Saugerties is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 19,482 at the 2010 census. The Town of Saugerties contains the Village of Saugerties in the northeast corner of Ulster County. Part of the town is inside Catskill Park

U.S. Route 9W and New York State Route 32 pass through the town, converging at the center of the village and overlapping to the south. These routes parallel the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87), which passes through the town just west of the village.

 

History

In the 1650s, Barent Cornelis Volge operated a sawmill on the Sawyer's Kill, supplying lumber for the manor of Rensselaerswick. He had secured a title from the Esopus tribe Sachem to this lands sometime before 1663. Volge likely left the area at the outbreak of the first Esopus Wars in 1658. The "footpath to Albany" was not laid out until 1670. In April 1677 Governor Edmund Andros purchased land from the Esopus tribe man Kaelcop, chief of the Amorgarickakan tribe for the price of a piece of cloth, a blanket, some coarse fiber, a loaf of bread, and a shirt. The Mynderse House was built by John Persen, formerly of Kingston, an early mill owner, around 1685.

In October 1710, 300 families who had immigrated to England from the Palatine region of Germany established camps on the east and west side of the Hudson. The camp on the west side of the river became known as West Camp in the Town of Saugerties. They were sent by the British government to manufacture naval stores for Her Majesty's fleet. The villages at West Camp were called Elizabethtown, Georgetown, and Newtown. Sawmills were established on the Esopus Creek. In 1998 a monument commemorating their arrival was erected on the lawn of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in West Camp.

Sometime before 1730 the Katsbaan area northeast of the village was settled by Dutch farmers from Kingston and Palatines from the "Camps". In 1732, they built a stone Dutch Reformed Church.

During the American Revolution, a British Squadron lay anchor at Saugerties from October 18–22, 1777, while raiding parties burned Clermont and Belvedere, across the Hudson River. These were the estates of Margaret Beekman Livingston and her son, Chancellor Livingston. The British also burned sloops near the Esopus Creek, and several homes and barns. While here, British General Vaughan learned of Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga on October 17. On October 22, 1777, the British fleet left from the Mid-Hudson Valley, never to return.

The town was organized from the town of Kingston on April 5, 1811. At that time the hamlet of Saugerties contained twenty-one houses.

Henry Barclay (1778–1851), was an importer from Manhattan who, with his wife Catherine (1782–1851), came to Saugerties about 1825. Barclay, who had business relationships with Robert L. Livingston, had a dam constructed on the Esopus Creek near today's 9W bridge. Around 1828 he established the Ulster Iron Works to produce bar and hoop iron. It had a capacity for manufacturing about 6,000 tons annually. and employed about 300 hands working round the clock shifts. At the same time he was building the iron mill Henry Barclay built a paper mill powered by water from the Esopus Creek, which at that location had a fall of thirty-one feet. This mill was operational by 1827. Barclay imported skilled workers and engineers from England to man his mills.

Upon Barclay's death in 1851, the mill was under the management of Messrs Norman White and Joseph B. Sheffield. This firm would eventually purchase the mill in 1857 and later absolve into the long-standing company J. B. Sheffield & Son. The original mill was first rebuilt in 1860 by Messrs. White & Sheffield, and again rebuilt in 1868–1869. In 1872 the mill burned and was once more rebuilt. By 1877 a second mill was built adjoining the older section. The mills produced two and a half tons of paper daily, and employed about 130 people. The mills would operate through various companies until 1969, then after years of abandonment and structural decay were demolished in the late 1970s. William R. Sheffield the son of J. B. Sheffield built the Clovelea mansion around 1880. In 1888 Martin Cantine built a paper mill on the North side of the dam. Cantine's mill would produce coated papers, similar to what you would find in older magazines. The Cantine mill closed in 1975, and burned in 1978. Part of the Sheffield mill complex formerly a blank book bindery and envelope factory has been renovated as senior citizen housing.

The village was incorporated in 1831 as "Ulster," and changed its name to "Saugerties" in 1855.

In 1832, blue stone was quarried in nearby Toodlum (now Veteran). At one time, 2,000 men were employed in quarrying, dressing and shipping about one and a half million dollars’ worth of blue stone annually from Glasco, Malden, and Saugerties. Blue stone was used for curbing, paving, door sills, and window sills: much of it in New York City. The Ulster White Lead Company at Glenerie produced nine hundred tons of lead each year.

By 1870, the population of the town of Saugerties was about 4000.

The ice industry thrived during the 1880s to 1900s. Icehouses were located in Glasco and Malden. Ice was also harvested on the Upper Esopus and on the Sawyerkill. The brick industry also began in Glasco.

In the early hours of November 9, 1879, the steamer Ansonia of the Saugerties Line ran against the Saugerties Lighthouse dock on its return trip from New York, smashing the paddle wheel. A tug from Kingston hauled the steamer off the flats, and it was taken to New York City for repairs. In 1889 Robert A. Snyder, John and George Seaman, Henry L. Finger, and James and William Maxwell started the "Saugerties and New York Steamboat Company". In 1892, the steamboats M. Martin and Tremper arrived at Saugerties at the same time, and collided near the lighthouse as each tried to get to the dock first. In 1903, the steamboat Saugerties burned to the waterline, and the charred remains were scuttled in the cove north of the lighthouse. The remains can sometimes be seen at very low tides.

In 1890 the Orpheum Theater was built by John Cooper Davis. It was a center for movies, basketball, vaudeville acts and roller skating. Lucille Ball, and Burns and Allen performed at the Orpheum.

In 1906, Poultney Bigelow editor and co-owner of the New York Evening Post, built Bigelow Hall in Malden. In April 1910, the Esopus Creek flooded the village of Saugerties.

The 1939 film It's a Wonderful World has scenes that are supposed to be set in Saugerties.

The Band began to create their distinctive sound during 1967 when they improvised and recorded with Bob Dylan, a huge number of cover songs and Dylan originals in the basement of a pink house in West Saugerties, New York located at 56 Parnassus Lane (formerly 2188 Stoll Road). The house was built by Ottmar Gramms, who bought the land in 1952. The house was newly built when Rick Danko found it as a rental. Danko moved in along with Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel in February 1967. The house became known locally as "Big Pink" for its pink siding. The house was sold by Gramms in 1977, and since 1998 it has been a private residence.

Though widely bootlegged at the time, the recordings Dylan and the Band made were first officially released in 1975 on The Basement Tapes and then released in their totality in 2014 on The Basement Tapes Complete. By the end of 1967 the Band felt it was time to step out of Dylan's shadow and make their own statement.

The Hudson Valley Garlic Festival was established in 1989 by Pat Reppert of Shale Hill Farm and Herb Gardens. In 1992, the Kiwanis Club of Saugerties took over sponsorship of the festival and moved it to Cantine Field where the festival is held on the last full weekend of every September. It attracts about 50,000 people during the two-day weekend.

In 1994, Saugerties was the home of the Woodstock ' 94 music festival, held on the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival. Saugerties is just 9 miles (14 km) east of the town of Woodstock, New York. The original festival was held some 46 miles (74 km) west-southwest of the town of Woodstock (on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York), while the 1999 festival in Rome, New York was 106 miles (171 km) away from Woodstock.

HITS ("Horseshows In The Sun"), opened in 2003. They occupy 200 acres (0.81 km2) of land and have a 10-ring, Olympic-sized horse show facility in central Saugerties.

In 2005 the Esopus Bend Conservancy formed and acquired over 150 acres (0.61 km2) with a little more than 2 miles (3.2 km) of the shoreline on the upper Esopus

In 2014, Saugerties was home to the Hudson Music Project- which notoriously became known as the "Mudson Project". After 2 days of music and other festivities, the festival came to an abrupt halt on the third and final day as rain and mud overcame the concert and camp areas. Hundreds were left without food and water when their cars became stuck in the muck that dominated the camp ground. When the rain subsided, many campers stayed and continued to party through the night.

St John the Evangelist

Catholic laborers, principally quarrymen of Fish Creek, also known as "The Clove", were accustomed to go on Sundays to St. Mary of the Snow, in the village, for Mass, and sometimes disorders ensued. At that time the Saugerties congregation was served by Father Michael Gilbride, pastor in Hudson. Mr. Russell, owner of the quarries offered Gilbride land for a church, and St. John the Evangelist was established.

Rev. Michael C. Power, pastor of St. Mary of the Snow from 1852 to 1878, built a church in Quarryville. Rev. Michael Haran, of St. Joseph's in Kingston, was named pastor in 1886. He worked in Quarryville for seventeen years, also serving a mission in Shokan.

 

Historic places

  • Dubois-Kierstede Stone House: built in 1727, it is now the Kiersted House Museum.
  • Loelzer Beer Hall
  • Main-Partition Streets Historic District
  • Osterhoudt Stone House
  • Opus 40: a dry stone environmental sculpture created by Harvey Fite.
  • Saugerties Lighthouse 
  • August Savage House and Studio
  • Trinity Episcopal Church consecrated on June 13, 1833, the window behind the altar is by William Morris.
  • Trumpbour Homestead Farm
  • Wynkoop House: was built by descendants of Dutch settlers around 1740
  • Big Pink

 

Notable Events

 

Notable people

  • Maurice Hinchey, United States Congressman.
  • Michelle Hinchey, Member of the New York State Senate for the 46th District. 
  • Joe Sinnott, Marvel Comics artist, Sinnott illustrated the Treasure Chest educational comic book series.
  • Roger Donlon, first Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War, and the first Green Beret to receive the award. The municipal building on Partition Street in Saugerties was renamed the Captain Roger H. C. Donlon Auditorium. (native, now resides in Kansas)
  • Jimmy Fallon, host of NBC's Tonight Show since 2014, grew up in Saugerties from age two (born in Sunset Park, Brooklyn).
  • The Band resided in a house known as 'Big Pink' in West Saugerties while recording The Basement Tapes (with Bob Dylan) in 1967. Their debut album, Music From Big Pink was recorded in New York City and Los Angeles.
  • Augusta Savage, (1892–1962) Female, African-American sculptor associated with the Harlem Renaissance (resident)
  • Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, American folk musicians and composers (residents)
  • Ian Flanigan, musician, 3rd place finalist on season 19 of NBC's The Voice (native)
  • Tom Hallion, Major League Baseball umpire (native and resident)
  • John Thorn, author, columnist, and baseball historian (resident)
  • Dennis Bermudez, American mixed martial artist (native)
  • Linda Montano Performance artist (native)
  • Jeremiah Russell (1786–1867) U.S. Representative from New York.
  • Robert M. Place , American artist and Tarot scholar (resident)
  • Adam Adamowicz (1968–2012), video game concept artist, worked on Fallour 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim at Bethesda Softworks.
  • Frank Hannigan, (1931–2014) Former Executive Director of the United States Golf Association (native and resident)
  • John Henson (1965–2014) Muppets performer and son of Jim Henson
  • Dorothy Frooks, (1896–1997) author
  • Anton Myrer, (1922–1996) United States Marine Corps veteran, author of war novel Once An Eagle (resident)
  • Paricia Schartle Myrer (1923–2010) editor, literary agent, publishing executive, former principal at McIntosh & Otis literary agency (resident)
  • Margaret E. Winslow (1836–1936), activist, editor, author
  • Gilbert R. Spalding (1812–1880), showman and circus owner, lived and died here
  • Irving Fisher (1867–1947), economist
  • K. Leroy Irvis (1919-2006), African-American politician in Pennsylvania
  • Raven Berzal, attorney and writer.

 

Communities and locations in the Town of Saugerties

  • Asbury – A hamlet near the north town line, bordering the town of Catskill.
  • Barclay Heights – A location in the southern side of the Village of Saugerties on Route 9W.
  • Blue Mountain – A hamlet in the western part of the town.
  • Canoe Hill – A hamlet north of Saugerties village.
  • Centerville – A hamlet west of Veteran (aka Toodlum).
  • Eavesport – A hamlet on Route 9W north of Village of Saugerties.
  • Fish Creek – A hamlet southwest of Village of Saugerties.
  • Flatbush – A hamlet in the southeast corner of the town.
  • Glasco – A hamlet in the southeast part of the town by the Hudson River.
  • Glenerie – A hamlet in the southeast part of the town on Route 9W.
  • High Woods – A hamlet in the southwest part of the town south of Fish Creek and West of Mount Marion.
  • Katsbaan – A hamlet northwest of Village of Saugerties, located on County Route 34.
  • Malden-on-Hudson – A hamlet by the Hudson River, north of Village of Saugerties.
  • Manorville – a hamlet north of West Saugerties and south of the Greene county hamlet of Palenville
  • Mount Marion – A location in the southeast part of the town.
  • Mount Marion Park – A hamlet west of Glasco.
  • Quarryville – A hamlet west of Katsbaan on Route 32.
  • Petersons Corner – A location south of Fish Creek.
  • Pine Grove – A location west of Centerville.
  • Saxton – A hamlet in the northwest corner of the town on Route 32.
  • Saugerties – The Village of Saugerties is located in the eastern part of the town on Route 9W.
  • Saugerties South – A hamlet south of Village of Saugerties. Commonly known as Barclay Heights.
  • Shultis Corners – A hamlet in the southwest part of the town at the intersection of Glasco Turnpike and State Route 212.
  • Veteran (aka Toodlum) – A hamlet west of Village of Saugerties.
  • West Camp – A hamlet on Route 9W north of Eavesport.
  • West Saugerties – A hamlet near the west town line, west of Blue Mountain, near Platte Clove.
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