The Society will be meeting at 3:00 - 5:00 pm at the Wallkill River School, 232 Ward Street, in the Village of Montgomery.
This is an important meeting, so please make time to attend! Attendees will receive copies of the draft bylaws, constitution, and petition for provisional charter for the new society. Final vote will take place at the October meeting.
At this meeting former Town of Montgomery Historian Robert Williams will talk about the early efforts to preserve the Colden Mansion Ruins site and the development of the heritage park concept. Current town historian, Suzanne Isaksen will bring pictures of the interior of the mansion.
Light refreshments will be served.
For information, please contact Suzanne Isaksen at 845-641-0463, or sisaksen@earthlink.net.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Project Wins Award from Greater Hudson Heritage Network!
Congratulations to all who have worked tirelessly on the Colden Mansion Ruins project!
The Geater Hudson Heritage Network has selected Michael Hayes, Town of Montgomery Supervisor; Marion Brown, Chair of the Colden Mansion Preservation Team, Suzanne Isaksen, Town Historian and Stephen Tilly, Architect to receive a 2010 Award Towards Excellence for the community collaboration, historic preservation, and Regional Heritage Advancement for the Colden Mansion Emergency Stabilization Project.
This award is in recognition of the successful effort to stabilize, maintain and interpret the remains of an important piece of local history which was in danger of being lost completely.
The award will be presented on October 1, 2010, at the annual meeting of the Greater Hudson Heritage Network. For more information, please visit http://www.greaterhudson.org/
This award would not have been possible without the hard work of everyone over the years to overcome what seemed like unsurmountable odds to preserve the Colden Mansion Ruins from the ravages of time, neglect, indifference and the bulldozers of development. They have always understood that this preservation project protects an important part of where we as a country have come from, and is a gift to generations to come. The history of the Colden Mansion Ruins is our history.
The Geater Hudson Heritage Network has selected Michael Hayes, Town of Montgomery Supervisor; Marion Brown, Chair of the Colden Mansion Preservation Team, Suzanne Isaksen, Town Historian and Stephen Tilly, Architect to receive a 2010 Award Towards Excellence for the community collaboration, historic preservation, and Regional Heritage Advancement for the Colden Mansion Emergency Stabilization Project.
This award is in recognition of the successful effort to stabilize, maintain and interpret the remains of an important piece of local history which was in danger of being lost completely.
The award will be presented on October 1, 2010, at the annual meeting of the Greater Hudson Heritage Network. For more information, please visit http://www.greaterhudson.org/
This award would not have been possible without the hard work of everyone over the years to overcome what seemed like unsurmountable odds to preserve the Colden Mansion Ruins from the ravages of time, neglect, indifference and the bulldozers of development. They have always understood that this preservation project protects an important part of where we as a country have come from, and is a gift to generations to come. The history of the Colden Mansion Ruins is our history.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Colden Mansion Ruins Meetings
The next Colden Mansion Ruins site meeting will be held on June 26 (Saturday) at 10 a.m., at the site of the ruins at the junction of NYS 17K and Stone Castle Road.
The Summer Research meeting will be held at 3 p.m. on June 27 (Sunsay) at Wallkill River School.
The Summer Research meeting will be held at 3 p.m. on June 27 (Sunsay) at Wallkill River School.
The Preservation of the Ruins: the Stabilization Begins
Photos by Lisa Melville, taken April 18, 2010, during a site visit to the Colden Mansion ruins.
Stabilization work is being done by Yankee Construction.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A Project of Urgency
In over seventy years of neglect and abandonment, nature and the elements aided by the inaction of men, came back to claim a once historic home, collapsing roofs and crumbling walls. And now unless something is done quickly, the little that remains of this historic structure will be lost forever and a part of Montgomery's history will be wiped off the face of this earth. Future generations will not know about the people who came before them and paved the way for present day Montgomery.
Here is an excerpt from the January 11, 2007 meeting of the town board meeting of the Town of Montgomery, which illustrates perfectly why we cannot possibly delay action on preserving and stabilising the ruins:
Richard Phelps (Audience) came before the Board and Public regarding some serious problems at the Colden Mansion Site that he wanted to bring to the Board's attention.
Mr. Phelps requested the Colden Mansion to be on the February 1st Agenda and stated that he has a preliminary copy of a Stabilization Report on the Colden Mansion and that the Committee would like to give a presentation on that at the February 1st meeting.
Mr. Phelps passed out a packet of copies of photographs to the Town Board.
Supervisor Cockburn stated that the Colden Mansion would get added to the February 1st Agenda.
Mr. Phelps referred to the photographs in the packet which he presented to the Board and stated that the Colden Mansion needed immediate attention because there are 2 trees leaning against the 1 remaining stone column that is in the front of the Mansion and the base of the column has been undermined where a wooden beam which went through the column as a support is rotted away and is now leaving a large cavity in the back of the column and The trees in question will press against the stone column and cause the column to tumble into the cellar. The stone column to the right of the front door has collapsed inside the cellar and that is what will happen to the remaining column if the Town doesn't act in a judicious manner. The solution is for this cavity to be filled in with stone and mortar and the 2 trees, which are leaning against the column, to be removed after that cavity is filled.
A discussion was held on the matter and about a Preservation Fund for the Colden Mansion.
A Motion by Councilwoman Jasiel, seconded by Councilwoman Buck Smith that the Town Board of the Town of Montgomery go forward with getting quotes for the stone column and remove the 2 trees at the Colden Mansion Site.
Roll Call: All Ayes Motion Carried: 5-0
Mr. Phelps stated that any work that is going to be done has to be brought before the Historic Preservation Board and he offered to draw up the specifications/work proposal for the Board to go out to quote with.
Supervisor Cockburn suggested that if Mr. Phelps draws up a work proposal that it should be reviewed by an Engineer and then get it to the Historic Preservation Commission or leave it for her and she will get it to them.
Supervisor Cockburn told Mr. Phelps to bring in the work proposal to her and she would make sure that Mr. Aiello reviewed it.
Here is an excerpt from the January 11, 2007 meeting of the town board meeting of the Town of Montgomery, which illustrates perfectly why we cannot possibly delay action on preserving and stabilising the ruins:
Richard Phelps (Audience) came before the Board and Public regarding some serious problems at the Colden Mansion Site that he wanted to bring to the Board's attention.
Mr. Phelps requested the Colden Mansion to be on the February 1st Agenda and stated that he has a preliminary copy of a Stabilization Report on the Colden Mansion and that the Committee would like to give a presentation on that at the February 1st meeting.
Mr. Phelps passed out a packet of copies of photographs to the Town Board.
Supervisor Cockburn stated that the Colden Mansion would get added to the February 1st Agenda.
Mr. Phelps referred to the photographs in the packet which he presented to the Board and stated that the Colden Mansion needed immediate attention because there are 2 trees leaning against the 1 remaining stone column that is in the front of the Mansion and the base of the column has been undermined where a wooden beam which went through the column as a support is rotted away and is now leaving a large cavity in the back of the column and The trees in question will press against the stone column and cause the column to tumble into the cellar. The stone column to the right of the front door has collapsed inside the cellar and that is what will happen to the remaining column if the Town doesn't act in a judicious manner. The solution is for this cavity to be filled in with stone and mortar and the 2 trees, which are leaning against the column, to be removed after that cavity is filled.
A discussion was held on the matter and about a Preservation Fund for the Colden Mansion.
A Motion by Councilwoman Jasiel, seconded by Councilwoman Buck Smith that the Town Board of the Town of Montgomery go forward with getting quotes for the stone column and remove the 2 trees at the Colden Mansion Site.
Roll Call: All Ayes Motion Carried: 5-0
Mr. Phelps stated that any work that is going to be done has to be brought before the Historic Preservation Board and he offered to draw up the specifications/work proposal for the Board to go out to quote with.
Supervisor Cockburn suggested that if Mr. Phelps draws up a work proposal that it should be reviewed by an Engineer and then get it to the Historic Preservation Commission or leave it for her and she will get it to them.
Supervisor Cockburn told Mr. Phelps to bring in the work proposal to her and she would make sure that Mr. Aiello reviewed it.
Nomination for National Register of Historic Places
On June 28, 2006 the Colden Mansion Ruins was among 31 properties that the New York State Board for Historic Preservation recommended for nomination to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. See Federal Register: June 28, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 124), page 35508-35509.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Cadwallader Colden Mansion today
The once handsome mansion now stands in complete and utter ruin at the intersection of Stone Castle Road and Route 17K in the town of Montgomery, New York. The woods have grown up around the ruins of the mansion to claim back the land 241 years after Cadwallader Colden Jr., felled the first tree on the property he had inherited from his father. If you peer through the trees you will catch glimpses of the stone walls and foundations.
And if you brave the undergrowth and the trash, as the photographers below have done, you will stand before the crumbling walls of the mansion, and if you try very hard, you will see it in your mind's eye as it once was and you will have been witness to part of your own history. It is men like Cadwallader Colden, Sr., who braved the wilderness of a new land, literally hacking their dwellings out of the forests ... building their homes and taming the land with crops and cattle. It was a hostile land that they groomed with their sweat and their blood, often burying those family members that did not survive the harsh conditions.
And if you brave the undergrowth and the trash, as the photographers below have done, you will stand before the crumbling walls of the mansion, and if you try very hard, you will see it in your mind's eye as it once was and you will have been witness to part of your own history. It is men like Cadwallader Colden, Sr., who braved the wilderness of a new land, literally hacking their dwellings out of the forests ... building their homes and taming the land with crops and cattle. It was a hostile land that they groomed with their sweat and their blood, often burying those family members that did not survive the harsh conditions.
The pictures below were taken from rchrdcnnnghm's photostream on flickr. Copyright is owned by rchrdcnnnghm.
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