Red Hook Mural Project

Harvest Past

The story behind the first mural! It wasn't until the year 1996 when I began to research photo's for the Red Hook Views Community Calendar that I found the picture of the Mill that was on the waterfall which gave Mill Rd. it's name. The Mill is gone now but it gave me a clue to the past, and an idea for the mural. I thought how about depicting it in a scene on one of our historic buildings. I then found out that this entire area was called the bread basket, because from the early 1700's to about 1825 most of the wheat in America was grown right here in the Hudson Valley. It wasn't until the Erie Canal was built around 1825 that they produced wheat in the mid west and shipped it throughout the country. So at that time the over 2 dozen mills in this area began to shut down and this area went into a depression. That's when the farmers turned to apple growing and other things. So in the first mural entitled "Harvest Past" you see the Mill called in the late 1600's Livingston's Mill is in the background. In the foreground you see a hard working Dutch immigrant from Holland hauling apples. The wheat field represents the original means of support in the Hudson Valley while the apples represent the agricultural harvest of the future. Which is still a mainstay to farmers in this region.

The Tobacco Factory

The Tobacco Factory was a major employer here in Red Hook for over 100 years. The Factory was built by Robert Massonneau in the 1830's (which was one of the first privately owned buildings and businesses run outside of the Livingston strong hold) and continued to flourish until 1940. The tobacco was transported up the Hudson River by Sloops, then it was picked up at the Donaldson's Dock (now known as Barrytown Landing, owned by Dick Genrett) by horse drawn wagons and brought up to the factory 5 miles east of the River here in Red Hook. "When a couple of hogsheads of Tobacco came to the Barrytown Dock, it was sent for with a large wagon and four horses to attract attention and sometimes a bugler, on horse back was sent ahead to announce its coming, as it was considered a note worthy event" quote by William S. Massonneau "History of the Tobacco Factory"

The upper part of the mural is a scene of the interior of the factory, describing to the best of my ability, how it was in the mid 1850's. According to our records many women were employed at the factory to supplement the family income, which was unusual in the era, also to be noted is the fact that a man would read to the workers while they worked. This was a first in the Hudson Valley as it was one way for the employer to hold the workers attentiveness to their work and also I suspect to keep an eye on them. This procedure was adopted in many other factories in the Hudson Valley in the 19th century, but to be remembered that it first began in Red Hook.

The Sunken Garden

"The Sunken Garden", mural commemorates a beautiful Victorian Garden which existed from the 1890's to the 1940's. This garden was originally part of a private estate owned by a Doctor W. E. Traver. The garden was situated in the village center (Red Hook) as the side yard to the house and below street level. Dr. Traver sold his house in the 1940's and the estate became the Regis Hotel. The property was then subdivided and the Sunken Garden was filled in to make way for a gasoline station. The Hotel has changed hands many times, eventually becoming the Red Hook Inn. The Garden depicted in this mural is of its heyday 1913.

The North River Steamboat

August 17th, 1807. On this day the North River Steamboat began its maiden voyage from New York Harbor to Albany, and stopped at Clermont, the ancestral home of one of Americas great statesman, Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Jr. The Steamboat was co-invented by, Robert Fulton and Chancellor Livingston. Fulton, a young American from Pennsylvania, was working on inventions for the French Government, when fate brought the two together in Paris. This relationship led to a successful business partnership and NY waters monopoly which lasted a decade.

Their partnership became a family affair when Robert Fulton became engaged to the Chancellor's niece Harriet. As family lore will have it the Chancellor announced the betrothal on that very day as the boat approached the dock at Clermont.

The event is significant to Tivoli in that after the successful engineering of steam power, the Fulton - Livingston partnership began to develop a vessel to carry passengers and cargo up river against the tide at 5 miles per hour. The construction of that vessel began in place known as DeKoven's Cove or Upper Red Hook Landing, presently known as Tivoli Bays.

The trip from New York to Albany a distance of 150 miles took 32 hours. What some cynics had called "Fulton's Folly" became the marvel of the day!

The History of Ellenville

Mural 15' x 25'. This mural is capturing some of the highlights of Ellenville's long and illustrious history.

We start off in the late 1600's with the legend of Sam's Point. As the story goes Sam Gonsalus, an Early Amerian Pioneer, was trespassing on Indian territory. When he was discovered he was hunted down by the natives, only to escape by some fast thinking and fast feet. Sam managed to out run the Indians and jumped several hundred feet off of these ledges (as depicted in the mural) to miraculously land in some soft brush and walk away unharmed.

The post office is a landmark building, depicted here as it looks today and probably looked in 1823. Ellenville got its name from a local barmaid, Ellen Snyder, who when asked the question, when we get our own postal designation, what will we call ourselves? She offered her name and said, "name it after me", and so they did. Ellenville as a village became an official town when it was incorporated in 1856.

The main street has center stage in this mural and it has some very interesting architecture from the late 1700's, to the mid 1900's, with the predominate church steeple in the background. Also, interestingly enough are the people of Ellenville, walking down the street as they have done since the late 1600's.

Next we come to the D & H Canal, in the 1800's there were over 3,000 miles of canals which criscrossed the country, from New York to California. The most famous being the Erie Canal. But, Ellenville had its own which brought coal from Pennsylvania to the east coast, as well as other goods to and from NY to the mid-west. As you can see in the mural the barges were powered by mules that traveled along the tow path. There were stations along the way were the mules would be exchanged for a fresh team. These stops would often become centers of commerce as the town built up around the trade route. This particular canal was built in 1828 and lasted until the train came in and put them out of business.

1871 is the date for the NY & Oswego Raolroad which first ran through Ellenville. Later came the NY O&W, Ontario & WEstern Railroad as depicted in my mural. Again as in the D&H Canal coal was transported from Pennsylvania, as well as farm goods to NY City. Passengers from the city to Ellenville became an industry as Ellenville became a tourist spot at the turn of the century, bringing rich bankers, wall street investors and artists to the famous Craigsmoor Community. Also you will see the cart in the foreground, these are the Blueberries which were taken to the train for transport to the market in NY. Blueberrys was a very big industry in Ellenville and you can see the blueberry bogs in the background.

Horseback riding is a favorite pass time for this generation and is quite a drawing card for Ellenville. The famous HITS Equestrian Training Center is located just outside the Village. Also the Shawangunk mountains are home to some of the most ambitious Hang Gliders in the country as seen at the top of the mural.

Last but not least is my depiction of the one room school house, from the late 1800's. The school house is still there and preserved as a reminder of the past.