Fish and Fur Club
Encyclopedia
The original Fish and Fur Club building is at Main (NY 301
) and Pearl Streets in Nelsonville
, New York
, United States
. It is now used as Nelsonville's village hall. In 1982 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP).
It is a single-story three-by-three-bay
wood frame
building on a stone
foundation
. An asphalt
-shingled
hipped roof
is pierced in the front by a triangular dormer with a semicircular window. On the front is a poured-concrete
porch
with wooden posts and railings, leading to the main entrance, a recessed, panelled
and glazed double door with a three-part transom
. It is flanked by two wood-framed glass bay window
s.
, trapped and fished
in the nearby Hudson River
and Hudson Highlands
. They met first at the home of one member, next to a local blacksmith's shop
, then in another building at Main and Division streets. They decided to buy land for a clubhouse of their own, and bought the current parcel in spring 1905. Bonds
bought by every member financed the $1,500 ($ in 2008 dollars) cost of the construction by local builder Martin Adams. It opened in November with a coon
supper for members and their families.
The building would soon come to be of central importance in the community. In 1923 the Nelsonville Fire Department held its first formal meeting in the club's rooms. It would meet there until the construction of its own firehouse down the street in 1955. In that year the club moved into a new annex to the east, and the village began using the original clubhouse as its justice court, office of the village clerk and meeting room for the Village Board.
Reflecting its members interests, the original building's porch railings and posts were wood of an unfinished, rustic character, an unusual choice in the region. Those were cited as its chief source of architectural significance in its nomination to the NRHP, but have since been replaced with molded
wood painted white.
In 2001 volunteers and the village began a $15,000 project to renovate the annex, which had fallen into a state of disrepair. It was completely gutted, with new walls, floors and windows installed. New heating and cooling
was added, as well as a new septic system
for both it and the village hall.
New York State Route 301
New York State Route 301 is an intra-county state highway stretching across three-quarters of Putnam County, New York, in the United States. The western terminus of NY 301 is at an intersection with NY 9D in Cold Spring. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with NY 52 in...
) and Pearl Streets in Nelsonville
Nelsonville, New York
Nelsonville is a Hudson Highlands village located in the Town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York. The population was 565 at the time of the 2000 census.The Village of Nelsonville is directly east of the Village of Cold Spring...
, 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...
. It is now used as Nelsonville's village hall. In 1982 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP).
It is a single-story three-by-three-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
wood frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
building on a stone
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. An asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
-shingled
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
is pierced in the front by a triangular dormer with a semicircular window. On the front is a poured-concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
with wooden posts and railings, leading to the main entrance, a recessed, panelled
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
and glazed double door with a three-part transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
. It is flanked by two wood-framed glass bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
s.
History
The club was organized in 1895 by local outdoor sportsmen, who huntedHunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, trapped and fished
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
in the nearby 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...
and Hudson Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
. They met first at the home of one member, next to a local blacksmith's shop
H. D. Champlin & Son Horseshoeing and Wagonmaking
The H. D. Champlin & Son Horseshoeing and Wagonmaking shop building is located on Main Street in Nelsonville, New York, United States. It is a typical commercial structure for a common business of the late 19th century that survives in good condition...
, then in another building at Main and Division streets. They decided to buy land for a clubhouse of their own, and bought the current parcel in spring 1905. Bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
bought by every member financed the $1,500 ($ in 2008 dollars) cost of the construction by local builder Martin Adams. It opened in November with a coon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
supper for members and their families.
The building would soon come to be of central importance in the community. In 1923 the Nelsonville Fire Department held its first formal meeting in the club's rooms. It would meet there until the construction of its own firehouse down the street in 1955. In that year the club moved into a new annex to the east, and the village began using the original clubhouse as its justice court, office of the village clerk and meeting room for the Village Board.
Reflecting its members interests, the original building's porch railings and posts were wood of an unfinished, rustic character, an unusual choice in the region. Those were cited as its chief source of architectural significance in its nomination to the NRHP, but have since been replaced with molded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
wood painted white.
In 2001 volunteers and the village began a $15,000 project to renovate the annex, which had fallen into a state of disrepair. It was completely gutted, with new walls, floors and windows installed. New heating and cooling
HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
was added, as well as a new septic system
Septic tank
A septic tank is a key component of the septic system, a small-scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes provided by local governments or private corporations...
for both it and the village hall.