Photographs and thoughts on photography and camera collecting
By now I was ready to take an Uber home. I figured that my best option to find one was to go to nearby Kendal-on-Hudson and call from there. I was tired and wanted to sit while I waited and I figured that there would be somewhere to sit by the entrance. I was correct.
While waiting I noticed this woman with her spectacular red hair.
Taken with a Sony A77II and Minolta 35-105 f3.5-4.5.
In the previous post I wrote that “all that remains [of Rockwood Hall] are a number of walking trails, some beautiful old trees, spectacular views of the Hudson River, and the impressive, but somehow sad stone foundations.” When I came across this sign, I immediately remembered that there was something else: goats! I remembered immediately because I’d seen them during one of my earlier visits.
So why are they there? The sign below explains.
Taken with a Sony A77II and Minolta 35-105 f3.5-4.5.
First went to Rockwood Hall in 2011 and I’ve been back many times.
According to Wikipedia:
Rockwood Hall was a Gilded Age mansion in Mount Pleasant, New York, on the Hudson River. It was best known as the home of William Rockefeller, brother of John D. Rockefeller. Both brothers were co-founders of the Standard Oil Company. Other owners of the house or property included Alexander Slidell MacKenzie, William Henry Aspinwall, and Lloyd Aspinwall. The property was once up to 1,000 acres (400 ha) in size; the mansion at its height had 204 rooms, making it the second-largest private house in the U.S. at the time, only behind the Biltmore mansion in North Carolina. The estate is currently an 88-acre (36 ha) section of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve.
Among the first people to live on the property was Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, who lived there from 1840 to 1848. Edwin Bartlett, a wealthy merchant, subsequently purchased the site and hired Gervase Wheeler to design a house on the property, which was constructed in 1849. By 1860, Bartlett sold the house to William Henry Aspinwall, who lived there until 1875; his son Lloyd lived at the house until 1886. William Rockefeller purchased the estate and likely extensively renovated the house and property, hiring the firm Carrère and Hastings for interior renovations. Rockefeller died there in 1922, and his heirs sold it to investors, who turned the house and property into Rockwood Hall Country Club. The club became bankrupt in 1936, after which it became the Washington Irving Country Club. By 1940, the property lay empty again, so its owner John D. Rockefeller Jr. had most of the property’s buildings razed, including the mansion. In late 1946, the Rockwood Hall property was proposed for the location of the United Nations headquarters. John Jr.’s son Laurance Rockefeller sold some of the property to IBM in 1970. IBM’s property was later bought by New York Life, followed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, the current owner. The remaining property was sold to New York State at a significantly reduced price to become parkland within Rockefeller State Park.
Once described as “The most magnificent residence on the Hudson” all that remains are a number of walking trails, some beautiful old trees, spectacular views of the Hudson River, and the impressive, but somehow sad stone foundations.
Taken with a Sony A77II and Minolta 35-105 f3.5-4.5.
Now I had a decision to make. I could either go straight on and try to walk home, or I could turn left and walk down to Rockwood Hall and try to get a ride home from there. Since I had been walking for some time, and my legs ached and my feet hurt, I chose the Rockwood Hall option.
Above: Looking back up the Old Croton Aqueduct trail from Rockwood Hall.
At first you continue walking through woodland.
But after a short walk you emerge from the woods to see some impressive views of the River Hudson.
There’s an interesting article on Rockwood Hall here.
Taken with a Sony A77II and Minolta 35-105 f3.5-4.5.
Above one of the ventilators (specifically No 11).
I eventually got to the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. According to New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation site:
During the 1830s New York City was in dire need of a fresh water supply to combat the steady rise of disease and to fight numerous fires that often engulfed large tracts of businesses and homes. After numerous proposals and an abandoned plan two years into its production, construction of an unprecedented magnitude began in 1837 under the expertise of John Bloomfield Jervis. The proposed plan called for a 41-mile aqueduct and dam to be built in order to run water from the Croton River to New York City. Three to four thousand workers, mostly Irish immigrants earning up to $1.00 per day, completed the masonry marvel in just five years. In 1842 water flowed into above-ground reservoirs located at the present sites of the New York Public Library and the Great Lawn of Central Park. Throngs of people attended the formal celebration held on October 14th and celebrated with “Croton cocktails” – a mix of Croton water and lemonade.
This 19th-century architectural achievement cost New York City approximately 13 million dollars and was believed able to provide New Yorkers with fresh water for centuries to come. The population spiraled upward at a dizzying rate, however, and the Croton Aqueduct, which was capable of carrying 100 million gallons per day, could no longer meet New York City’s needs by the early 1880s. Construction of the New Croton Aqueduct began in 1885 and water began to flow by 1890. Although no longer the sole supplier of fresh water, the Old Croton Aqueduct continued to provide water to New York City until 1965.
In 1968, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation purchased 26.2 miles of the original 41-mile aqueduct from New York City. Presently, Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park is a linear park which runs from Van Cortlandt Park at the Bronx County/City of Yonkers border to the Croton Dam in Cortlandt. In 1987 a section was reopened to supply the Town of Ossining and in 1992 the Old Croton Aqueduct was awarded National Historic Landmark Status. The scenic path over the underground aqueduct winds through urban centers and small communities. It passes near numerous historic sites, preserves, a museum highlighting the construction of the Aqueduct, and many homes. The Aqueduct’s grassy ceiling provides abundant recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. While primarily for walking and running, parts of the trail are suitable for horseback riding, biking (except during “mud season”), bird watching, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.
Archville Bridge. The community of Archville received its first name, Arch Hill, after an arched bridge was built over the present-day U.S. Route 9 in 1839. The bridge carried the Old Croton Aqueduct over the highway until 1924, when the bridge was deemed to be a traffic hazard and was demolished. The aqueduct was then rerouted to flow beneath the highway. In November 1998, long after the aqueduct was shut down, this bridge was replaced older stone structure as a crossing for aqueduct walkers, bikers, and equestrians over the particularly dangerous section of the highway. The new bridge connects the Rockefeller State Park Preserve with Rockwood Hall and was built to resemble the two bridges over Route 117 which the Rockefellers had built.
Taken with a Sony A77II and Minolta 35-105 f3.5-4.5.