Orange Mill Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Orange Mill Historic District
is the only one in the Town of Newburgh
in Orange County
, New York
. It encompasses the 42 acres (17 ha) of county-run Algonquin Park and many of the surrounding lands. It is centered along Powder Mill Road just off NY 52
, a mile northwest of the city of Newburgh
, at the edge of the suburban hamlet of Gardnertown
.
The district takes its name from the old gunpowder
mill
complex, built by Asa Taylor in 1816. It is located along the unnamed Orange Lake
outlet brook which flows through the park just above its outlet at Quassaick Creek
.
While it primarily produced powder for local residents' use in hunting
and shooting sports
, during the Civil War
the Union Army
procured some higher quality material. In the years before that conflict, local historian Edward Ruttenber claimed the mills were "the most complete and extensive works in the country" when they were under the ownership of a man named Daniel Rodgers.
After production stopped in the early 20th century, developers began building on houses on some of the property. Col. Frederic Delano (1863–1953), uncle of future U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, purchased the remaining land, which included the core of the manufacturing operation, for use as a public park. Originally it was to have belonged to the City of Newburgh and in fact was deeded to the City, even though it was not contiguous with the City and is over a mile outside the city limits. The City of Newburgh maintained the park until the mid 1970's, at which time it became cost prohibitive and it gave up ownership. Eventually, Orange County purchased the property and it remains a part of the Orange County Parks and Recreation system to this day. It is adjacent to Cronomer Hill Park, which borders it across Powder Mill Road to the northwest. Cronomer Hill Park is a separate Orange County Park.
Today the historic district includes 14 of these buildings which formerly were the core of the manufacturing operation as contributing properties
. It was designed to incorporate the old buildings as an essential feature, and many of the roofless stone structures still stand next to the park's barbecue pits and picnic grounds. It is today the only remaining 19th-century gunpowder production facility in New York. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1997.
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
is the only one in the Town of Newburgh
Newburgh (town), New York
Newburgh is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The 2010 census determined the population is 29,801. This is the first time ever that the population of the Town of Newburgh officially exceeded that of the adjacent but totally separate municipality known as the city of Newburgh...
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...
. It encompasses the 42 acres (17 ha) of county-run Algonquin Park and many of the surrounding lands. It is centered along Powder Mill Road just off NY 52
New York State Route 52
New York State Route 52 is a long state highway in the southeastern part of New York in the United States. It generally runs from west to east, beginning at the Pennsylvania state line in the Delaware River near Narrowsburg, crossing the Hudson River on the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, and ending...
, a mile northwest of the city of Newburgh
Newburgh (city), New York
Newburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, United States, north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. Newburgh is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange counties. The Newburgh area was...
, at the edge of the suburban hamlet of Gardnertown
Gardnertown, New York
Gardnertown is a hamlet in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 4,533 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
.
The district takes its name from the old gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
mill
Powder mill
The term powder mill is usually used for a mill that manufactures blackpowder, a type of gunpowder.A powder mill could be driven by wind or water power, and contained rollers for grinding the ingredients of gunpowder together, as well as presses and tumbling barrels and sieves for compacting,...
complex, built by Asa Taylor in 1816. It is located along the unnamed Orange Lake
Orange Lake, New York
Orange Lake is a hamlet in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,085 at the 2000 census. Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.The community of Orange...
outlet brook which flows through the park just above its outlet at Quassaick Creek
Quassaick Creek
Quassaick Creek is an tributary of the Hudson River in Orange and Ulster counties in the U.S. state of New York. It rises in the glacial ridges west of the river, near the boundary between the towns of Plattekill and Marlborough...
.
While it primarily produced powder for local residents' use in hunting
Hunting
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...
and shooting sports
Shooting sports
A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
, during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
procured some higher quality material. In the years before that conflict, local historian Edward Ruttenber claimed the mills were "the most complete and extensive works in the country" when they were under the ownership of a man named Daniel Rodgers.
After production stopped in the early 20th century, developers began building on houses on some of the property. Col. Frederic Delano (1863–1953), uncle of future U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, purchased the remaining land, which included the core of the manufacturing operation, for use as a public park. Originally it was to have belonged to the City of Newburgh and in fact was deeded to the City, even though it was not contiguous with the City and is over a mile outside the city limits. The City of Newburgh maintained the park until the mid 1970's, at which time it became cost prohibitive and it gave up ownership. Eventually, Orange County purchased the property and it remains a part of the Orange County Parks and Recreation system to this day. It is adjacent to Cronomer Hill Park, which borders it across Powder Mill Road to the northwest. Cronomer Hill Park is a separate Orange County Park.
Today the historic district includes 14 of these buildings which formerly were the core of the manufacturing operation as contributing properties
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...
. It was designed to incorporate the old buildings as an essential feature, and many of the roofless stone structures still stand next to the park's barbecue pits and picnic grounds. It is today the only remaining 19th-century gunpowder production facility in New York. 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...
in 1997.