The house, from all appearances, could be an early building, at least from the later 18th century. Its saltbox form, the five-bay front, centered doorway, and the second floor windows right up against the roofline, make this a typical building style of New England and, in particular, Nantucket from the early days of English settlement and up into the 19th century.
There are two unusual features, visible from the outside, that are of special interest. The large dormer on the back roof and, even of more interest, the window in the dormer, which has a very unexpected division of 16-over-2 windowpanes. On the interior, a cistern is another feature of note, along with the brick infill to slow the spread of fire and to retain a given temperature, either warmer or cooler. These features could suggest an early date.
This house is most likely an important survivor from Hudson’s past. The house was originally a single-family home, and the 1880 date given is nothing more than a placeholder on the part of the City. The actual records were lost in a fire.
On February 20, I was involved in a very minor accident in a parking lot on Warren Street. As I pulled into a parking space, my car slid on the ice and the left front of my car tapped the building in front of me. I got out to inspect and saw no damage to my car and no damage to the building. My car does not have even a scrape on it. The building owners came into the parking lot. They asserted that I had damaged the building. I found the encounter uncomfortable and did not want to get into a confrontation. They indicated that they would call the police. I decided to leave the situation–leaving my car where it was–until the police were present. When HPD came, I cooperated fully, providing my driver’s license and other documents requested. At no time did I ask for nor did I receive any special treatment from HPD. I did not identify myself as an elected official, which would have been wholly inappropriate. The officer at the scene was professional and courteous. I consider this matter to be resolved.
I do not post on social media and have recently been made aware of various Facebook posts about this minor incident. I apologize if my desire to avoid a confrontation has caused concern in the community.
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| Photo: David Voorhees |
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| 2024 Oakdale Plunge Photo: Valerie Shaff |
By 1785 Talman resided in Hudson, where he married Heroine Jenkins (1767-1836). He was a physician, and one of the founders of the Columbia County Medical Society in 1806. He was twice mayor of Hudson. He was on the official committee to welcome General Lafayette on his 1824 visit to Hudson, while the eminent Frenchman was touring the United States. He was one of three people on the building committee for the 1818 almshouse, which still stands at the north end of 4th Street on State Street.
He was involved in the founding of Christ Church in Hudson, and was its first vestryman, and later a church warden. In 1803 he served on the board of The Episcopal Sunday Charity School, the second Sunday school founded in the State of New York.
He was also an enslaver of two persons.
Forty years after his death, he was remembered by Dr. P. B. Collar in a talk at the Columbia County Medical Society: "Dr. John Talman, of Hudson, was in the early days of the Society, one of the most popular physicians in the city. He was a skillful practitioner, and a man of very pleasing address. Of fine form, tall and well proportioned, with rare social qualities, he was the 'beau ideal' of a gentleman. He generally presided at the dinners, and his ready wit and sparkling repartee, made him the spirit of the company."
Dr. John Talman is listed in the 1790 census as living with three white females (presumably his wife, Heroine Jenkins, and their first two children) and two enslaved individuals. We have not found any record of the enslaved persons or their situation.
The Talmans would go on to have eight more children including their son John Thurston Talman (1795-1850) who became an abolitionist.
John T. Talman married Mary Eleanor Fitzhugh, from the Fitzhugh family who helped found Rochester. John and Mary moved to Rochester around 1820. He served as cashier at the Bank of Rochester then at the Bank of Monroe. He was involved in the promoting of Rochester as an industrial center. He served as a trustee of the Rochester Female Academy (1842) and School District #3 (1846). Talman was a member and vestryman of St. Luke's Episcopal Church.
He also managed the Fitzhugh Estate including the commercial buildings on the Fitzhugh’s 100-acre tract in Rochester. After John’s death, one of the buildings was named the Talman Building.
Rochester was a hotbed of abolitionist activity. Mary Eleanor and her sisters, Elizabeth Potts and Ann Carol, were all active in the abolition movement as were their husbands. Ann and her husband Gerritt Smith’s home in nearby Peterboro was a station on the Underground Railroad and she had an enclosed carriage in which she would travel with veiled fugitives to Canada.
Frederick Douglass moved to Rochester with his family in the late 1840s. Mr. Douglass’s North Star printing office was on the second floor of the Talman Building.
In 2022 the City of Hudson received a $500,000 grant to perform critical health and safety housing repairs. Repairs included but were not limited to replacing roofs, electrical and plumbing repairs, remediating lead-based paint in low- or moderate-income houses in the City of Hudson. This grant was completed in 2024 and is no longer taking applications.
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| Left to right: Jonathan Spampinato, FOPS; Katherine Kanaga, FOPS; William Gerlach, Chamber of Commerce CEO; Mark Taylor, Chair of Chamber Board of Directors |
"We are delighted to contribute $500 toward the renovation of Seventh Street Park," said William Gerlach, president and CEO of the Chamber, "and we challenge our members to join us and support this important community investment."
Hudson's historic Seventh Street Park, originally known as the Public Square, is a central gathering place for residents, families, and visitors. Its renovation will strengthen Hudson's downtown, enhance public space for community events, and contribute to the vitality of Warren Street and the entire downtown business district.
Recognizing the park's potential for the economic and social life of the city, the Chamber is calling on its members to match or exceed the Chamber's gift and help accelerate the fundraising needed to complete the improvements.
"Vibrant public space is essential to a vibrant local economy," said Mark Taylor, Chair of the Board of the Chamber. "By investing in Seventh Street Park, we're investing in Hudson's future--and we invite our business community to stand with us."
Through the Business Challenge, Chamber members can make contributions of any size directly to the Friends of the Public Square (FOPS), with all funds dedicated to the renovation effort.
Participating businesses will be recognized publicly for their leadership and community commitment. Donors who contribute $500 or more will be recognized on the FOPS website and social media channels. Donors contributing $1,000 will also be recognized with a 5' x 6' banner ad. Donors who contribute $2,000 will receive a 5' x 12' banner ad, and $3,000 donors will receive a 5' x 18' banner ad. The banner ads will be displayed on the construction fence around the park during the renovation work.
The Chamber encourages all local employers--large and small--to take part in this effort to strengthen Hudson's downtown and create a more welcoming, accessible, and beautiful public space for everyone.
For more information about Hudson's historic Seventh Street Park, visit fopshudson.com.
For more information about supporting the renovations to Seventh Street Park and donating to the Business Challenge, visit fopshudson.com/chamberchallenge or contact Gary Purnhagen at the Chamber of Commerce (518) 828-4417 or Jonathan Spampinato at jonathan.spampinato@gmail.com.
Dear Register-Star Editor,
I am writing to correct several factual inaccuracies in the Register-Star's 2/20/26 article Hudson resident proposes law to limit Colarusso dock operations. I'm disappointed that you saw it only fit to correct two inaccuracies, as per your Editor's Note posted at the bottom of that article on 2/27/26.
For the record, my previous request for corrections submitted to you on 2/23/26 follows. I respectfully request that you publish this Letter to the Editor.
To begin, the title of the article implies that the proposed law targets a specific owner. It does not. The clarification concerns the dock and its permitted uses, regardless of ownership, Similarly, Our Hudson Waterfront's advocacy regarding the haul road and dock permits was centered on compliance with zoning and environmental requirements, not on the identity of the owner.
Second, I am not the "founder" of Our Hudson Waterfront (OHW). I have been a member since its formation in 2019 and currently serve as its lead.
Third, OHW has not opposed the issuance of a conditional use permit for the dock. Rather, the group has consistently advocated that any dock permit approval comply fully with all applicable provisions of the City Zoning Code--including protections for public health, safety, and welfare, and the prohibition against intensifying industrial activity beyond the level lawfully existing in 2011 under § 325-17.1.D.
Fourth, while the article correctly states that the annual limit is "5,382 truck round trips," it may help readers to understand what that means in practical terms. A "round trip" represents one truck delivering a load and returning. In total, 5,382 round trips amount to 10,764 individual truck trips (to and from the dock) each year.
Fifth, the article states that the permit grants Colarusso a maximum of 284 daily truck round trips (142 truck loads delivered). This is incorrect. The Planning Board imposed no limits on truck volume in the dock conditional use permit. The 284 daily round-trip limit applies to the previously approved haul road permit.
Finally, the claim that the Board placed a "host of noise- and pollution-monitoring conditions" is inaccurate. Despite public requests for air-quality and noise measuring and monitoring, the permit requires none. While it includes limited mitigation measures aimed at reducing noise and dust, it contains no provisions for measurement, monitoring, reporting, or objective verification of compliance.
Accurate public reporting on matters affecting Hudson residents is essential. I appreciate the opportunity to correct the record.
Respectfully,
Donna Streitz
Hudson Resident
The Ferris Administration announces the beginning of the mayor’s open office hours program at City Hall. The Meet the Mayor series will take place the third Thursday of every month at 520 Warren Street from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The open office hours schedule for the initial slate of events is as follows:
“City Hall is the people’s seat of government, and these open office hours are a reminder of that fact,” said Mayor Joseph Ferris. “I’m excited to build off the momentum of the first round of town halls with the launch of the Meet the Mayor series. I’m eager to sit down with constituents and neighbors for one-on-one conversations about the issues they are facing and what they would like to see city government do for them. I invite everyone to attend and look forward to the start of this series.”
The open office hours are part of a three-pronged outreach strategy by City Hall. In the coming weeks, the City Hall e-newsletter will be launched. The next round of town halls to be held in May will be announced at the end of March.
For more information about these community outreach efforts, please email Mayoral Aide Tiffany Martin at mayoralaide@cityofhudson.org.
Gossips has been advised that, for the sake of privacy, Ferris will meet with constituents in his office on the second floor. However, he will come downstairs to meet with anyone who cannot manage the stairs to the second floor.
