What Might Have Been . . .

In the past few decades, our stretch of the Hudson River has dodged a number of bullets. In 1984, there was the scheme to locate an oil refinery on the Hudson waterfront. In 1999, there was the plan to build a "perc" (perchloroethylene) recycling facility in close proximity to Basilica Hudson. And, of course, from 1999 to 2005, there was the threat of the "Greenport Project," which when proposed was to be the nation's largest cement plant, located just over Hudson's eastern border and on our waterfront. Recently, Congressman Chris Gibson's enthusiasm for building a nuclear power plant on the Hudson has reminded us of an earlier threat: the nuclear power plant that was almost built on the Hudson River in 1977--in clear view of the Olana State Historic Site.

On Saturday, February 25, at 3 p.m. at Stair Galleries, three people who were key players in the debate about siting a nuclear power plant on the Hudson and within the Olana viewshed will come together to recall this episode in our history and discuss "the unprecendented and nationally significant approach of considering the visual impact of a nuclear power plant in a region." The participants are Carl Petrich, who then worked as a landscape architect on the research staff of the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and produced the Environmental Impact Statement that caused the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to deny the proposed plant a license; J. Winthrop Aldrich, who advocated for factoring the project's impact on historic and scenic resources into the decision; and Richard Benas, who then worked at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and testified at the hearings on the proposed plant. Petrich, Aldrich, and Benas will share their memories of a "crucial but mostly forgotten chapter in the preservation of a national histopric landmark and its spectacular viewshed." The discussion will be moderated by Dorothy Heyl, a member of Olana's Landscape/Viewshed Committee.         

A donation of $10 is suggested. Admission is free for members of The Olana Partnership. A reception will follow the discussion.

Of Interest

John Mason reports in today's Register-Star on a falling out among the Democrats on the county Board of Supervisors: "Staats won't caucus with Dems." Staats accuses the five Hudson supervisors--all Democrats--of "looking out for their city, and 'pushing issues that don’t necessarily work for the rest of the county.'”

Whodathunkit?

Sam Pratt was the first to draw attention to the fact that if you read beyond the headline that declared "Gloversville has highest poverty rate in state" in yesterday's Albany Business Review, you discover that "the lowest poverty rate in New York is 5.9 percent in the Columbia County city of Hudson."  

You have to be curious about where they are getting their information. According to QuickFacts from the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 census determined that 21.8 percent of people living in Hudson were living in poverty. That's an improvement over 2000, when it was 25.6 percent, but 21.8 percent is a long way from 5.9 percent. But even if the 5.9 percent were true, it wouldn't give Hudson the lowest poverty rate in the state. Larchmont, Rye, and Scarsdale in Westchester County have poverty rates of 1.3 percent, 1.3 percent, and 2.1 percent respectively. 

Providing for the Aged

During the discussion of the proposed senior center that took place Monday at the informal Common Council meeting, Council President Don Moore made this statement in support of building the senior center with a partial second floor: "A city that cannot provide services to seniors and youth is not a city that will attract people." That statement called to mind the provision for seniors made in Hudson more than a hundred years ago--not by city government but by twenty-eight resourceful women: the Home for the Aged. The following history of the Home appeared in the Hudson Daily Star on December 11, 1939.

OUTLINED HISTORY OF HOME FOR AGED 

Henry M. James Spoke Last Night at Forum

in the First Methodist Church. 

An interesting and informative talk on "The Home for the Aged" was given last night by Henry M. James, secretary and treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the Home, on the Sunday evening forum at the First Methodist church.

Mr. James outlined the history of the Home from the formulation of the idea by a group of twenty-eight women in March, 1883, through the opening of the institution, October, 1883, to the present. The original building he said, was a four-story brick structure at the southeast corner of Union and South Fifth streets. The present building, on the corner of Union and South Seventh streets, was purchased in 1895 and was ready for occupancy, after improvements, in 1896. A wing was constructed in 1906.

The constitution and by-laws for the Home were drawn up by Mrs. Anna R. Bradbury and Judge Samuel Edwards, through the latter of whom the institution was incorporated. The original institution had a capacity of seventeen members, which has now been increased to twenty-seven.

Mr. James told of the management of the Home by a Board of Trustees and Board of Managers, and the active interest which the members of these groups take in the Home.

He described the entertainment which is provided for the Home members by various organizations, and the various safety devices and conveniences installed in the Home for the convenience of the members.

Included in the conveniences is an elevator which serves the three floors of the building, and modern bathrooms on each floor, two having been installed recently. Safety devices include a fire alarm, with call boxes on each floor, porches serving as fire escapes, a special box number for the Home, a sprinkler system servicing each room and all parts of the building, a new heating system boiler recently installed, as well as a new gas range boiler, an infirmary, with two hospital beds and a domestic nurse in attendance and special nursing provided when required.

Nearly a hundred are on the Home's waiting list, Mr. James stated. The oldest resident is 92, and a member of the Home family recently died at the age of 95, he said.

The Home staff at present consists of the superintendent, Mrs. Von Stamm; a cook, nurse, waitress, laundress and janitor. A committee from the Board of Managers visits the Home each week, calls on all members of the family and reports to the Board of Managers at each monthly meeting.

A radio and fine victrola, a library and numerous monthly and weekly magazines provide music and literature for the Home members.

The Home for the Aged today

Déjà Vu All Over Again

The Register-Star reports today that the Department of Environmental Conservation has ordered National Grid to remove 9,000 cubic yards of coal tar from Hudson's waterfront: "DEC plans hearing on site's cleanup." 

Didn't this happen a decade ago? The picture below, taken by Peter Jung, shows the tent erected over the cleanup site in the early part of this century.

This time the cleanup site is underwater, in the area of the city dock and the entrances to the first two embayments. 

A public hearing on the project will take place on February 28 at 6 p.m. at the Hudson Area Library. The public comment period, during which DEC accepts written comments, begins today and runs through March 19.  

Curious About the Fate of the Library?

The Hudson Area Library has finally issued an update on its plan to move from 400 State Street to the Armory. Although lacking any specific information, a report by Mark Orton, who according to information received by Gossips is now president of the Board of Trustees, can be found on the library's website.

What's in Store for the Old Community Theater?

This post appeared yesterday on the blog Vulture: "Rem Koolhaas to Build Marina Abramovic’s New Museum of Performance Art."   

See also Sam Pratt's comments: "Abramovic bringing Koolhaas to Hudson."

Thanks to Katy Cashen who brought this to Gossips' attention.

They're Back!

In October 2011, Gossips reported that the cellar windows at General Worth's birthplace had been sealed up--something that should never be done with historic houses because it can cause damaging moisture problems. The Historic Preservation Commission took up the issue, declaring that eliminating the cellar windows was not part of the plan presented for a certificate of appropriateness, and ordered that the cellar windows be reinstated. The cellar windows clearly appear in this rendering of the finished building, which was submitted to the HPC with the application for a certificate of appropriateness.  

  
The HPC carried the day, and this morning workers were busy removing the stone that had sealed up the window openings. 

A Home for the Homeless

Tom Casey reports in today's Register-Star that Maranatha Human Services, Inc., the not-for-profit that is planning to establish and operate a homeless shelter in Columbia County, is considering two locations:  farm in Livingston, which is "attractive to the group because of its lack of neighbors," and 834 Warren Street in Hudson, located at the three-way intersection of Warren Street, Worth Avenue, and Prospect Avenue. 

In the case of both properties, acquisition seems beset with problems. Read the details in "Two locations proposed for homeless housing." 

More Than Bingo

At the informal Common Council meeting on Monday, First Ward supervisor Sarah Sterling took issue with the notion that programming for seniors consisted of nothing but Bingo. So did a Gossips reader, who called to correct that false impression. According to these sources, Bingo represents only one hour in four hours of activities now offered for seniors every Tuesday and Thursday.

The day begins at 9 o'clock with a continental breakfast--coffee and bagels. Breakfast is followed by an hour of Bingo, after which seniors play cards or socialize for the remainder of the morning. Happening simultaneously with these more sedentary activities is an aerobics class at 9:30 and the staunchly defended yoga class at 10:45. A fee of $2 is charged for each of these classes to help pay the instructors. At noon, lunch is provided to the seniors by the Salvation Army Friendly Kitchen, located just down the street. Sterling noted that people usually leave after lunch and just about everyone is gone by 1:00 p.m. She also reported that a representative from Cornell Cooperative Extension has been coming to the Youth Center when the seniors are there to talk about nutrition and exercise.     

More Ado About 25 Railroad Avenue

Although the results of the Phrase II Environmental Study may not have been received yet, Anthony Concra and the City of Hudson are trying to clear title to the property so that Concra can sell it. 

Concra bought the land on which 25 Railroad Avenue was built from the Hudson Development Corporation in 1990. When the building was constructed in 1991, he was granted a PILOT by the City of Hudson and a lease. Now, since the records cannot be located, it is unclear whether or not Concra made all the required payments to the City over the past two decades. Tom Casey has the story in today's Register-Star: "Does Concra owe city $15K?"   

Unfortunately, Casey identified the group gathered at City Hall on Tuesday incorrectly. It was not the Finance Committee but the Hudson Industrial Development Agency. Because there was no quorum, Mayor William Hallenbeck described the confab as a "work session" rather than a meeting. Hallenbeck, Treasurer Eileen Halloran, and Sole Assessor Garth Slocum were present, along with HIDA attorney Christine Chale, but--like the records--Common Council Majority Leader Cappy Pierro, Minority Leader Ohrine Stewart, and Planning Commission chair Don Tillson were missing.  

Gossips Is Two Years Old!

Actually, it's two years and twenty-four days old, but on January 20, the actual date that the blog began in 2010, Gossips was still struggling back from a long hiatus, and there didn't seem much cause for celebration.

Now, on Valentine's Day, with its 1,421st post, Gossips invites you to celebrate its second anniversary and show that you value this source of hyperlocal Hudson news by setting your own subscription rate and becoming a voluntary paid subscriber. In 2011, 120 readers showed their appreciation with contributions that ranged anywhere from $10 to $250. Gossips is deeply and humbly grateful for the support--in any amount--and the good wishes of all its valued readers.       

The cupcakes in our second anniversary photograph--chocolate with butter cream frosting--are from the Chocolate Bar, 4-8 Front Street.  

The Enterprising People of Hudson

The Albany Business Review reports today that Hudson has the most self-employed workers in New York State. The national average for self employment is 6.5 percent. Hudson's self-employment rate is 9.96 percent.

The two major metropolitan areas that rival Hudson in self employment are San Francisco, where 9.3 percent of the local workforce run their own unincorporated businesses, and Los Angeles, where 9.0 percent of the workforce are self employed.   

Of Interest

Tom Casey reports in today's Register-Star that the building at the north end of Second Street, which once housed Emsig Button Factory and more recently Hudson Fabrics, may soon have a new owner: "Premier Brands plans 25 jobs in Hudson." Premier Brands of America, which "manufactures, packages, and markets health and beauty products" for such store brands as CVS, Rite Aid, and ShopRite, is headquartered in Mount Vernon, NY. Steve Corsun, the company's president and owner, has a farm in Ghent and currently serves on the board of the Hudson Opera House.

Hudson at the Grammy Awards

Frequent visitor to Hudson, new owner of a Hudson property, and loyal Gossips reader Debbi Calton Roberts was at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night--in fact, she was onstage (that's her at the far right). Roberts was part of the project that won a Grammy for Best Children's Album. For the gala occasion, Roberts wore what she described as "a fabulous pair of '50s era floaty black chiffon I Love Lucy-style pants" that she got at the vintage clothing store Sideshow, in the 700 block of Warren Street. 

Hudson and a Game Changer

The January 2012 issue of Metropolis, the international magazine of architecture and design, includes a Game Changers feature about Etsy founder Rob Kalin and his newest venture: Parachutes, which is described as "a Hudson, New York-based nonprofit whose mission is to help people 'make a living doing what they love.'" 

Ubiquitous Bingo

When people talk about the senior center proposed for Hudson, it is often pointed out that there is currently no programming for seniors except Bingo. I was reminded of that recently while watching the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances on DVD. In an episode entitled "Problems with Relatives," Hyacinth's father, a geriatric Lothario suffering from dementia, goes missing, and his daughters (Hyacinth and Daisy) are convinced that he has run off to marry "some unscrupulous woman" he met the previous night at the Senior Citizens' Club. When informed of the situation, Richard, Hyacinth's long-suffering husband, asks, "Should he be proposing at the Senior Citizens’ Club? I thought all they did was play Bingo."    

The Publisher of Hudson's Earliest Newspaper

In early March, this pair of portraits by the 19th-century itinerant artist Ammi Phillips will be coming up for sale at Stair Galleries. The portraits, painted in 1812-1813, are of Ashbel Stoddard and his wife, Patience Bolles Stoddard. Stoddard was an early settler in Hudson and started Hudson's first newspaper in April 1785, the same year the City of Hudson was incorporated. As part of the background information about the portraits, Walter Ritchie researched and wrote a comprehensive biography of Stoddard and his family in Hudson, which is recommended reading for all who are interested in Hudson history.      

Contemplating Our Final Resting Place

Last week, a reader alerted Gossips to devastation in the cemetery. It appeared that a wholesale cutting and pruning of trees was going on in the Cedar Park portion of the cemetery, particularly along the entrance from Columbia Turnpike and around the cemetery house. 

When asked about the activity in the cemetery, DPW Superintendent Rob Perry explained that the lack of snow this winter was giving DPW workers the chance to address tree maintenance issues in the cemetery. Many of the trees being cut had been damaged in the ice storm that occurred in December 2008. At that time, many damaged trees had been pruned and left standing to see if they would recover. Some did, but those that did not were now being removed. Perry also pointed out that the area along Columbia Turnpike beyond the entrance to Cedar Park would eventually have to be cleared to make room for new graves, since this was "and forever will be" a cemetery. 

The current situation raises the issue of stewardship of our cemetery. The original part of the cemetery--Hudson City Cemetery--was determined in 1983 to be eligible for listing in the State and National Registers of Historic Places for its "noteworthy collection of funerary art, ranging from typically late 18th-century stones executed by a master carver--and embellished with winged effigies and other typical design vocabulary--to tombs, such as the Egyptian Revival-style tomb which is an outstanding reflection of American romanticism in the antebellum period and the interest in that period of utilizing Egyptian design motifs in cemetery design." William Krattinger, historic preservation specialist with the New York State Historic Preservation Office, has called the Hudson City Cemetery "a virtual treasure trove for historians and enthusiasts of American funerary art, offering as it does a wealth of markers and crypts that illustrate various themes and styles within this genre." 

Many of the tombstones and crypts in the Hudson City Cemetery are now in disrepair. In the past couple years, Peter Jung has spearheaded a privately funded project to restore the family grave site of Hudson River School painter Sanford Robinson Gifford, but there are many more graves, significant for their design or the personages laid to rest there, that require and deserve remedial care and attention. 

Cedar Park, the newer part of the cemetery, was developed in 1896. This part of the cemetery, consisting primarily of 20th-century grave sites and tombstones, is significant not so much for its funerary art as for its design. The entrance to Cedar Park was landscaped by local notable Dr. John Conover Smock, who engaged the help of America's foremost landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park. Smock was a notable geologist, who during his career chaired the Department of Mining and Metallurgy at Rutgers University, served as New Jersey State Geologist, and was an assistant in charge of the New York State Museum in Albany. Ahead of his time, Smock deplored the mutilation of natural resources in the Catskills and the Berkshires and worked to protect natural resources in the Adirondacks. When he retired to the mansion in Hudson now known as Cavell House in 1897, Smock pursued his interest in horticulture. It was said that on the grounds of his home he planted a specimen of every tree and shrub that was indigenous to New York State, and people came from miles around to view the beautiful plantings. 

Trees and shrubs were an essential element of the original design for Cedar Park, and the maintenance of the plantings should recognize and respect the original designers' intentions. Wouldn't it be grand if a public/private partnership could be created for the stewardship of Cedar Park? The mission of such a partnership would be to do historic research to understand the original landscape design of the cemetery and inform tree and shurb maintenace so that it respected and perpetuated that design while allowing the cemetery to expand as required. 

The information about Dr. John Conover Smock comes from the Individual Historic Site application for Cavell House prepared in 2006 by Mary S. Hallenbeck.

White House Honors Hudson Poet

The White House announced this evening that on Monday, February 13, at 1:45 p.m., President Obama will award the 2011 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal. Among the recipients of the National Humanities Medal is Hudson's own John Ashbery. The event will be streamed live at www.WhiteHouse.gov/Live. 

The Second Street Stairs

A question from a reader, asked in a comment, inspired this post--a footnote really to "News of the Neighborhood." The reader asked if the Second Street stairs were public or private, and the answer is that they are public, on city-owned property, and maintained by the Department of Public Works. What's most interesting about the stairs is how long they have been there, providing a foot path from Allen Street to Cross Street and Tanners Lane.  

    
The stairs can be seen in the foreground of this engraving of 59 Allen Street. (This is the east facade of the house; Allen Street is to the right.) The house was probably built in the 1840s. When this engraving was done, the house belonged to Charles Alger, who purchased it in 1858 and called it "The Hermitage." The houses to the east of the stairs did not yet exist. They were built in the last quarter of the 19th century.    

Of Interest

Tom Casey reports today in the Register-Star that the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court has made a decision in the legal battle between Heinrich von Ritter and the City of Hudson over the property at the end of Tanners Lane: "Von Ritter saga continues." The Appellate Court denied von Ritter's motion, effectively wiping out years of time and effort in the courts.   

In the process of the legal battle, the property was appraised three times, for $50,000, $160,000, and $50,000 respectively. Von Ritter now has it on the market with an asking price of $4 million.

Also of Interest . . .

in today's Register-Star:

• The Greenport Town Board grapples with a conflict of interest issue.
• Olana gets a new site manager.
• Third Ward alderman John Friedman calls for gutters to be installed on the Youth Center.

More Street Food Coming to Warren Street

At Wednesday night's meeting of the Hudson Planning Commission, Michael Davis, owner of 347 Warren Street, presented his plans for developing the property. Already the summer home of Tortillaville and the occasional site of a pizza truck, the lot will this spring, if Davis gets site plan approval, include three food trucks in a garden setting and a beer and wine bar at the back of the building with indoor and outdoor seating. The pizza truck will be back, along with a truck offering the cuisine of the Yum Yum Noodle Bar in Woodstock and another still to be determined. 

Fifth Ward alderman and former mayor's aide Carmine Pierro, who is a member of the Planning Commission, spoke at length about vendors' permits, pointing out that the City of Hudson requires an annual fee from street vendors and prohibits them from operating within 100 feet of businesses that sell similar products. He expressed dissatisfaction that food trucks situated on private property were not subject to the City's vendor law and shared his opinion that the law needed to be changed. 

Carl Whitbeck, attorney to the Planning Commission, pointed out that fees were charged to vendors who use city streets and the food trucks that were part of the proposal would be on private property, implying that the discussion of the current vendor law was not relevant to the matter before the commission. He made the point that the project needed to be judged by the standards applied in any site plan review, stressing that there was nothing currently in the city code to prohibit anything that was being proposed.   

After considerable discussion and questions from various members of the Planning Commision, it was determined that Davis should refine his drawings of the site to indicate seating and lighting and return at the commission's March meeting.  

Although the project has not yet received site plan approval, Wednesday night's discussion had one positive outcome: the 300 block of Warren Street will soon gain some additional parking spaces. The building at 347 Warren Street was originally a gas station, and for this reason the entire width of the property is a curb cut, "yellowed out" to prohibit parking. Davis indicated that he would like to retain one curb cut, wide enough to allow a vehicle to enter to make deliveries, but the rest of the space could revert back to curbing and be used for parallel parking. It was agreed that his amended drawing of the site would show the placement of the curb cut, the reinstated curbing, and the number of new parking spaces. 

News of the Neighborhood

Back in August 2010, a car driven by a septuagenarian plunged down the grassy hill at the south end of Second Street and crashed into the abandoned Kaz warehouse below. In recent days--eighteen months after the bizarre accident that claimed the driver's life--a barrier has been installed to prevent such things from happening again. 

Although the owners of nearby properties might wish for something more attractive on their street, the barrier serves the purpose of warning drivers traveling south on Second Street that the roadway does not continue on the far side of Allen Street. 

Yesterday, another barrier--this one temporary--appeared beside the first one. The new barrier blocked access to the stairs leading down to Cross Street and Tanners Lane.

Was the second barrier erected to inconvenience and discourage the volunteers who feed the feral cats at the Animalkind feeding station located a few steps down from the top of the stairs? Happily, this was discovered not to be the case. 

Further investigation revealed that the stairs had been cordoned off at the top and the bottom because repairs were being made to some crumbling concrete steps.    

The End of a Grand Tradition?

At the January meeting of the Common Council Fire Committee, First Assistant Fire Chief Craig Haigh announced that the Fire Department was considering discontinuing the Inspection Day parade. This would mark the end of a tradition that began in 1856, celebrating Hudson's volunteer fire department, which was established in 1794.  

J. W. Hoysradt Hose & Chemical Company drum line in the 2009 Inspection Day parade. 

Not that long ago, when there were still six fire companies headquartered in six historic firehouses, Inspection Day offered residents and visitors the opportunity to stroll along Warren Street--from the Washington Hose firehouse at Front Street to the Phoenix and Edmonds firehouses on Park Place--touring each firehouse to view historic photographs and artifacts, as well as the gleaming fire fighting equipment housed there. A favorite object on the tour for many was the ornately carved fireplace surround on the second floor of the firehouse occupied by the C. H. Evans Hook & Ladder Company.

In recent years, with only four fire companies, three which reside in the consolidated fire station on North Sixth Street, Inspection Day has become a very different experience, but the Inspection Day parade has continued virtually unchanged. The fire companies of Hudson and volunteer fire companies from around the county, smartly attired in their dress uniforms, march down Warren Street, accompanied by their gleaming fire engines--both modern and historic--passing in review before local and state elected officials and the people they serve. Awards are given to the fire company that presents itself most impressively. 

C. H. Evans Hook & Ladder and Rogers Hose companies in the 2009 Inspection Day Parade. 

Now it appears that the Inspection Day parade may be a thing of the past. According to Haigh, poor attendance is the reason for contemplating abandoning the tradition. Poor attendance could easily be countered by more publicity and hype for this event, which is unique to Hudson and a tradition of long standing. The Inspection Day parade is an opportunity for the residents of Hudson to connect with and show their appreciation for the volunteer fire fighters who protect our city--its residents and its historic buildings. The alternative suggested by Haigh--a family day for members of the department--may address the issue of fire fighter morale, but it fails to bring the fire fighters and the community together--something that is needed even more now that most of our volunteer fire fighters, with the exception of the members of the Hoysradt company, are headquartered in a part of the city where most people rarely go.       

Questioning the Proposed Senior Center

Some have pondered the need for a senior center when the only programs now offered for seniors are Bingo and yoga. Some have objected to the possibility of a tax hike to support a project that was supposed to be funded with grant money. Now the wisdom of attaching a new building to a deteriorating building is being questioned.

If memory serves, more than $800,000 in grant money has been spent on rehabilitating the Youth Center building in the past decade, yet, according to Karen Smith, whose house stands cheek by jowl with the rear wall of the Youth Center, the building still has structural problems that are putting her house and its value in jeopardy.

You can read the details in today's Register-Star: "Senior addition has homeowner worried." Smith shared her photographic documentation of the building's problems with Gossips. Those photographs can be viewed here.

Hudson's Romance with the Parking Meter

A few weeks ago, the Register-Star reported that in 2011 the City of Hudson realized half a million dollars in revenue from parking meters and parking fees and fines. As luck would have it, half a million is just enough to pay the City's annual contribution to the police pension fund.

Recently, I stumbled on this little item in the Hudson Evening Register for July 31, 1941. It reports the "take" from the parking meters in the early days of their residency on the commercial streets of Hudson. 

99 PARKING METER BOXES

CONTRIBUTE TOTAL OF $164.98

The parking meter collection has been increased by $164.98 as the result of another "take" from the 99 boxes on Warren street. City Treasurer William H. Clapp announced today.

The money represents the deposits made in the Warren street boxes from July 25 to July 30 and is the first collection for the second month of the meter operations.

Mr. Clapp said $120.45 was collected in nickels and $44.53 represented the number of pennies taken in.

Tomorrow, the police will pick up the boxes from the 67 meters located on Seventh street, Park place and Columbia street.

"I Don't Like Mondays"

Someone delivering a child to school this morning crashed through the wall of the new HCSD junior high school building and into the faculty lounge. The brakes reportedly failed. Fortunately, no one was injured. The Register-Star has the story and pictures: "Car crashes into school."

Of Water and St. Winifred

Yesterday I made the comment that St. Winifred on Promenade Hill had once been a fountain. That is not quite true. St. Winifred was originally surrounded by water that flowed out of the statue's base. The water created a pool around the statue, and in the pool there were goldfish. The following article, published in 1898--two years after St. Winifred was installed--makes mention of the pool and also demonstrates that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

HE HAS TROUBLES

The Duties of the Policeman on Promenade Hill

Are Many and Arduous

Acting on the REGISTER'S suggestion an officer has been stationed on Promenade Hill to keep order there evenings. The duty he has to perform there is arduous, and is much augmented by the carelessness of parents who allow their children to trample down the grass and to throw gravel at the gold fish, in the pool about St. Winifred, unrebuked. People also go there with their dogs and allow them to run loose to damage the flowers and dig up the beds. The Public Works Commission should make a regulation prohibiting people from taking dogs on the hill unless they are led in leash. Such an order is in force in other cities having public gathering places ornamented with flowers, and such an order should be speedily put in force in Hudson.

Officer Sullivan is stationed on the Hill in the early evening and the service he renders is commendable.

A fine school of gold fish has been put in St. Winifred's pool on Promenade Hill. The fish are there for the pleasure of the people who frequent the Hill and are not intended as targets for the practice of the young Davids, who scatter in a cowardly manner when Goliath Sullivan puts in an appearance.  

The Fall of '"Venus Rising from the Sea"

In response to Gossips' inquiry about the statue of Venus that once stood atop the fountain in Seventh Street Park, City Historian Pat Fenoff provided copies of Register-Star articles from the 1970s--the decade during which Venus suffered the greatest indignities. Using this material, Gossips presents a photographic chronology of the fate of Venus.

In March 1975, DPW workers removed earth from around the statue of Venus in preparation for creating "Inspiration Fountain." It appears that at this point the original fountain had already been eliminated, and Venus was standing at ground level in the middle of what seems to have been a flower bed. (Something similar was done with St. Winifred on Promenade Hill, which was also originally a fountain.) Venus would soon be moved to the northwest corner of the park, near the intersection of Seventh and Columbia streets.  

In July 1978, two vandals went on a rampage in the wee hours of a Sunday morning. They knocked down barricades, ripped out parking meters, and overturned trash barrels in the 500 block of Warren Street, and they bashed the statue of Venus to pieces. Samuel T. Wheeler, then Police Commissioner, called the action "despicable."

The statue was repaired by Robert Allen of Philmont for $800. In the repair process, Allen removed layers of paint from the statue to reveal many of the statue's intricate details and reinforced the statue with cement.  

The vandals responsible for the damage--Harry Allen, Jr., and Donald L. Miller--were sentenced to weekend jail terms--three weekends for Allen, five for Miller--and were each required to pay half the cost of repairing the statue. 

In November 1978, the repaired Venus was returned to its place in Seventh Street Park, only to be hit by a car eleven months later.

In October 1979, James E. Moore, Jr., nicknamed "Jigger," who was drunk and reportedly "upset over family trouble," crashed into the statue with his car and then proceeded to drive his car into the store at the corner of Park Place and Warren streets--then Bollinger's Paint Store, now Photographics Solutions. Moore's estranged wife and his children lived in an apartment over the store.

This time, the statue was more severely damaged. Robert Allen was once again engaged to do the repairs. To prevent future damage, he reinforced the statue, "filling all internal cavities with cement, plaster and epoxy and welding in heavy reinforcing rods."

The statue was again returned to the park, where it remained until 1998, when it was removed and put into storage. 

Bye Bye Walmart

With the option to buy expiring tomorrow, it seems that the county Board of Supervisors has decided to pass on buying the old Walmart building in Greenport, even though it appears that this decision was not made by a vote of the entire board in an officially noticed public meeting. The news is reported in today's Register-Star, complete with extensive quotes from BOS chair Pat Grattan, former BOS chair Roy Brown, Clermont supervisor Ray Staats, and Hudson Fifth Ward supervisor Rick Scalera: "No time left for Walmart option."  

A Shameful Incident in the Public Square

A Gossips reader, curious about Silas W. Tobey, did some research on the veteran artist who put the finishing touches on the fountain in 1883 and discovered this story. In 1859, Silas W. Tobey was one of the defendants in a lawsuit brought by William Mower and heard in the Circuit Court of the Supreme Court in New York City. Tobey and his fellow defendants--Peter Bogardus, Abraham Bogardus, William H. Hunt, Myron Van Dusen, Charles S. Winchell, and Abraham V. V. Elting--were accused of standing by and making no effort to protect Mower from an angry mob intent on doing him bodily harm. Testimony recounted in the New York Evening Express for September 22, 1859, provides the details of the incident.

In July 1856, Mower, an African American barber, was accused of "ravishing an innocent white girl." Curiously, the girl's father, Abraham Elting, was one of the defendants in the case and testified in court that he had known Mower for fifteen years. One evening, on a signal from a patron who was "getting his hair dressed," Mower was taken from his barber shop by three men, two of whom beat him as they led him to the public square. Once there, an angry crowd formed a ring around Mower. He was made to strip, and tar was applied to his body with a barrel stave. According to one witness, there wasn't enough tar to cover Mower's entire body, so "when they got near the bottom of the pot," they poured what remained of the tar over Mower's head. When the deed was accomplished, Mower, tarred and feathered, was permitted to leave. One witness at the trial, who had been one of the conspirators in the vengeance against Mower, testified that he had enlisted the help of "a clan known as the North Whopping Boys."

Gossips research has not yet discovered the outcome of the lawsuit, but Silas W. Tobey was involved in more litigation at the end of his life. Tobey died as a result of slipping on an icy sidewalk, and in 1888 his heirs sued the City of Hudson for $2,000.

The public square where Mower was tarred and feathered may have been the area now known as Seventh Street Park, but it could also have been the courtyard in front of what is now the Register-Star building at Warren and Fourth streets. In the 1850s, this too was known as the "Public Square." The building was then the jail, and the courtyard in front of it had been the location of the pillory and the scene of a public hanging. It seems more likely, however, that the lynch law action taken against Mower would have been staged someplace away from the seat of official law enforcement, but you never know.   

More About Venus and the Fountain

My interest in Venus and the original fountain piqued, I contacted City Historian Pat Fenoff to find out more and to correct any misinformation I might be sharing. Fenoff graciously sent me the text of this article from the Hudson Daily Evening Register for September 11, 1883. 

HUDSON PUBLIC FOUNTAIN

An ornament to the City and a monument to

Public Spirited Citizens. A Description of the Work of Art,

and who were Instrumental in Preparing it.

Now that the beautiful fountain in Public Park is nearly completed and our citizens have enjoyed the sight of "Venus Rising from the Sea," exhibiting in the most effective manner the power of our water supply, and proving that it can be put to ornamental as well as useful purposes, it is proper to speak in detail of this work of art, and award credit to those who were chiefly instrumental in procuring it.

The total height of the fountain, including the foundation, is eighteen feet. The pan is a gurgoyle octagon, eight feet five inches above the base: diameter of pan, eight feet eleven inches. The ground basin is twenty five feet in diameter. The foundation is of Coral Marble, handsomely cut, from the quarries of Supervisor Fred. W. Jones, and was donated by the energetic and public spirited gentleman.

The foundation is capped by a fine slab of Vermont marble, which was generously donated by Patrick Hoctor, of the Hudson Granite and Marble Works. From this rises the base surmounted by the figures, all in graceful proportion and artistic design. But to be fully appreciated, it must be seen when the water in full force is playing through its numerous jets and rising and falling in fantastic forms.

Mr. D. Martin Haviland is entitled to much credit for his persevering efforts in securing to the city not only this beautiful fountain, but the handsome park in which it is located. One of the most unsightly spots in the city has within a few years been converted into one of the most attractive. In this enterprise Mr. Haviland's efforts have been generously seconded by the Boston & Albany Railroad Company, and the action of our Common Council, by the contributions of citizens, and by the local press.

At the outset we said the fountain was nearly completed. It only lacks the finishing touches of the artist's brush. This, we understand, Mr. Silas W. Tobey, the veteran artist, has volunteered to do, and this assurance is sufficient guarantee that the work will be well done and in keeping with the fountain and its surroundings.

Fenoff also provided these notes about the fate of Venus in the 20th century, which correct a misconception of mine. I always believed, despite evidence to the contrary engraved on a plaque, that "Inspiration Fountain" commemorated the City of Hudson's bicentennial in 1985. In fact, it anticipated the bicentennial of the United States in 1976. 

In March of 1975 Hudson DPW workers removed the statue to the corner of 7th and Columbia Street. At that time a new fountain was planned for the park. The fountain was named Inspiration Fountain, lighted, with circulating water. This project was part of the Kiwanis Club beautification program.

The National Commercial Bank and Trust Company, and Hudson City Savings Institution each donated $500 toward the $2,500 cost of the fountain, as well as other local businesses. The work being done by the Hudson Department of Public Works. The fountain was dedicated May 3, 1975.

In July of 1978 the statue of Venus was knocked down and broken into pieces by vandals. Robert Allen of Philmont repaired the statue at a cost of $800. According to a letter from Roderic H. Blackburn, assistant director of the Albany Institute of History and Art, the statue was worth $3,000 to $3,500.

According to Blackburn, the statue appeared to be a late 19th-century sculpture of the Beaux Arts style. It is well modeled in the academic manner of the Beaux Arts tradition and is of high quality as a small public fountains go. According to Blackburn . . . the statue was worth preserving but properly restoring. At that time he wrote he was recently in one of the leading shops in New York which sells metal and marble garden statuary and found almost nothing that matches this piece in artistic quality.

In November of 1978 the statue was placed back in the park.

Two years later a car ran into the statue again damaging it. This time the damage was more severe. Robert Allen of Ghent was once again called upon for the task of repairing it.

In 1998 the statue was removed by DPW because of the condition the statue was in.

Where's Venus?

On Tuesday night, a group interested in improving the area of Warren and Columbia streets east of Seventh Street gathered in the back room of Wunderbar to share ideas. The meeting had been organized and was chaired by Third Ward alderman John Friedman. Among the issues discussed were street lighting, sidewalks, trash receptacles, the truck route, the St. Charles Hotel, but what inspired the group most was the notion of restoring and improving Seventh Street Park. Marshall Trachtenberg, who owns the pair of firehouses on Park Place (originally Edmonds and Phoenix) introduced the issue, saying that a "big catalyst [for businesses in the area] would be to develop the park." 

Just as the park is the focal point of the neighborhood, the fountain is the focal point of the park. Any discussion of restoring the park invariably comes around to talking about the fate of the original fountain and the desire to restore it, and last night's discussion was no exception.  

As is usual when the current fountain (pun intended) is discussed, disparaging remarks were made about the "Danger: High Voltage" warning signs in the fountain and the "lion cage" fence that surrounds it. Comparing what once was there with what is there now, one wonders when and why the original fountain was replaced. 

The plaques affixed to the fence inform us that the fountain is called "Inspiration Fountain" and was given to the City of Hudson by the Greater Hudson Kiwanis Club, the same folks who gave us the Olympic Torch Memorial at the intersection of Columbia, Green, and State streets. The fountain is dedicated to Seth Jenkins, the first mayor of Hudson, to commemorate the bicentennial of Hudson in 1985.

On Tuesday night, a question has asked that is often asked when the original fountain is discussed: "Where is it now?" Here's the answer--to the best of my knowledge. 

When the original fountain was removed, the statue of Venus was filled with cement so that it could be displayed independently and installed in the northwest corner of the park. In that spot, it was hit more than once by cars careening out of control from the intersection of Columbia and Seventh streets, so, in 1994 or 1995, Venus was removed from the park. After its disappearance, it was rumored that the statue was being stored in a garage behind 444 Warren Street, which at the time was owned by Hudson Development Corporation. This, however, was not confirmed--at least not by me--until 2006, when HDC sold the building and the contents of the garage were being removed by DPW workers. There, tucked away in a corner and covered with what appeared to be an old bedspread, was Venus, waiting to be transported to her new home. 

That new home was a DPW garage on North Second Street, but the question was asked on Tuesday night, by Common Council President Don Moore, if the statue was still there. So Gossips contacted DPW Superintendent Rob Perry to inquire about the statue's whereabouts. Perry confirmed that Venus was still in the DPW garage where it had been placed in 2006 and provided these pictures as evidence.

  
The fate of the fountain's pedestal is another story. It was reportedly hauled off to Gold's Scrap Yard, then located in the 300 block of Columbia Street, where it was pulverized.

Of Interest

The Register-Star reports today that Cheryl Roberts, who was appointed Hudson's city attorney by Bill Hallenbeck, has resigned her position as judge for the Town of Austerlitz. According to the report, holding the two positions constitutes an "apparent conflict of interest"--something that seems not to have occurred to Roberts until it was pointed out to her. 

Not to Be Missed

The Register-Star reports this morning that Rick's Point will have a sign to identify it. There's even a picture of the proposed sign, which will replicate the Henry Hudson Riverfront Park signs, designed by Tom Mabley, that were installed when the park was dedicated during the Quadricentennical.