A Visit to Cold Spring, NY – Inside an “antiques” store

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Cold Spring has a number of interesting shops. Some might call them “Antique” Stores, but I fear that if you’re looking for valuable, high quality, vintage wares you might (with a few exceptions) be disappointed.

Rather than call them “Antique” stores, it might be more accurate to call them “Bric-à-brac” stores, i.e. small decorative objects of various types and of no great value. You typically find old books, records, cds, videos, photographs, old equipment (e.g. cameras) and dolls etc.

Still, some of these pieces have a certain charm of their own.

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Taken with a Sony RX10 IV.

A Visit to Cold Spring, NY – A Replica Parrott Rifle

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According to Civilwaracademy.com

The Civil War Parrott Rifle was a groundbreaking artillery innovation that significantly influenced the tactics and outcomes of the American Civil War. Renowned for its enhanced accuracy and extended range, this rifled cannon transformed battlefield engagements and siege warfare.

The Inception of the Parrott Rifle

The Civil War Parrott Rifle emerged from the innovative mind of Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army officer. After resigning from the military, Parrott became the superintendent of the West Point Foundry in 1836. His exposure to artillery manufacturing and engineering expertise led him to address the limitations of existing cannon designs.

In 1860, Parrott patented his rifled cannon design, which ingeniously combined affordability with advanced technology. His invention arrived at a crucial moment, just before the outbreak of the Civil War, positioning the Parrott Rifle as a significant asset in the impending conflict.

Design and Technological Advancements

The Parrott Rifle was distinguished by several key innovations that set it apart from traditional Civil War artillery.

Rifled Barrel Innovation

The introduction of rifling—a series of spiral grooves inside the barrel—allowed the Parrott Rifle to impart a stabilizing spin to its projectiles. This spin greatly enhanced accuracy and range compared to smoothbore cannons, enabling gunners to hit targets with unprecedented precision.

Reinforced Breech Mechanism

Parrott addressed the issue of barrel strength by reinforcing the breech—the rear part of the cannon where the explosion occurs—with a wrought iron band. This reinforcement allowed the cannon to withstand higher internal pressures, reducing the risk of catastrophic failures that were common with cast iron cannons of the era.

Specialized Projectiles

Parrott designed projectiles specifically for his rifle. These shells featured expanding brass rings or sabots that engaged the rifling grooves upon firing. This engagement ensured a tight seal (known as obturation), maximizing the propellant’s force and improving both range and accuracy.

Many Parrott rifles were made at the West Point Armory in Cold Spring, the ruins of which can still be seen (See: West Point Foundry).

For more information see the Wikipedia article on the Parrott Rifle.

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV.

Windmills

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I would have preferred it if the two windmills had been closer, but it was so cold that I didn’t feel like fiddling around trying to find a better viewpoint (it may not have been possible to even do so.

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

Lyndhurst

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For those who don’t know the area:

Lyndhurst is a Gothic Revival country house that sits in a 67-acre park beside the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966. The home was designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis and owned in succession by New York City mayor William Paulding Jr., merchant George Merritt, and railroad tycoon Jay Gould. Paulding named his house “Knoll”. Its limestone exterior was quarried in present-day Ossining, New York. Merritt, the house’s second owner, doubled the size of the house in 1864–1865 and renamed it “Lyndenhurst”. His new north wing included an imposing four-story tower, a new porte-cochere, a new dining room, two bedrooms and servants’ quarters. Gould purchased the property in 1880 to use as a country house. He shortened its name to “Lyndhurst” and occupied it until his death in 1892. In 1961, Gould’s daughter Anna Gould donated it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The house is now open to the public.

I went there just before Christmas with my friends George and Martha. Although I’ve been to, and through the property many times I’ve never actually been inside. It was good to see the interior. As you can see they had put a lot of effort into preparing for Christmas. Maybe too much. Very festive, but maybe a Christmas tree (sometimes more) it every room was a bit too much

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Taken with a Sony RX100 M3

By the Ossining Boat and Canoe Club

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I went down to the river the other day. It was really too cold to take photographs. I had to take a few photographs, put my camera and my hands in pocket (luckily, I was using a very small, pocketable camera). Wait until my hands warmed up. Then take a few more quick pictures and repeat the whole process until I’d taken as many pictures as I could.

The pictures were taken around the Ossining Boat and Canoe Club. According to the Club’s website:

The Ossining Boat and Canoe Club was founded in 1915. At first it doesn’t sound like it was that long ago, but then we realize that cars were not all that common and that the highways in our area were not yet built. There were no malls or shopping centers and all goods where bought on Main Street or from a catalogue. The Tappan Zee Bridge would not exist to take us to the other side of the river for another forty years. Canoeing was an active national sport in those days and the club put a group in the water called the “Black Hawks”. This team competed as far away as Canada in a four-man racing canoe.

Building. The original clubhouse was erected by the members on the present site, just south of the Ossining RR Station on Westerly Road, in 1921. With the exception of some minor changes to the façade, the structure remains identical to its original frame. Some recent renovations to the club property include: a newly constructed ramp from the clubhouse to the docks, ample docking space for visitors and boaters in distress, and a completely refurbished upper deck offering magnificent views of the Hudson River and its shores. In addition to these, heating and air-conditioning were added to the club building.

Today the clubhouse is owned by the Town of Ossining and is exclusively licensed to the boat club.

Function. The boat basin itself is not so different from the days of the original site though modern moorings have replaced the wooden tree poles of the past. The club’s location on the east bank of the Tappan Zee has always provided sailors with miles of open water and fishermen with ample fishing spots. The club was conceived so that members could have access to the river at a reasonable rate. In order to maintain these reasonable rates all clubhouse maintenance and repairs are completed by the membership. There have always been two classifications of membership – working and associate. To accommodate schedules that do not allow for volunteer work hours, a third status was added as non-working. Our application form requests that the applicant list his or her skills and professions – in that way we make use of an invaluable pool of resources.

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Taken with a Sony RX100 M3