Download a pattern book called A Home for All, or a New, Cheap, Convenient

Welcome to the
7th Annual
Local History Day—
Walden, New York
2008 History Hunt
a pattern book called A Home for All, or a New, Cheap, Convenient and
Superior Mode of Building. This book was written by Orson Squire Fowler,
a native of Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York. Walden is very fortunate
to still have one of these very unique houses. How many sides does an
Octagon house have? _____
As you walk along Maple
notice the Hays house
which is on the National
Register of Historic Places.
This Second Empire style
Victorian home was built
in 1874 and was the home
of John Richardson Hays
and his wife Sara Jane
Millspaugh Hays. In 1862,
at the age of 22, John R.
Hays was a 2nd Lieutenant
of Company H, 124th
Regiment better known as the “Orange Blossoms.” He fought in the battles
of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Beverly Forge, Gettysburg, Mine Run,
Locust Grove and Brandy Station. He was called “the fighter from
Fighterville.” He was disabled and honorably discharged in 1864.
John R. Hays had many accomplishments which include: Station agent for
the Wallkill Valley Railroad, a merchant tailor, Vice President of the Walden
Savings Bank for several years, Fire Chief of Enterprise Co. #2, Postmaster
of Walden, and he was very involved with the Soldiers Monument where you
started this History Hunt.
Turn right onto Scofield Street and look up and you may be able to see the
First Reformed Church at the top of the hill. It was finished in 1838.
Now walk down the hill towards the Municipal Building and notice the
Fireman’s Monument. This monument was cast by Tiffany and Co. The
Fireman’s Monument was dedicated on 14 October 1909. What does it say?
______________________________________________________________
Is this the original site of the monument? ____________________________
Clue: Look at the picture of the Walden Savings Bank.

This ends the Walden History Hunt—please come back to the third floor
for refreshments and to discuss what exciting things you found.
Local History Hunt
At the Walden Municipal Building begin your pursuit. Col. Thomas Bradley,
President of the New York Knife Factory was a recipient of the Medal of
Honor for his bravery (and injuries) in
the Civil War. He donated the money
to build the Municipal Building and the
Library. He named the Library after
his beloved daughter and wife. Can
you find the pictures of Josephine and
Louise Bradley? ______________
_______________________________
Clue: Go to the 2nd floor Library
balcony. They are surrounded by
books which they both loved.
Now go outside to the front of the
building. The windows replaced the
doors that were home to three fire
Col. Thomas Bradley
companies that originally were housed
in this building. The following three questions can be answered by this clue:
Look up. Can you name the three fire companies?
________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
While looking up can you also list the name of the public rooms of the
Municipal Building? ___________________________________________
What bird is perched on top of the Municipal Building? ________________
What date was the Municipal Building built? ________________________
Clue: For this answer you must look around at the whole building.
Turn around toward the Square and see Soldier’s Monument. The monument
was erected in 1890 by Col. Thomas Bradley in memory of the Town of
Montgomery Civil War Soldiers as part of their unit which was known as the
124th “Orange Blossoms.” The Orange Blossoms fought in 8 battles.
Can you name the two battles visible on the monument from where you are
standing? _____________________________________________________
Clue: Study the monument.
From the front of the Municipal Building look to the left of the Soldier's
monument. This is the Saint Andrews Episcopal Church that just celebrated
275 years of continuous worship, the oldest continuous congregation in
Montgomery. We will only be pointing out the churches along our History
Hunt route, but there are others in the village. In the archives at Saint
Andrews Church they possess the original charter with King George’s seal.
Perhaps you have heard of Saint Andrews Road, Saint Andrews School, and
the cemetery behind it? This congregation moved from that site to Walden in
1826. In order to keep the name of Saint Andrews they had to relinquish the
old place of worship. The new building was erected on a spot of land, which
is now part of the Walden Elementary School playground on Orchard with
the parsonage on Ulster Avenue. Later it was resolved to build a new church
which is the current one. Can you guess what year it was completed?
__________ Clue: Study the church building.
He was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt. What does the statue say?
_____________________________________________________________
Why do you think it might say that? ________________________________
At this same site is The Fowler Building. Can you tell when it was
built?_____ The original building at this site was also owned by the Fowler
family but burned to the ground. When they rebuilt—they built the brick
building you see today. Also visible from this corner is the Post office which
was made
possible
by Col.
Bradley’s
efforts
when he
was a
Congress
man.
Behind
the Post
office on
Church
Street
was the
Terrace Inn; today
it is apartments
and behind the
Post Office on
Maple Street (and
across from the
Octagon house) is
the former Terrace
Inn Cottage which
is also apartments
today.
Now please begin walking east across Walnut Street to Orchard Street.
Continue on Orchard Street, on the left you will pass the Walden Elementary
School. Notice the sign on the building that calls this the Walden Grade–
High School. When was it built? _______ It is now just the “Walden
Elementary School.” The first district school was built on this site in 1859.
~2~
Walking Information—Turn right onto Maple Street and notice the
Octagon House on the right. The Kidd Octagon house was a rare style of
architecture popular in the 1850s and 1870s. Picture this house sitting on this
site with nothing around it. The front door faced Main Street and there were
no other buildings to the East. The fad began in 1848 with the publication of
~11~
St. Nicholas Hotel
Walking Information—Continue walking East along Main Street toward
Sohn’s Appliance store, Roosa’s Jewelry store, and John the Tailor clothing
store. The empty lot next to John the Tailor was originally the site of the
Wooster Company which produced clothing for the working man. Afterward
it became Westerman’s Hardware Store and part of the garment industry.
These garment shops were known as sweat shops because they were not well
lit or ventilated making them unpleasant work environments. The last sweat
shop owner was Ann Kitz. A major and memorable snow storm caused
structural damage to the building. The building was subsequently
demolished. Across the street from the empty lot where the gas station is
today used to be the site of several handsome residences, one of which was
called the Walden Hotel.
At the corner of Maple Street and East Main Street notice the statue of
President McKinley. President McKinley and Col. Bradley fought together
in the Civil War and were friends. In the will of Col. Bradley he dedicated
funds to build the monument you see today in gratitude for helping to create
a tariff that protected the cutlery business from competition from knife
makers in Germany. President McKinley was the 25th president of the United
States and the last Civil War Veteran to be elected President. He was
assassinated while in office, shot by Leon Czolgosz on September 5th 1901
and died 8 days later on September 14th from gangrene.
~10 ~
At the edge of the school’s property you will notice a chain link fence. Right
outside of that fence is an original iron fence associated with Saint Andrews
church. Continue walking and at the corner of Pine and Orchard you will
notice the Congregation Beth Hillel Walden Jewish Community Center.
Continue walking towards what is now called the Veterans’ Memorial Bridge.
This is the fourth bridge to be built at this location. Historically this Bridge
was known as High Bridge and the Low(er) Bridge would be the one close to
the Thruway Shopping Center and was referred to as the Town Bridge.
When you reach Main Street turn left onto the Veterans’ Bridge.
Walk out onto the Veterans’ Memorial Bridge and look toward the waterfall.
Notice the Walden Hydro Plant that currently generates power from the
Wallkill River flowing over the dam. Although there were electric lights in
Walden in the 1890s, this plant was started in 1908 and completed in 1910
and transformed Walden into a modern industrial center. The last names of
the original owners of the plant were Fowler, Broadhead, and Laughran. The
plant also supplied Crawford and Shawangunk with power. In 1965 there
was a large blackout, called the Northeast Blackout of 1965 which affected
25 million people and 80,000 square miles including New York City. Which
power plant was able to generate electricity during the blackout? ________
Clue: You are looking at it!
Look south and to the left and you can still see the ruins of the NY Knife
factory. Who was the president of the New York Knife Factory? __________
Look up and admire the flags hung by loved ones in memory of soldiers,
sailors, etc. that have fought in military conflicts. Take a moment to say a
prayer for those who have served and who are still serving to defend this
great country. How many flags adorn the Bridge? ____
Walking information—At Veterans’ Bridge use the pedestrian crossing to
get to the other side of Main Street. Begin walking East along West Main
~3~
Street toward the center of the village. On the left is the office of Mr.
Raymond Ozman, a local lawyer and village justice; notice the large carriage
stone original to the house built in the 1880s. A little farther up, on the right
is the United Methodist Church. The structure you see today is actually built
around the original structure which is circa 1850; it was renovated and
enlarged in 1870 and again in 1893. The congregation has been meeting in
Walden since circa 1817. Across from the Methodist Church are industrial
buildings that are the remnants of the garment industry that was flourishing
in Walden during the later part of the 1800s and early 1900s. In the late
1800’s this building had several businesses—a harness shop, blacksmith and
carriage maker. According to a 1903 map, these buildings were owned by the
Fowler family.
~4~
At the
intersection of
Main Street
(which was
originally called
Chestnut Street),
and Oak/Walnut
Streets, look at
each of the
corners. Tick’s
Department Store,
a very well
known
department store
showing a fire at the Didsbury Theater. There were many other bands and
shows that performed at the Didsbury and from the 1920s to the early 1970s
the little theater was the local movie house.
Notice the Masonic Hall building. Can
you draw the symbol on the building that
represents the Masons?
Make a right at the intersection of Main
and Ulster Avenue. Pause at the
intersection and look around. Notable
structures that are still standing include
Lustig’s Department Store (see balcony
in the image below). Look at the entrance way of this building; do you see
any remnant of the Lustig's Department Store? _______________
The Walker building originally included a grocery store on the main level
with several offices and meeting rooms on the upper floors. When was it
built? ________
Look at the Walden Savings Bank; Notice the changes from the original bank
that stood where the current structure stands.
Look to the other side of Main Street where the Walden Federal Bank stands
today and was the site of the St. Nicholas Hotel.
~9~
Look down the hill toward the base of Oak Street where the Thruway
Shopping Center is today. This was the site of the Walden Knife Factory.
There have been three different major knife factories located in Walden.
Can you name any of the three knife Factories?_______________________
Walden was at one time referred to as the Little Sheffield of America.
Sheffield England was well known for its fine cutlery. Knife making was a
skill passed down in families. There were many people who settled in
Walden that were from Sheffield England. They had come to work in the
knife factories of Walden. Do you know why people would refer to Walden
as the Little Sheffield of America?
_________________________
Walking Information—
Continue to walk along Main
Street noticing the old structures
as you walk. On the left is
Millspaugh’s Furniture Store
that is celebrating its 150th year
in the furniture business.
Millspaugh’s Store is the oldest
continuously run business in the
Village of Walden. What year
did Millspaugh’s open for
business?______ Besides the
clue of them celebrating their
150th year, please study their
doorway.
where you could buy anything from a dress to gym clothes, was located
where Dominick’s Bar and Grill is today. Long before Dominic’s or Tick’s
the home of one of the Capron families was on the corner of Main and
Walnut. The Eagle Hotel was on the other corner of Walnut and Main Street.
In the photo, notice the trolley that ran from Newburgh to Walden). In 1823,
New York
City
businessman
Jesse
Scofield
built the
Eagle Hotel.
On the
North side
of the
intersection
of Oak and
Main, where
the Walden
Federal
Savings
Bank
Building is located, was the Knapp General Store and the Post Office and the
Knapp Livery before that.
The Didsbury Theater once stood where the Senior Housing is located today.
Enrico Caruso,
one of the most
famous opera
stars of the 20th
century once
performed here as
did John Philip
Sousa and his
Marching Band.
This photo is
from a 1906
Postcard
~8~
~5~
Walden, Orange County, N.Y. 1887. Drawn & published by L. R. Burleigh. Burleigh Litho. Establishment. (www.LOC.gov)
Jacob T. Walden House
~6~7~
a pattern book called A Home for All, or a New, Cheap, Convenient and
Superior Mode of Building. This book was written by Orson Squire Fowler,
a native of Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York. Walden is very fortunate
to still have one of these very unique houses. How many sides does an
Octagon house have? _____
As you walk along Maple
notice the Hays house
which is on the National
Register of Historic Places.
This Second Empire style
Victorian home was built
in 1874 and was the home
of John Richardson Hays
and his wife Sara Jane
Millspaugh Hays. In 1862,
at the age of 22, John R.
Hays was a 2nd Lieutenant
of Company H, 124th
Regiment better known as the “Orange Blossoms.” He fought in the battles
of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Beverly Forge, Gettysburg, Mine Run,
Locust Grove and Brandy Station. He was called “the fighter from
Fighterville.” He was disabled and honorably discharged in 1864.
John R. Hays had many accomplishments which include: Station agent for
the Wallkill Valley Railroad, a merchant tailor, Vice President of the Walden
Savings Bank for several years, Fire Chief of Enterprise Co. #2, Postmaster
of Walden, and he was very involved with the Soldiers Monument where you
started this History Hunt.
Turn right onto Scofield Street and look up and you may be able to see the
First Reformed Church at the top of the hill. It was finished in 1838.
Now walk down the hill towards the Municipal Building and notice the
Fireman’s Monument. This monument was cast by Tiffany and Co. The
Fireman’s Monument was dedicated on 14 October 1909. What does it say?
______________________________________________________________
Is this the original site of the monument? ____________________________
Clue: Look at the picture of the Walden Savings Bank.

This ends the Walden History Hunt—please come back to the third floor
for refreshments and to discuss what exciting things you found.
Local History Hunt
At the Walden Municipal Building begin your pursuit. Col. Thomas Bradley,
President of the New York Knife Factory was a recipient of the Medal of
Honor for his bravery (and injuries) in
the Civil War. He donated the money
to build the Municipal Building and the
Library. He named the Library after
his beloved daughter and wife. Can
you find the pictures of Josephine and
Louise Bradley? ______________
_______________________________
Clue: Go to the 2nd floor Library
balcony. They are surrounded by
books which they both loved.
Now go outside to the front of the
building. The windows replaced the
doors that were home to three fire
Col. Thomas Bradley
companies that originally were housed
in this building. The following three questions can be answered by this clue:
Look up. Can you name the three fire companies?
________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
While looking up can you also list the name of the public rooms of the
Municipal Building? ___________________________________________
What bird is perched on top of the Municipal Building? ________________
What date was the Municipal Building built? ________________________
Clue: For this answer you must look around at the whole building.
Turn around toward the Square and see Soldier’s Monument. The monument
was erected in 1890 by Col. Thomas Bradley in memory of the Town of
Montgomery Civil War Soldiers as part of their unit which was known as the
124th “Orange Blossoms.” The Orange Blossoms fought in 8 battles.
Can you name the two battles visible on the monument from where you are
standing? _____________________________________________________
Clue: Study the monument.