After the waterfront market in Troy we headed back south to Saugerties and the Saugerties Lighthouse. This lighthouse was built in 1869 to replace the earlier 1858 lighthouse. It was decommissioned in 1954 and is now managed by the non-profit Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy. It is open at certain times for special events and the top two floors are used as a B & B also for special occassions. We walked the half mile out to the lighthouse.
Saugerties Lighthouse
Low tide along the Hudson
From the lighthouse we went a little west to Opus 40. So what is Opus 40 you ask? This is an old quarry that was purchased in 1938 by one of the founders of Bard College Fine Arts Department, Harvey Fite. Over a period of 37 years he created a 6.5 acre sculpture park from the quarry. He constructed the masonry structures single-handedly using dry-key stone techniques. This means that there is no plaster or other material between the stones to hold them in place. Opus 40 has a labyrinth of stone ramps, steps, and terraces.
Opus 40
Our final stop of the day was near the marina at The Walkway over the Hudson. This was a double track railroad bridge built in 1889. It was damaged by a fire in 1974 and closed to train traffic. It earned a place in the National Register of Historic Places and was restored in 2009 as a pedestrian bridge across the Hudson. The walkway is 1.28 miles long and 212 feet above the Hudson River. It is the longest footbridge in the world. Captain Keith and I rode our bikes across the bridge.
Walkway Over the Hudson (WOTH)
View of the marina from the WOTH just past the Mid-Hudson Bridge(Southern Style at the far right).
Mid-Hudson Bridge visible just south of WOTH
Captain Keith on the WOTH
View looking south on the Hudson
It was a full day Saturday and we were ready to relax for the evening before another big day on Sunday.
Mid-Hudson Bridge from Southern Style Saturday evening
Sunday dawned and we were headed south of Poughkeepsie to the Rockefeller Estate, Kykuit.
Kykuit is the estate and home of oil tycoon and capitalist
John D. Rockefeller (founder of Standard Oil).
At the time John Rockefeller was the richest man in America. It has been the home to 4 generations of the
Rockefeller family. The initial
structure took 6 years to complete and has a stunning view of the Hudson River
Valley. It contains collections of
Chinese and European ceramics, fine furnishings, and 20th century
art. In 1979, its occupant Nelson
Rockefeller (former governor of NY and VP of the United States under Gerald Ford), bequeathed upon his death his 1/3 interest in the estate to the
National Trust of Historic Preservation.
As a result, Kykuit is now open to the public. The estate originally had some 3510 acres and
featured a workforce of security guards, gardeners, and laborers and had its
own farming, cattle and food supplies.
The was a 9-hole golf course, 75 houses and private roads. Much of the estate has become historic
property of New York over the years. The house and gardens are beautiful. We could only take pictures outside in the gardens.
The main house
View out over the lawn, golf course, and Hudson River
The town of Sleepy Hollow is where the Rockefeller estate is located and so after finishing at Kykuit, we drove through the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is the final resting place for many
famous figures including Washington Irving, whose story “The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow” is set in the adjacent burying ground of the old Dutch Church of Sleepy
Hollow. Incorporated in 1849 as
Tarrytown Cemetery, the site posthumously honored Irving’s request that it
change its name to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The Rockefeller estate and family cemetery
abut Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Just a few
of the famous people interred in this cemetery include:
Elizabeth Arden- business women and founder of cosmetic
empire.
Members of the Astor family
Andrew Carnegie and his wife
Walter Chrysler- founder of the Chrysler Corporation
Thomas Watson- founder of IBM
William Orton- President of Western Union
There are many large crypts in the cemetery
The bridge that inspired the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and that the headless horseman road across is not the original however this is the most recent bridge.
The Old Dutch Church is a 17th century church
featured prominently in Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. It is the oldest extant church in NY. Frederick Philipse (1626-1702) was the
builder of the church. He owned approximately 52,000 acres along the
Hudson and is also buried in the cemetery of the church.
Old Dutch Church (Black and white for effect)
From Sleepy Hollow we drove to New Croton Dam. Construction on the dam began in 1892 and finished in 1906. This dam is part of the NYC water supply system located about 22 miles north of New York City. The masonry dam was built by Alphonse Fteley and is 266 feet wide and 297 feet high. The spillway is 1,000 feet. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest dam in the world. It impounds up to 19 billion gallons of water.
I must admit a rookie mistake of leaving the black and white setting on the camera from the cemetery. I will not make that mistake twice, but the dam pictures are in monochrome.
Views from the front of the dam
We also hiked to the top and walked across the top of the dam
Backside of dam
Front side of dam
From the dam Keith and I drove back toward Poughkeepsie. On the drive by to the marina, we stumbled across a great little deli in the town of Croton-on-Hudson. We purchased two awesome Italian sandwiches and several side salads from the deli to take back to the boat as our dinner. (Fun, Fun, Fun)
We certainly covered alot of territory in just two days. Unfortunately, rain is predicted for Monday and Tuesday but we are going to see what we can accomplish in spite of the weather. Stay tuned.
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