High Falls Historic District
Encyclopedia
The High Falls Historic District corresponds roughly to the downtown section of the hamlet of that name
in Marbletown
, New York, United States. It is a 21 acres (8.5 ha) area around the intersection of state highway
NY 213
, Main Street, Mohonk Road (Ulster County
Route 6A0 and Bruceville Road just south of Rondout Creek
.
Here the Delaware and Hudson Canal
once crossed the creek on a large aqueduct
, never rebuilt after it burned in the early 20th century. Several pieces of the canal's infrastructure, including some well-preserved locks and the canal's official National Historic Landmark
plaque
, are included in its 21 acres (8 ha). While the canal had the greatest effect on the small community, it has not been the only economic force acting on it over the years. It is considered a "distinctive example of mid-19th century semi-urban land use planning
."
is an irregularly shaped area centered around the junction of Bruceville, Mohonk and Route 213, mostly following lot
lines. It follows Mohonk up to the Delaware and Hudson Canal Museum
, in an old church, then its boundary goes east to rear lot lines, then south to the town line at Route 213 with neighboring Rosendale
.
It includes most properties along the south side of Route 213, and some along Bruceville almost to where it meets the creek. East of there it inclodes the former canal right-of-way, its empty bed extant, all the way down to the former aqueduct abutment
. It goes no farther along 213 than the split between it and its former alignment, now Main Street. It includes the properties in the commercial area along the north side of Main Street and Firehouse Road and the canal as it goes uphill, with some of its locks, and then reaches its western extreme at a thin wedge along the canal's earlier route along the north side of Main.
Within these boundaries are 33 buildings, only four of which are considered non-contributing
to the district's historic character. There are also five structures, all former canal locks. The buildings range from the late 18th century to the mid-20th, and the canal infrastructure was mostly built in the middle of the 19th. The entire area is developed except for the short stretch of canal north between 213 and the creek, which is wooded.
. It was an attractive source of water power
, and mill
ers were drawn to it from colonial times
. The first bridge to nearby Stone Ridge
, on the main road through the valley between the Shawangunks
and Catskills
, was built during this time. The stone Jacob DePuy House, from 1797
(expanded in mid-19th century), reflects this era and retains much of its original fabric.
In the early 19th century, a cotton
and wool
en factory in the hamlet made it a center of local manufacturing
, serving many of the farms in the surrounding area. This set the stage for the construction and opening of the canal in 1828. The D & H was built to transport anthracite coal from Northeastern Pennsylvania
to New York City via Kingston
, where it was transferred to ships plying the Hudson River
.
High Falls would be important not only for its location at a key water crossing, spanned by a John A. Roebling
aqueduct, and frequent layover on the canal, but for the natural cement
discovered at nearby Rosendale
during the canal's construction, which needed the millpower. As the canal remained in operation for the remainder of the century, it would transform the hamlet from an isolated rural community to a bustling, yet small, industrial town, especially after the canal was expanded in 1850 to handle bigger barge
s. In addition to the facilities built by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, such as a lock tender's house and general store
, small stores and shops were built nearby to take advantage of the canal traffic. They and the hamlet's street and block layout still exist today, a testament to that period.
Development declined along with the canal's fortunes, and the district has changed little since the canal ceased operations in 1899, other than the state's relocation of the portion of Route 213 that goes through it in 1956. Its post-canal future began thirty years earlier. The road extending down from the Shawangunks had made High Falls a point of embarkation via carriage for canal or rail travelers destined for Mohonk Mountain House
atop the ridge. This may have helped it establish itself as a vacation or weekend destination of its own, a reputation it still enjoys today. The nearby hills and fields and their mountain vistas are home to many second homes
for residents of New York City
and its downstate suburbs. The shops and stores are now boutique
s and restaurant
s that cater to them on weekends and in summertime.
Three locks and two other structures from the canal are included in that property's National Historic Landmark
designation. Several properties within the district are notable; none have yet been separately listed on the National Register.
High Falls, New York
High Falls is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 627 at the 2000 census.High Falls is located in Marbletown, near the town boundary with Rosendale.-Geography:...
in Marbletown
Marbletown, New York
Marbletown is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,854 at the 2000 census.The Town of Marbletown is near the center of Ulster County, southwest of the City of Kingston. US 209 and NY 213 pass through the town...
, New York, United States. It is a 21 acres (8.5 ha) area around the intersection of state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
NY 213
New York State Route 213
New York State Route 213 is a state highway located entirely in Ulster County. It runs from the eastern Catskills to downtown Kingston....
, Main Street, Mohonk Road (Ulster County
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
Route 6A0 and Bruceville Road just south of Rondout Creek
Rondout Creek
Rondout Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River in Ulster and Sullivan counties, New York, USA. It rises on Rocky Mountain in the eastern Catskills, flows south into Rondout Reservoir, part of New York City's water supply network, then into the valley between the Catskills and the Shawangunk...
.
Here the Delaware and Hudson Canal
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
once crossed the creek on a large aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
, never rebuilt after it burned in the early 20th century. Several pieces of the canal's infrastructure, including some well-preserved locks and the canal's official National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
, are included in its 21 acres (8 ha). While the canal had the greatest effect on the small community, it has not been the only economic force acting on it over the years. It is considered a "distinctive example of mid-19th century semi-urban land use planning
Land use planning
Land-use planning is the term used for a branch of public policy encompassing various disciplines which seek to order and regulate land use in an efficient and ethical way, thus preventing land-use conflicts. Governments use land-use planning to manage the development of land within their...
."
Geography
The districtHistoric district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
is an irregularly shaped area centered around the junction of Bruceville, Mohonk and Route 213, mostly following lot
Lot (real estate)
In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries...
lines. It follows Mohonk up to the Delaware and Hudson Canal Museum
Delaware and Hudson Canal Museum
The Delaware and Hudson Canal Museum is a museum in High Falls, New York, United States specializing in the history and culture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. It is located in a Gothic Revival chapel built in 1885 which was purchased by the Delaware & Hudson Canal Historical Society in 1975...
, in an old church, then its boundary goes east to rear lot lines, then south to the town line at Route 213 with neighboring Rosendale
Rosendale, New York
Rosendale is a town in the center of Ulster County, New York, United States. It once contained a village of the same name, which was dissolved through a vote. The population was 6,075 at the 2010 census.- History :...
.
It includes most properties along the south side of Route 213, and some along Bruceville almost to where it meets the creek. East of there it inclodes the former canal right-of-way, its empty bed extant, all the way down to the former aqueduct abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
. It goes no farther along 213 than the split between it and its former alignment, now Main Street. It includes the properties in the commercial area along the north side of Main Street and Firehouse Road and the canal as it goes uphill, with some of its locks, and then reaches its western extreme at a thin wedge along the canal's earlier route along the north side of Main.
Within these boundaries are 33 buildings, only four of which are considered non-contributing
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the district's historic character. There are also five structures, all former canal locks. The buildings range from the late 18th century to the mid-20th, and the canal infrastructure was mostly built in the middle of the 19th. The entire area is developed except for the short stretch of canal north between 213 and the creek, which is wooded.
History
High Falls takes its name from the nearby feature on the Rondout, where the creek cuts through a large rock formation and goes over a large waterfallWaterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
. It was an attractive source of water power
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
, and mill
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 :...
ers were drawn to it from colonial times
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
. The first bridge to nearby Stone Ridge
Stone Ridge, New York
Stone Ridge is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 1,173 at the 2000 census.Stone Ridge is located in the Town of Marbletown, along US 209 where it overlaps NY 213.-Geography:...
, on the main road through the valley between the Shawangunks
Shawangunk Ridge
The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of New Jersey to the Catskill Mountains.The ridgetop, which widens considerably at...
and Catskills
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
, was built during this time. The stone Jacob DePuy House, from 1797
1797 in architecture
The year 1797 in architecture involved some significant events.-Buildings:* Ditherington Flax Mill, in Shrewsbury, England is completed, now the oldest iron framed building in the world, and the "grandfather of skyscrapers"....
(expanded in mid-19th century), reflects this era and retains much of its original fabric.
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
en factory in the hamlet made it a center of local manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, serving many of the farms in the surrounding area. This set the stage for the construction and opening of the canal in 1828. The D & H was built to transport anthracite coal from Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
to New York City via Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
, where it was transferred to ships plying 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...
.
High Falls would be important not only for its location at a key water crossing, spanned by a John A. Roebling
John A. Roebling
John Augustus Roebling was a German-born American civil engineer. He is famous for his wire rope suspension bridge designs, in particular, the design of the Brooklyn Bridge.-Early life:...
aqueduct, and frequent layover on the canal, but for the natural cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
discovered at nearby Rosendale
Rosendale, New York
Rosendale is a town in the center of Ulster County, New York, United States. It once contained a village of the same name, which was dissolved through a vote. The population was 6,075 at the 2010 census.- History :...
during the canal's construction, which needed the millpower. As the canal remained in operation for the remainder of the century, it would transform the hamlet from an isolated rural community to a bustling, yet small, industrial town, especially after the canal was expanded in 1850 to handle bigger barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s. In addition to the facilities built by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, such as a lock tender's house and general store
Lock Tender's House and Canal Store Ruin
The Lock Tender's House and Canal Store Ruin is located on Canal Road in High Falls, New York, United States. It is a complex along the former route of the Delaware and Hudson Canal built in the middle of the 19th century....
, small stores and shops were built nearby to take advantage of the canal traffic. They and the hamlet's street and block layout still exist today, a testament to that period.
Development declined along with the canal's fortunes, and the district has changed little since the canal ceased operations in 1899, other than the state's relocation of the portion of Route 213 that goes through it in 1956. Its post-canal future began thirty years earlier. The road extending down from the Shawangunks had made High Falls a point of embarkation via carriage for canal or rail travelers destined for Mohonk Mountain House
Mohonk Mountain House
The Mohonk Mountain House also known as Lake Mohonk Mountain House, is a historic American resort hotel located on the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County, New York. Its prominent location in the town of New Paltz is just beyond the southern border of the Catskill Mountains on the western side of the...
atop the ridge. This may have helped it establish itself as a vacation or weekend destination of its own, a reputation it still enjoys today. The nearby hills and fields and their mountain vistas are home to many second homes
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
for residents of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and its downstate suburbs. The shops and stores are now boutique
Boutique
A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry. The word is French for "shop", via Latin from Greek ἀποθήκη , "storehouse"....
s and restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s that cater to them on weekends and in summertime.
Significant contributing properties
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
designation. Several properties within the district are notable; none have yet been separately listed on the National Register.
- Delaware and Hudson Canal MuseumDelaware and Hudson Canal MuseumThe Delaware and Hudson Canal Museum is a museum in High Falls, New York, United States specializing in the history and culture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. It is located in a Gothic Revival chapel built in 1885 which was purchased by the Delaware & Hudson Canal Historical Society in 1975...
, 23 Mohonk Road. Six years after its founding, the congregation built the St. John's Episcopal Memorial Chapel in the 1880s after a summer resident of the area donated the money. It was converted to its present use in the 1960s. - Depuy Canal House, 1315 Route 213. Home and tavern of early landowner built in 1797 and now one of the district's most recognizable landmarks. Now a restaurant and sushi bar.
- DeGraff House, 1304 Route 213. This ornate brick ItalianateItalianate architectureThe Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
home built in 1855 was later the home of a cement-works supervisor. - Dutch Reformed Church Parsonage, 1300 Route 213. Greek RevivalGreek Revival architectureThe Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
building dating to 1875. It is also now a restaurant. - Hasbrouck Barn and Dwelling, 121–125 Main Street. This ornate Greek RevivalGreek Revival architectureThe Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
residence, with stone wall, iron fence and carriage step, was built in the mid-19th century. Its English-style frame barn has been convertedAdaptive reuseAdaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
into a residence. - I. Hasbrouck House and Store, 5-7 Second Street. This two-story frame building was constructed by the canal company as a feed store around 1850. Original storefronts remain on street level.
- High Falls Reformed Church, 4 Firehouse Road. An outgrowth of the congregation at nearby Alligerville put this two-story brick building up in 1867.
- J.B. Shaw House, 17 Mohonk Road. A brick house built in 1875 with some Greek RevivalGreek Revival architectureThe Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
features. The property includes several outbuildings, one of which is a lock tender's shelter that predates it. - I.H. Snyder Store, 1209 Route 213. Built around 1875, this two-story ItalianateItalianate architectureThe Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
frame building with a hipped roofHip roofA 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...
also has its original storefront. - Temperance House, 1205 Route 213. The William Quick family operated this as the Cliff House from 1895–1949. A two-story open porch spans the five-bayBay (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:...
facadeFacadeA facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face".... - Towpath House, 6-8 Second Street. In 1820 the canal company added onto this 1787 frame house, the oldest building in the district.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Ulster County, New York