Rhinecliff
Encyclopedia
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 Rhinebeck
Rhinebeck (town), New York
Rhinebeck is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 7,548 at the 2010 census.The Town of Rhinebeck in the northwest part of Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley. Rhinebeck is also the name of a village in the town. US Route 9 passes through the town...
in northern Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
. It was founded in 1686 as the town of Kipsbergen by five Dutchmen, among them Hendrikus and Jacobus Kip, who moved from 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...
to live in the settlement along the eastern shore of the Hudson River. In 1849, under the influence of the Hudson River Valley school of painters, the hamlet was given the more picturesque name of Rhinecliff. The quaintness and charm of the hamlet serve as the water and rail gateway to the larger town of Rhinebeck.
Rhinecliff is one of the oldest intact hamlets along 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...
and is listed in 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...
as a contributor to the Hudson River National Historic Landmark District. At 20 miles (32.2 km) long, this Historic District is the largest National Historic Landmark (NHL)designation in the country. Rhinecliff is also included in the Local Waterfront Redevelopment Program (LWRP) and is designated: a Scenic Area of Statewide Significance (SASS), a contributor to the DEC Mid-Hudson Historic Shorelands Scenic District, a contributor to DEC Scenic Roads designations, and is in the Hudson River National Heritage Corridor.
The hamlet is demarcated by large agricultural and wooded area to the north, east, and south, and bounded by the Hudson River on the west. Steep topography, formed by contorted slate ridges and valleys, define the site-specific and seemingly random orientation of the small, frame 19th century houses and winding narrow roads. After experiencing a mid-19th century building boom, the original hamlet boundaries and building density have changed very little over the last 100 years.
As part of the town of Rhinebeck, the hamlet of Rhinecliff is included within the jurisdiction of the Town government. In 2005, the Town Board created the Rhinecliff Hamlet Advisory Council to facilitate communications between the Hamlet and Town. Goals of the Advisory Council are to work with the community on the protection of the historic hamlet, integration of a multi-use greenway connecting the Town with the hamlet, appropriate development of the waterfront, and sensitive residential development in outlying areas.
The town is also the setting of the fictional book series The It Girl
The It Girl
The It Girl is the first book in The It Girl series. It was written in 2005 by a ghostwriter with suggestions from Cecily von Ziegesar. Aimed toward young adults, it is a spin-off from the bestselling Gossip Girl series....
by Cecily von Ziegesar
Cecily von Ziegesar
Cecily von Ziegesar is an American author best known for the young adult Gossip Girl books.-Early life and education:...
and Hudson River Bracketed by Edith Wharton. Nearby notables, past and/or present, have included: Levi P. Morton, Vicent Astor, Natalie Merchant, and Annie Leibovitz.