Bellvale, New York
Encyclopedia
Bellvale is a wooded hamlet
in the town of Warwick
in Orange County
, New York
, United States
. Situated in the morning shadow of Bearfort Ridge along New York State Route 17A
, Bellvale was the site of an iron
forge
destroyed by British Army
soldiers in 1750; many of its homes and other structures date from before American independence. While close to New York City, its location in the Warwick Valley has prevented suburban development.
occupied the Warwick Valley before the first Dutch trappers appeared on the Hudson River
. Munsees lived in long houses made of sapling staves and layers of collected bark; they raised crops using the Three Sisters
form of companion planting
and utilized the tall-growth forests and streams for hunting and fishing. The Munsees of the area lived in a long house by the creek they called Wawayanda.
Part of a land patent granted by Queen Anne in 1703, Bellvale was called Wawayanda in colonial times. Settlers were drawn to the area because of the abundant timber, game and water power readily available from Long House Creek, allowing the operation of water wheel
-driven mills. Tanneries, sawmill
s, gristmill
s and forges have been served by the fast rushing creek since Lawrence Scrawley first built his trip hammer
plating and slitting mill in 1745, the only such mill then operating in New York colony. Scrawley hoped Bellvale's remote location would allow him to escape notice of British authorities intent on shutting down the American colonies' nascent iron-working industry. By 1750, the Iron Act
was passed in London, the mill was wrecked by the British, and its destruction became of many incidents leading to the American Revolutionary War
.
The Iron Act was repealed in 1758, and though Scrawley didn't rebuild his forge, others built a series of water-powered mills and forges along the fast rushing creek, and by the 1775 the iron-working industries of Sterling Forest, Bellvale and Warwick were capable of creating an immense chain to block the Hudson River at West Point during the Revolution. Each link in the chain weighed 150 pounds; the entire length weighed 188 tons. During the war several gristmills were kept employed making flour and meal for local consumption and for the army's use. Sawmills turned the abundant local maples, oaks and hemlocks into usable boards, and textile mills processed woolen cloth for uniforms and blankets. By the early 1800s Bellvale was a thriving village; the new "Continental road" from Warwick to Tuxedo allowed the community's goods to reach markets closer to the Hudson River. But when the new railroads came through the Warwick valley, Bellvale's best manufacturing days were over. The valley, now cleared of tall-growth trees, became fertile farmland. Wheat and corn were planted. Then as now, apple trees were planted, but then mostly for cider production.
engineers in 1779. Wooden bridges were constructed across Long House creek for the Tuxedo road and on Iron Forge Road, both later replaced by stone arch bridges, now modern concrete structures. Cascade Road begins at NY17A and follows the creek's cascade south for much of its course upwards towards its sources along the ridgetop lakes and marshes of the Bearfort Ridge; the Cascade Park community lies hidden in these mountains along this road.
Eastward of Bellvale Route 17A's roadway rises steeply, passing an active ski resort below the summit of the steep and ancient ridge. Bellvale flags, Middle Devonian layers of sandstone
were first identified by N.H. Darton
in 1894 in this area. A hawkwatch tower crowns the peak of Mount Peter
and the Appalachian Trail
crosses the highway on the east face of Bellvale Mountain to the south and Bearfort Mountain to the north. A local dairy in the valley below provides the milk for an ice cream parlor serving passing AT hikers and motorists. After crossing the ridgeline NY17A descends toward the village of Greenwood Lake
, where it turns eastward again toward Sterling Forest
.
Northward, Lower Wisner Road, named from a prominent early valley family, forks left at the location of Crawley's destroyed mill; Iron Forge Road passes Iron Forge Inn, a restaurant based in a 1760-built grist mill and the Bellvale United Methodist Church, the location of which has served Bellvale residents as a church home for over since 1853. Westward, NY17A rises and falls on foothill ridges of nearby Mount Warwick, passing historic homes and apple orchards before entering the Village of Warwick
.
zone (Köppen climate classification
: Cfa), exhibiting four distinct seasons. Its climate is typical of Mid-Atlantic U.S. areas removed from bodies of water. The hamlet is located in plant hardiness zone
6a though much surrounding Orange County varies from 6 to 7, indicating a cool temperate climate. Summers are warm, spring and fall are mild, with low humidity, while winter is cool, with annual snowfall averaging 23 inches (58.4 cm). Average winter lows tend to be around 20 °F (−5 °C) from mid-December to mid-February. Blizzards affect Bellvale most years. The most violent nor'easter
s typically feature high winds, heavy rains, and occasional snow. These storms often affect large sections of the U.S. East Coast.
The highest recorded temperature was 101 °F (38.3 °C) in 1995, while the lowest recorded temperature was -23 F in 1994.
, Marjorie Quackenbush is the Town Clerk. Floyd DeAngelo, Leonard DeBuck, Mickey Shuback and James Gerstner serve on the Town Board, Gerstner also serving as Deputy Supervisor.
On the state level, Bellvale is represented in the New York State Assembly
by Ann Rabbitt
and in the State Senate
by David Carlucci
. The hamlet is served in the United States House of Representatives
by Nan Hayworth
and in the Senate
by Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand
.
Until recently Bellvale had been served by a post office for over 160 years. Though Congressman John Hall attempted to assist locals in preserving the postal station hosted in a general store, but the USPS abruptly removed all equipment and materials in September 2010. While the hamlet retains the zip code 10912, residents now travel several miles to Greenwood Lake for postal service.
serves Bellvale west to Warwick and east to Greenwood Lake and Tuxedo, passing through the mountainous Sterling Forest
. Bellvale Lakes Road takes motorists north to Chester and Monroe. Upper and Lower Wisner roads join just before reaching King's Highway New York State Route 94
. Cascade Road starts south and takes the traveler high up into an alpine valley, then loops back north toward Warwick after circling Mount Warwick. New Jersey Transit serves the stop in Bellvale with the 196 (express) and 197 (local) bus lines into Port Authority Bus Terminal.
. The upper floor of the schoolhouse provided meeting space for several early area Baptist
, Reformed Dutch
and Methodist congregations for many years and was nicknamed "The Tabernacle." The Methodist congregation resolved to build a church, the cornerstone of which was laid April 27, 1853 and finally dedicated a year later. The church was solidly constructed of timber cut locally and sawed into planks in the mill standing upstream of the new church site.
The wooden building served the community for 86 years, providing the location for the Bellvale Circus, a popular summer entertainment staffed by local residents. The church suffered catastrophic fire damage in early 1940, and was demolished. The current church building began its career in Spring Glen, New York
, where the congregation could no longer afford to host the church, and sold it to the Bellvale congregation for one dollar. The chapel was carefully disassembled and the building, pews, stained-glass windows and organ were lovingly reassembled on the repaired foundation.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the town of Warwick
Warwick, New York
Warwick is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 30,764 at the 2000 census. The 2007 census population estimate is 32,669.The Town of Warwick is located in the southwest part of the county...
in Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Situated in the morning shadow of Bearfort Ridge along New York State Route 17A
New York State Route 17A
New York State Route 17A is a state highway in southern New York, United States, entirely within Orange County. Its western terminus is located at Goshen at a junction with NY 17, and its eastern terminus is at another intersection with NY 17 located in Southfields. It runs...
, Bellvale was the site of an iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
destroyed by British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
soldiers in 1750; many of its homes and other structures date from before American independence. While close to New York City, its location in the Warwick Valley has prevented suburban development.
History
Leni Lenape of the "wolf" clan known as MunseesMunsee language
Munsee is an endangered language of the Eastern Algonquian subgroup of the Algonquian language family, itself a branch of the Algic language family. Munsee is one of the two Delaware languages...
occupied the Warwick Valley before the first Dutch trappers appeared on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Munsees lived in long houses made of sapling staves and layers of collected bark; they raised crops using the Three Sisters
Three Sisters (agriculture)
The Three Sisters are the three main agricultural crops of various Native American groups in North America: squash, maize, and climbing beans ....
form of companion planting
Companion planting
Companion planting is the planting of different crops in proximity , on the theory that they assist each other in nutrient uptake, pest control, pollination, and other factors necessary to increasing crop productivity...
and utilized the tall-growth forests and streams for hunting and fishing. The Munsees of the area lived in a long house by the creek they called Wawayanda.
Part of a land patent granted by Queen Anne in 1703, Bellvale was called Wawayanda in colonial times. Settlers were drawn to the area because of the abundant timber, game and water power readily available from Long House Creek, allowing the operation of water wheel
Water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of free-flowing or falling water into useful forms of power. A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface...
-driven mills. Tanneries, sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s, gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s and forges have been served by the fast rushing creek since Lawrence Scrawley first built his trip hammer
Trip hammer
A trip hammer, also known as a helve hammer, is a massive powered hammer used in:* agriculture to facilitate the labor of pounding, decorticating and polishing of grain;...
plating and slitting mill in 1745, the only such mill then operating in New York colony. Scrawley hoped Bellvale's remote location would allow him to escape notice of British authorities intent on shutting down the American colonies' nascent iron-working industry. By 1750, the Iron Act
Iron Act
In American Colonial history, the Iron Act, strictly Importation, etc. Act 1750 was one of the legislative measures introduced by the British Parliament, seeking to restrict manufacturing activities in British colonies, particularly in North America, and encourage manufacture to take place in...
was passed in London, the mill was wrecked by the British, and its destruction became of many incidents leading to the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
The Iron Act was repealed in 1758, and though Scrawley didn't rebuild his forge, others built a series of water-powered mills and forges along the fast rushing creek, and by the 1775 the iron-working industries of Sterling Forest, Bellvale and Warwick were capable of creating an immense chain to block the Hudson River at West Point during the Revolution. Each link in the chain weighed 150 pounds; the entire length weighed 188 tons. During the war several gristmills were kept employed making flour and meal for local consumption and for the army's use. Sawmills turned the abundant local maples, oaks and hemlocks into usable boards, and textile mills processed woolen cloth for uniforms and blankets. By the early 1800s Bellvale was a thriving village; the new "Continental road" from Warwick to Tuxedo allowed the community's goods to reach markets closer to the Hudson River. But when the new railroads came through the Warwick valley, Bellvale's best manufacturing days were over. The valley, now cleared of tall-growth trees, became fertile farmland. Wheat and corn were planted. Then as now, apple trees were planted, but then mostly for cider production.
Geography
Bellvale is bisected by New York State Route 17A, though one of its older streets, Pumpkin Hill Road, lies along the path of the historic Tuxedo to Warwick road, improved by Continental ArmyContinental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
engineers in 1779. Wooden bridges were constructed across Long House creek for the Tuxedo road and on Iron Forge Road, both later replaced by stone arch bridges, now modern concrete structures. Cascade Road begins at NY17A and follows the creek's cascade south for much of its course upwards towards its sources along the ridgetop lakes and marshes of the Bearfort Ridge; the Cascade Park community lies hidden in these mountains along this road.
Eastward of Bellvale Route 17A's roadway rises steeply, passing an active ski resort below the summit of the steep and ancient ridge. Bellvale flags, Middle Devonian layers of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
were first identified by N.H. Darton
Nelson Horatio Darton
Nelson Horatio Darton was a geologist who worked for the United States Geological Survey. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and started working in his uncle's drug business at the age of 13, also becoming a practicing chemist. His interest in geology started as a sideline, and he was hired by...
in 1894 in this area. A hawkwatch tower crowns the peak of Mount Peter
Mount Peter (New York)
Mount Peter is located in the New York – New Jersey Highlands, Shawangunk Ridge, in the U.S. state of New York. The peak is located along the Appalachian Trail just south of New York State Route 17A, northeast of Bellvale Mountain, east of Bellvale, New York and north northwest of Greenwood...
and the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
crosses the highway on the east face of Bellvale Mountain to the south and Bearfort Mountain to the north. A local dairy in the valley below provides the milk for an ice cream parlor serving passing AT hikers and motorists. After crossing the ridgeline NY17A descends toward the village of Greenwood Lake
Greenwood Lake, New York
Greenwood Lake is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 3,411. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New...
, where it turns eastward again toward Sterling Forest
Sterling Forest, New York
Sterling Forest, New York is a hamlet in the Town of Warwick, Orange County. It is served by an active United States post office of the same name. It is situated on the eastern shore of Greenwood Lake, at the New Jersey state line. Part of the hamlet extends into West Milford Township, Passaic...
.
Northward, Lower Wisner Road, named from a prominent early valley family, forks left at the location of Crawley's destroyed mill; Iron Forge Road passes Iron Forge Inn, a restaurant based in a 1760-built grist mill and the Bellvale United Methodist Church, the location of which has served Bellvale residents as a church home for over since 1853. Westward, NY17A rises and falls on foothill ridges of nearby Mount Warwick, passing historic homes and apple orchards before entering the Village of Warwick
Warwick (village), New York
Warwick is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,412 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census population was 6,731...
.
Climate
Bellvale is located in the humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
zone (Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
: Cfa), exhibiting four distinct seasons. Its climate is typical of Mid-Atlantic U.S. areas removed from bodies of water. The hamlet is located in plant hardiness zone
Hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone...
6a though much surrounding Orange County varies from 6 to 7, indicating a cool temperate climate. Summers are warm, spring and fall are mild, with low humidity, while winter is cool, with annual snowfall averaging 23 inches (58.4 cm). Average winter lows tend to be around 20 °F (−5 °C) from mid-December to mid-February. Blizzards affect Bellvale most years. The most violent nor'easter
Nor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
s typically feature high winds, heavy rains, and occasional snow. These storms often affect large sections of the U.S. East Coast.
The highest recorded temperature was 101 °F (38.3 °C) in 1995, while the lowest recorded temperature was -23 F in 1994.
Government
Bellvale is administered as a part of the town of Warwick. Michael Sweeton is the Warwick Town SupervisorTown supervisor
Town Supervisor is an elective legislative position in New York towns. Supervisors sit on the town board, where they preside over town board meetings and vote on all matters with no more legal weight than that of any other board member .Towns may adopt local laws that allow them to provide for an...
, Marjorie Quackenbush is the Town Clerk. Floyd DeAngelo, Leonard DeBuck, Mickey Shuback and James Gerstner serve on the Town Board, Gerstner also serving as Deputy Supervisor.
On the state level, Bellvale is represented in the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
by Ann Rabbitt
Ann Rabbitt
Ann Rabbitt is a member of the New York State Assembly, for the 97th district first elected in 2004. She is a Republican.-External links:*...
and in the State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
by David Carlucci
David Carlucci
David Carlucci is a member of the New York State Senate representing the 38th district, which includes all of Rockland County and parts of Orange County. He is an Independent Democrat....
. The hamlet is served in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
by Nan Hayworth
Nan Hayworth
Nan Alison Sutter Hayworth is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and nursing career:...
and in the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
by Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party...
.
Until recently Bellvale had been served by a post office for over 160 years. Though Congressman John Hall attempted to assist locals in preserving the postal station hosted in a general store, but the USPS abruptly removed all equipment and materials in September 2010. While the hamlet retains the zip code 10912, residents now travel several miles to Greenwood Lake for postal service.
Transportation
New York State Route 17ANew York State Route 17A
New York State Route 17A is a state highway in southern New York, United States, entirely within Orange County. Its western terminus is located at Goshen at a junction with NY 17, and its eastern terminus is at another intersection with NY 17 located in Southfields. It runs...
serves Bellvale west to Warwick and east to Greenwood Lake and Tuxedo, passing through the mountainous Sterling Forest
Sterling Forest State Park
Sterling Forest State Park is a 17,953 acre park located in the Ramapo Mountains in Orange County, New York established in 1998; it is among the larger additions to the New York state park system in the last 50 years...
. Bellvale Lakes Road takes motorists north to Chester and Monroe. Upper and Lower Wisner roads join just before reaching King's Highway New York State Route 94
New York State Route 94
New York State Route 94 is a state highway entirely within Orange County in southern New York. The western terminus is at the New York-New Jersey state line, where it continues as NJ 94 for another to Columbia, New Jersey. Its eastern terminus is located at U.S. Route 9W in New Windsor....
. Cascade Road starts south and takes the traveler high up into an alpine valley, then loops back north toward Warwick after circling Mount Warwick. New Jersey Transit serves the stop in Bellvale with the 196 (express) and 197 (local) bus lines into Port Authority Bus Terminal.
Religion
Methodist meetings were held in members' homes as early as 1809, circuit preachers visiting the valley from New WindsorNew Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....
. The upper floor of the schoolhouse provided meeting space for several early area Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Reformed Dutch
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
and Methodist congregations for many years and was nicknamed "The Tabernacle." The Methodist congregation resolved to build a church, the cornerstone of which was laid April 27, 1853 and finally dedicated a year later. The church was solidly constructed of timber cut locally and sawed into planks in the mill standing upstream of the new church site.
The wooden building served the community for 86 years, providing the location for the Bellvale Circus, a popular summer entertainment staffed by local residents. The church suffered catastrophic fire damage in early 1940, and was demolished. The current church building began its career in Spring Glen, New York
Spring Glen, New York
Spring Glen is an unincorporated hamlet of the Town of Wawarsing in Ulster County, New York, United States. It is located just off US 209 just north of the Sullivan County line. It has the ZIP Code 12483....
, where the congregation could no longer afford to host the church, and sold it to the Bellvale congregation for one dollar. The chapel was carefully disassembled and the building, pews, stained-glass windows and organ were lovingly reassembled on the repaired foundation.
See Also
- Sterling Forest State ParkSterling Forest State ParkSterling Forest State Park is a 17,953 acre park located in the Ramapo Mountains in Orange County, New York established in 1998; it is among the larger additions to the New York state park system in the last 50 years...