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Hastings On Hudson, NY 10706


 

 

Hastings On Hudson is an incorporated village within the Town of Greenburgh located on the eastern shore of the Hudson River just 13 miles north of NYC.

Points Of Interest Hastings

A Brief History of Hastings On Hudson

In 1682, Frederick Philipse, a Dutch carpenter, traded with the Native Americans for the area that is now Hastings. He later divided the area that we call Hastings into four farms and leased them to Dutch, English and French Huguenot settlers.

During the American Revolution, Hastings was considered neutral. Yet patriots used Hastings Harbor to serve their cause. During the day, they stored boats there and, at night, they used the boats to smuggle food and supplies to Washington's army, which was camped on the other side of the river.

Hastings was named after the English town where William the Conqueror won the famous battle in 1066.A resident named Saunders who ran one of the first factories in Hastings had come from this English town. Saunders lived at 49 Washington Avenue, which is now known as the Cropsey House.

The earliest industry in Hastings was stone quarrying. From 1828 to 1871, hundreds of European laborers blasted dolomite marble from the White Marble quarry near Aqueduct Lane. Some of the marble was used in the building of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City and the Customs House in Charleston, South Carolina.

Around 1850, two German immigrants built the Kattenhorn and Hopke Hudson River Steam Sugar Refinery on the waterfront. The refinery flourished and was the community's most important industry until it was destroyed by fire 25 years later.

In 1897, Frederick Zinsser opened a chemical plant that produced wood alcohol. Some residents believed the Zinsser Plant produced mustard gas during World War I, but there was no substantial evidence to support the notion.

The opening of the railroad accelerated Hastings' growth. Rail travel cut by half the time that it used to take to travel by steamboat to New York City. Wealthy families built summer homes in the area and employed servants to look after their residences.

In the 1860s and 1870s, many New Yorkers traveled by barge to swim and picnic at Dudley's Grove, near the Yonkers border. An amusement park called "Little Coney Island" brought people in droves to Hastings in the 1890s. The Tower Ridge Yacht Club made its debut in 1891.

At the beginning of this century, the Orphan Asylum of the City of New York (later known as the Graham-Windham School) moved from Manhattan to Hastings. As the first home for dependent children designed around a "cottage plan," the school has been designated a Westchester County landmark.

The last of the heavy industries in Hastings was the Anaconda Company, a wire and cable manufacturing business, that thrived from 1929 to 1975. At the height of its operation, Anaconda owned most of the Hastings waterfront. See aerial photo of Hastings On Hudson waterfront - circa 1960

The peaceful atmosphere and appealing Hudson views brought many noteworthy people to Hastings. From 1916 to the early 30's, producer Florenz Ziegfeld and his wife, actress Billie Burke (who played the good witch in the Wizard of Oz) lived on a 22-acre estate called Burkeley Crest. The house was built of marble and, on the grounds, they kept a menagerie of bears, lion cubs and ponies for their daughter, Patricia.

Sculptor Jacques Lipchitz, Admiral David Farragut and painter Jasper Cropsey were other noted residents of Hastings.

Hastings On Hudson - Parks & Recreation

The Parks and Recreation Department offers a comprehensive program of activities for residents of all ages. The department publishes a recreation bulletin twice a year listing scheduled activities and programs as well as registration information.

Programs
Recreation programs are geared for all age groups. In the fall/winter months the sports program offers youth football, soccer, basketball, bowling, skating and ski trips. The spring and summer calendar includes baseball, softball swimming, tennis instruction, volleyball, exercise workshops, arts and crafts, special events in the parks, bus trips and a variety of playground activities.

There is a summer camps for children three to five years and a six-week day camp for those in the first through sixth grades. Both are held at Hillside School.

Chemka Pool
In 1984 the Board of Trustees voted to name the swimming pool honor of Julius M. "Butch" Chemka, a lifelong resident of Hastings who was Superintendent of Parks and Recreation as well as assistant pool director at the time of his death. The pool, located in Hillside Park, was financed by a bond issue and is supported by annual membership fees. Pool memberships are available at the Recreation and Parks Department office in the James Harmon Community Center, 44 Main Street. Split season as well as full season permits are available. Membership is open to residents of Hastings or the Hastings school district only.

A number of swimming programs are scheduled for the pool including free instruction for children in grades Kindergarten through sixth, lifeguard training and a fitness and senior citizen swims. The swim team, which competes in meets during July and August, is open to pool permit holders ages 7 to 18 years.

Tennis
Permits are required for use of the tennis courts in Hillside Park and Reynolds Field. The annual permits, valid from May 1, may be purchased at the Recreation and Parks Department office in the Community Center, 44 Main Street.

The Recreation Department sponsors a women's tennis team as well as village-wide tennis tournaments throughout the summer. Starting in June, court time may be reserved at the Hillside courts.

Community Center
The Community Center at 44 Main Street accommodates the Senior Canteen and an after-school activity room, and is used for most indoor programs and activities. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings for teenagers. The building also serves as the Recreation Department Headquarters for the Superintendent and the department's staff.

Parks
Color Map Of Parks, Trailways & Green Spaces

James V. Harmon Community Center
Main Street. Recently renovated in 2007, the center is home to the offices of the Parks & Recreation Department, Technology Department, Youth Advocate, and Senior Advocate. There are many programs, meetings, and functions that take place at the center on a daily basis.

Chemka Pool
Hillside Avenue. The Chemka Pool is a state of the art facility modernized in 2003. It is a 3 pool complex that contains a spray pool, training pool, and a large L shape pool. Locker-room facilities and a concession stand are available.

Hillside Park
Hillside Avenue. A 52-acre wooded area containing a swimming pools and bathhouse complex, picnic area, hiking trails, fishing, ice skating pond and four tennis courts.

Hillside Woods
Color Trail Map For Hillside Park & Hillside Woods
Edgewood Avenue. A 48-acre, natural woodlands, adjacent to Hillside Park, with hiking trails and vernal pond.

Reynolds Field
Chauncey Lane. A large playing field for baseball, football, and track. Basketball courts. Three tennis courts. Playground equipment. (Reynolds Field is maintained by the village but owned and regulated by the School Board.)

Uniontown Field
Rose Street. A youth baseball field, basketball court, picnic area and playground area.

Zinsser Park
North Broadway. A large playing field for baseball, football, soccer and basketball, picnic area. Plots available for residents to garden. Persons wishing to request a plot may call the Parks and Recreation Department at (914) 478-2380 after March 1.

Rivervlew Park
Warburton Avenue. Contains a skate park and picnic area.

Fulton Park
Maple Avenue. Borders the Hastings Library and Municipal Building with benches and view of the Palisades and the Hudson River.

Draper Park
Washington Avenue. A 9.9-acre park with picnic areas.

MacEchron Waterfront Park.
River Street. A 1.3-acre park with picnic areas, playground, and majestic views of the Pallisades.

Kinnally Cove.
River Street. Picnic tables and benches, a kayak launch and majestic views of the Pallisades.

Senior Citizens Vest Pocket Park
Warburton Avenue north of Pinecrest. A small park designed for senior citizens and passive recreation.

Wagner Park
Broadway and Warburton. A small park designed for senior citizens and passive recreation.

Trailways
Color Map Of Trailways & Green Spaces - Hastings On Hudson, NY
There are trailways throughout the parks and open space for hikers.

Adopt-A-Trail Program - Hastings On Hudson
Identifies the locations of each of the village's trailways and specifies volunteer work that is needed - includes color maps of each of these green spaces.

Rowley's Bridge Trail - (Full Color Map)
Rowley’s brook and bridge are named after the Rowley family who settled in the Pinecrest area of Hastings in 1846. The woodland trail features scenic overlooks of the Hudson River and a 100-foot stone arch masonry bridge built in 1892 by Samuel L.Cooper

Old Croton Aqueduct
Built in 1845, it is owned and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the trailway offers a scenic walk from northern Westchester County to New York City. It follows the path of the aqueduct that was once used to bring fresh water from the Croton River to New York City.

South County Trailway
The South County Trailway is a paved bicycle/pedestrian path located primarily on right-of-way lands of the former Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad.

NEARBY
Rockefeller State Park Preserve - NYS Department of Parks
Friends of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve
Over 1,000 acres of woodlands, meadows, wetlands and a 24-acre lake offer a wonderful retreat from the city. Come to hike, jog, fish, cross-country ski or study nature.

  1. Trail Map #1 Of Rockefeller Park Preserve .
  2. Trail Map #2 Of Rockefeller Park Preserve .

Fishing licenses are required and horseback riding is allowed with a permit. Kykuit, former home of the Rockefellers and one of the valley's most popular attractions, is located adjacent to the preserve.

 

 

 

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© Copyright 2007 Bill Boeckelman Publications

http://www.move2hastings.com
Hastings on Hudson, NY - A charming & historic village along the eastern banks of the Hudson River - 13 miles north of NYC.
Bill Boeckelman


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