Your life is a legend of the environment in which you live. For me, it is the Hudson Valley. To be environmentally conscious and to live a full life, a Hudson Valley resident should believe that his life is a story within a greater story, that of the Valley. We can achieve a love of place and color in those legends by following the voices that lead us to the most unlikely places.
There are, in fact, places to which we are all mysteriously drawn. We may be able to rattle off their names like clockwork but not the reasons why we are drawn to them. These are centers of energy that I call power points; places of interest that pull us in either by their appearance or just the way they make us feel.
They often have a monument, a sign or a building that sparks our curiosity, one that leads us to further exploration. Consider the idea that following the voices that draw us to these places is actually a function of feeding a part of ourselves. Believe then that we can find ourselves in the landscape; in the patches of lush forest, in the flow of the rivers, between buildings on the various Main Streets, and in the meeting of crossroads of the smallest hamlets.
In an effort to illustrate this phenomenon, I took a ride up Rte 9W, in the section north of Newburgh and south of the Mid-Hudson Bridge. This stretch in many parts is really a commercial wasteland. It is a string of highway business with little sense of place. Yet, without fail, I always feel a distinct curiosity when driving there because it is dotted with power points. An example is the hamlet of Milton, in the Town of Marlborough, a place that is actually off the major road and tucked away in the streets toward the Hudson River. I was drawn there for the first time this winter by an ad for the Hudson Baking Company, a little café on Main Street where you can eat the Farmer’s Breakfast made from local foods, for low prices.
Recently I was drawn again by an event sponsored by the Friends of the Milton-on-Hudson Train Station. It was historic tour of the Hamlet of Milton, starting at the once-bustling, restored train station on the riverside rail line. Upon finding the station at the end of the historic Milton Turnpike, and while walking around the lively event, I was struck by the eyes and faces that greeted me casually. Everyone seemed to mosey with a certain pride, as if these words were humming in their heads, “I made this. I did this. We saved this train station. This is our home and we saved it.” I was thankful to those who dedicated so much to preserve this train station and for taking the time to identify, describe and map the key structures of historical and local significance that live along the winding country roads leading up from the River.
From the train station you can see the Woolsey Building - Built in 1896. C. Meech Wolsey was town of Marlborough Supervisor and member of the State Assembly. This building contained his law office, the first library in Milton, the post office and the jail. This view on the left is an important view of the building because it is a commanding presence that newcomers saw of Milton and the Town of Marlborough after arriving at the Train Station and making their way up to Town. Below is a streetscape of Milton.
That day left me with even more curiosity about the lands settled between Route 9W and the Hudson River. Just today I was able to stop by the old drive-in movie theatre to take some pictures. I was anxious to document this power point so that when the parcel is finally sold and built on (it has a for sale sign on it now) another explorer may find an answer to why he was mysteriously attracted to that sacred spot.
I was unable to traverse the site because of the moat of overgrown weeds, including prolific amounts of poison ivy, keeping trespassers away. I stood on the perimeter then, looking in toward the mysterious, decaying screen, past the red and white striped concession stand and the army old speaker posts standing at command. The tall grasses surrounding everything and the cottonwood seeds floating lightly across the site held in so many mysteries and made movies of their own. I could feel the rumble of summers past; of first kisses and the sound of doors being opened wide from the amazing human stories being shown on screen. The feeling was palpable and, hopefully, easily expressed to many more drawn to these parts of Route 9W.
Upon reflection, I realized that the 9W stretch is chock full of more power points: the Village of Marlboro, the oldest vineyard in America, the underestimated Balmville, to name a few. It is my hope to join those who have already noticed the importance of these centers of energy and to help others find some roots they never knew they had. And who knows? Maybe someday one of those explorers and I will meet, our stories paralleled by the distant past that the land and its history encapsulates and preserves.
Atticus Lanigan
About the author:
Atticus Lanigan is land use planner for Orange County. She has lived in the Hudson Valley since 1993. She has a strong devotion to the region that manifests itself through art and love on a constant basis. She has a Master’s degree in City & Regional Planning and is a wife and mother. She recently created a newsletter called Hudson Valley Movement. She can be reached at Hudsonvalleymovement@gmail.com
Comments