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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.