Explore history of ironworks that helped win the Civil War
Scenic Hudson is continuing guided tours of its West Point Foundry Preserve on the first Saturday of each month through November. The free, 90-minute tours will begin at 11 a.m. in the preserve’s parking lot at 68 Kemble Ave. A trail also connects the preserve to Cold Spring’s Metro-North station.
The monthly tours—which will take place on June 6, July 4, Aug. 1, Sept. 5, Oct. 3 and Nov. 7—will focus on the history of West Point Foundry, a pacesetter in America’s Industrial Revolution. It manufactured cannons—known as Parrott guns—credited with helping to win the Civil War, as well as some of the nation’s first steam engines, pipes for New York City’s water system, and machinery essential for the cotton and sugar industries. As a new, exclusive feature of the tours, Scenic Hudson will display life-size images depicting the interiors of foundry buildings. These historic photographs will be displayed close to the locations in which they were taken, providing visitors with a rare glimpse inside the foundry’s operations.
Tours will showcase foundry’s history, preserve’s new interpretive features
Following universally accessible trails that trace historic rail lines and paths used by the ironworks’ largely immigrant workforce, the tours will describe West Point Foundry’s manufacturing process—especially the production of Parrott guns, which were so vital to the Union cause that President Abraham Lincoln visited the foundry in 1862.The tours also will highlight the new design features at the preserve—winner of a 2014 New York State Historic Preservation Award—that bring the foundry’s past to life while conserving the land’s natural beauty.
Scenic Hudson acquired the 86-acre West Point Foundry Preserve property in 1996 to safeguard the foundry’s remains from proposed development. Located within a dramatic forested ravine crossed by Foundry Brook, the preserve is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
New online mobile tour also offers exciting way to experience preserve’s history
Scenic Hudson also has launched an online mobile tour that allows visitors exploring the trails at West Point Foundry Preserve—or anyone browsing the Web—to experience the foundry’s sights and sounds. Available at www.foundrytour.org, the tour features thrilling sound effects and videos, engaging narration, and historic photographs of the foundry and its workers. Park visitors can access the tour using most recent smartphones or tablets with cellular internet access. For optimal enjoyment, headphones are recommended.
Explore History of West Point Foundry Preserve June 20th
Tour part of New York State’s Path Through History Initiative
As part of New York State’s Path Through History Weekends, Scenic Hudson will offer guided tours of its West Point Foundry Preserve—which contains the remains of one of America’s most important 19th-century ironworks—on Saturday, June 20. The free, 90-minute tours will begin at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., commencing in the preserve’s parking lot at 68 Kemble Ave. A trail also connects the preserve to Cold Spring’s Metro-North station.
The tours will focus on the history of the preserve, which contains exciting features that interpret the history of West Point Foundry. A pacesetter in America’s Industrial Revolution, the foundry manufactured cannons—known as Parrott guns—credited with helping to win the Civil War, as well as some of the nation’s first steam engines, pipes for New York City’s water system and machinery essential for the cotton and sugar industries.
Tours will showcase foundry’s history, preserve’s new interpretive features
Following universally accessible trails that trace historic rail lines and paths used by the ironworks’ largely immigrant workforce, the tours will describe West Point Foundry’s manufacturing process—especially the production of Parrott guns, which were so vital to the Union cause that President Abraham Lincoln made a surprise visit to the foundry in 1862.The tours also will highlight the design features at the preserve—winner of a 2013 Honor Award from the New York Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects—that bring the foundry’s past vividly to life while conserving the land’s natural beauty.
“Scenic Hudson is delighted to participate in New York’s Path Through History Weekends by offering tours at West Point Foundry Preserve. With its extraordinary combination of natural beauty and historic remains, the preserve provides a unique opportunity to connect both with the splendor of the Hudson Valley and the region’s past. We look forward to introducing visitors to the preserve’s new features and the prominent role this land played in American history,” said Scenic Hudson Director of Parks Rita Shaheen.
For more information about the preserve—and all of Scenic Hudson’s parks—visit www.scenichudson.org/parks.
About Path Through History
The Path Through History (PTH) is a state initiative that connects historic and cultural attractions throughout New York State. The PTH not only showcases New York’s unparalleled network of museums, historic sites and other cultural institutions, but helps promote tourism, economic development and create jobs. Goals include increasing visitation to heritage and cultural sites, telling New York’s story and integrating seamlessly with New York State’s larger tourism efforts. Heritage tourism already has a $5 billion annual impact on New York’s economy. As part of Path Through History, on June 7-8 and 14-15, cultural and heritage sites throughout the state will host special programming, tours and events, or provide reduced or free admission, to celebrate New York State’s unique history. www.paththroughhistory.ny.gov
About Scenic Hudson
Scenic Hudson works to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors. A crusader for the valley since 1963, we are credited with saving fabled Storm King Mountain from a destructive industrial project and launching the modern grass-roots environmental movement. Today with more than 25,000 ardent supporters, we are the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson River Valley. Our team of experts combines land acquisition, support for agriculture, citizen-based advocacy and sophisticated planning tools to create environmentally healthy communities, champion smart economic growth, open up riverfronts to the public and preserve the valley’s inspiring beauty and natural resources. To date Scenic Hudson has created or enhanced more than 65 parks, preserves and historic sites up and down the Hudson River and conserved over 35,000 acres. www.scenichudson.org
