the cusp of the Industrial Age that would soon encroach on
the virgin lands of the region. Cole had witnessed this in his
native England and fought bitterly against this by portraying
the landscapes he painted along the Hudson almost to a reli-
gious level. He tried to inspire people to fight against the tide
of industry closing in. As a result, he is considered one of our
early conservationists. One of his pupils was Frederic Church
who became a per-eminent Hudson River artist known
around the world.
Jumping back on the eastern side is a site I strongly feel
we should all visit at least once, the Franklin D. Roosevelt
home, library and museum in Hyde Park. This is located just
above Poughkeepsie. Considered by historians to be one of
our finest presidents, his birthplace and lifelong home has the
feeling of a moment in time preserved for all to experience.
The home, also known as Springwood sits above the Hudson
amongst the lands that FDR played on when he was a boy
and in whose soil he and his wife Eleanor are buried in a fit-
ting rose garden. Their last dog Fala lies there too. The home
itself is such a personal memorial that seems to echo his dis-
tinctive voice and personality even to the cocktail shaker and
glasses ready to be used by FDR for his evening martini he
used to make for the many prominent guests he and Eleanor
hosted. The only reminder in the house of his crippled body
is one of his wheelchairs he used at the house.
The other fabulous buildings to visit on the grounds of the
Roosevelt estate house are the library and museum. Scholars
and historians have been making the trip to Hyde Park and
the library as soon as it opened since the invaluable papers
of over 4 terms as president and FDR’s previous political life
including as Governor of New York are all housed in the
library. During the year, seminars and forums are often pre-
sented at the library. Truly a vibrant Presidential Library.
Columbia County just north of Dutchess where the FDR
home is located, hosts Olana, home of the previously men-
tioned Frederic Church. He was one of the most famous
artists of the Hudson River School, and his fame eclipsed
that of Thomas Cole. He had a more prodigious output of
paintings which are often of huge size.
Frederic Church was a very distinctive person, and his
home, with the name Olana, was personally designed by
Church, using stone and brick and decorated with poly-
chrome stencils in a Victorian and Persian style, quite
unique and eclectic.
The original 250 acres of the estate have been supplement-
ed by another 1600 acres to protect the integrity of the estate.
The villa is furnished exotically and remains as it was when
the Church family lived there. Olana is filled with artifacts
reflecting his aesthetic taste and brought back by Church
from his extensive world travels with a particular emphasis
on the Middle East. Church himself created the stenciling
both inside and out. The last building on the estate was added
in 1888-90 to be used as a studio. Church transformed the
entire site by designing the vistas to encompass the Catskill
Mountains across the river, completed over a period of 40
22
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site | nps.gov/hofr/index.htm
Olana State Historic Site | olana.org
Home of American landscape artist, Frederic Edwin Church
View of the Two Lakes and Mountain House, Catskill Mountains, by Thomas Cole
years and resulted in a farm, gardens vistas and even a com-
plete roadway system. Visitors are welcome throughout the
year with guided and self-guided tours. The grounds are
open for picnicking and exploring.
The Hudson Valley is a diverse area in which we are priv-
ileged to occupy. There are many historic sites and beautiful
natural treasures waiting for you to discover.
While Henry Hudson never did find the route to the Orient,
his discovery of the mighty river named in his honor is a last-
ing monument. The Hudson Valley, “A river runs through it.”
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