Hunting for the Wappinger Mill - UPDATED
Taking a small departure from my usual routine, I went on this week's photography adventure on a Friday, being that I had the day off. I've been searching out historic sites within the Wappinger area and landed today in the Village of Wappinger, trying to locate the cotton-textile mill, originally constructed in 1819. After a little research, it seems that the original construction was destroyed by fire and quickly rebuilt in 1856 (Ref - http://www.livingplaces.com/NY/Dutchess_County/Wappingers_Falls_Village/Wappingers_Falls_Historic_District.html). I parked in a comfy two-hour parking slot and went adventuring, starting at Wappingers Creek Bridge (Originally constructed in 1852, but re-constructed and widened in 1884 - Ref - http://bridgehunter.com/ny/dutchess/1006380/), which supplied a fantastic view of the gorge below, but didn't give me any clear hints as the exact whereabouts of the mill.
I walked down Market Street for a bit, which proved fruitless, as every square inch of the creek is lined by private residences (some which I'm certain must be condemned, judging by the frightening architecture).
Next I doubled-back on Mill street, looking for a way to get closer to the creek and discover the last resting place of the mill. Finally, I found a dead end road leading up the creek, which gave a limited view of some remains, but even at present, it seems unclear what it is or was.
By examining the "No Trespassing" signs, I learned that the mill grounds and dam were owned by "WF Hydroelectric", or the Wappingers Falls Hydro-Electric Power Plant further down-creek (Ref - http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/yasinsac/hvarch/wappingers.html). It seems probable that found the mechanics of some kind of mill, although after digging through the Wappingers Historical Society's info and general internet searches, I'm honestly not sure what it was. I sent an inquiry to the WHS, and I'll update the post if I discover the identity.
UPDATE - 1/9/2015: I stumbled unto some new information, for which I believe explains why I had such trouble locating the mill - "In 1742, the Brewers built a mill where the Knights of Columbus Hall now stands." (Ref - http://www.wappingershistoricalsociety.org/mesier.shtml) According to the information provided, the Brewers were the original owners of the land, now called "Mesier Park and Homestead", which I'll be digging into. I did locate the Knights of Columbus Hall during the initial visit. Having done so, I feel like I did accomplish the objective of this adventure and can move on. Regarding the information I uncovered about the cotton-textile mill at the start of this post, I confirmed is, in fact, the structure further down creek that actually still stands as the hydro-electric plant. Mystery solved!
For now, enjoy the mystery with me, and see the full adventure on my Flickr feed - https://www.flickr.com/photos/129003675@N04/sets/72157649948818165/
I walked down Market Street for a bit, which proved fruitless, as every square inch of the creek is lined by private residences (some which I'm certain must be condemned, judging by the frightening architecture).
Next I doubled-back on Mill street, looking for a way to get closer to the creek and discover the last resting place of the mill. Finally, I found a dead end road leading up the creek, which gave a limited view of some remains, but even at present, it seems unclear what it is or was.
By examining the "No Trespassing" signs, I learned that the mill grounds and dam were owned by "WF Hydroelectric", or the Wappingers Falls Hydro-Electric Power Plant further down-creek (Ref - http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/yasinsac/hvarch/wappingers.html). It seems probable that found the mechanics of some kind of mill, although after digging through the Wappingers Historical Society's info and general internet searches, I'm honestly not sure what it was. I sent an inquiry to the WHS, and I'll update the post if I discover the identity.
UPDATE - 1/9/2015: I stumbled unto some new information, for which I believe explains why I had such trouble locating the mill - "In 1742, the Brewers built a mill where the Knights of Columbus Hall now stands." (Ref - http://www.wappingershistoricalsociety.org/mesier.shtml) According to the information provided, the Brewers were the original owners of the land, now called "Mesier Park and Homestead", which I'll be digging into. I did locate the Knights of Columbus Hall during the initial visit. Having done so, I feel like I did accomplish the objective of this adventure and can move on. Regarding the information I uncovered about the cotton-textile mill at the start of this post, I confirmed is, in fact, the structure further down creek that actually still stands as the hydro-electric plant. Mystery solved!
For now, enjoy the mystery with me, and see the full adventure on my Flickr feed - https://www.flickr.com/photos/129003675@N04/sets/72157649948818165/
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