the afternoon session with a program on "Reaching Beyond Your Neighborhood: Opportunities for Collaboration in New York State's Heritage Community" and that will be followed by a presentation entitled "Finding a Place for the Local in the new NYS Social Studies Framework" delivered by veteran teachers Linda Oehler-Marx and Jane Hernandez of Ulster County, which will address a particularly difficult subject for educators.
Matt Colon, the Director of the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands, then presents a program on utilizing social media to promote history, which should be of special interest to historical society and museum personnel. Kristina Heister, the Superintendent of the National Park Service's Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, will then present the grand finale, a program entitled "Partnering to Protect History."
The Delaware Company's fall forum is scheduled for Saturday, November 14 from 10 AM to 4:30 PM at SUNY-Sullivan, with registration beginning at 9 AM. A continental breakfast and hot lunch will be provided. The conference is free but participants must sign up in advance by November 11 by e-mailing Debra Conway at debrarconway@hotmail.com.
John Conway is the Sullivan County Historian. E-mail him at jconway52@hotmail.com.
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Local Opinion: What do you think is the most under appreciated historical resource in Orange County?
"The dead matter. The most underappreciated historical resource in Orange County is old burial grounds. Old burial grounds are important cultural, architectural, and genealogical treasures. Unfortunately, these treasures are rapidly disappearing because of vandalism, pollution, and neglect. What is of particular importance is that in some instances the information written on headstones is the only evidence that a person ever existed. This is especially true when records have not survived or were not kept in the first place."
A.J. Schenkman
Town of Gardiner Historian
Consulting Historian,
Historic
Huguenot Street
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Please email your answer to this question to be featured in a future issue.
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"Downing's Newburgh" Walking Tour of Historic Architecture
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County Officials visited the cemetery at Valley View in Goshen
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Historic Tavern Trail of Orange County visits Ward's Bridge Inn in Montgomery
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History in the News & Helpful Links
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"Bringing History to Life"
Pick up a copy of the current issue of
ORANGE MAGAZINE to read about the
Historic Tavern Trail of Orange County
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"When it comes to sustainable architecture, the focus has historically been on designing buildings to reduce emissions. In recent years though, this focus has expanded to take into account the full life-cycle impact of a building and its components. But is this enough? In this article from ArchitectureBoston's Fall 2015 Issue, originally titled "Old is the new green," Jean Carroon FAIA and Ben Carlson argue that not only are most green buildings not designed with the full life-cycle of their materials in mind, but that even those which are they rely on a payback period that we simply can't afford. The solution? A dose of "radical common sense" in the form of preservation."
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Orange County Historian | Goshen, N.Y. |
845-545-7908 |
j
porr@orangecountygov.com
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