61-610: The Snyder Estate Natural Cement Historic District is located in the Town of Rosendale , New York , United States . It is a 275-acre (111 ha) tract roughly bounded by Rondout Creek , Binnewater and Cottekill roads and Sawdust Avenue. NY 213 runs through the lower portion of the district, paralleling the dry bed of the Delaware and Hudson Canal . Within the district's bounds are 122 contributing properties representing what remains of five plants that produced Rosendale cement , and
122-453: A drift mine into one of the hillsides, is the oldest cement mine on the property. It was constructed using the room and pillar technique, where pillars of dolomite have been left to support the overlying rock. The largest of the mines, it has been likened to an underground pillared room. The deep mining operations are mostly flooded with groundwater , but the room and pillar entrance is available for visitors. Frequent events taking advantage of
183-410: A generic term for any natural cement, regardless of where it was produced. The popularity ultimately strained the company's finances to the point of failure; the company closed in 1858. Lawrence retained control of the new Lawrenceville Cement Company, but was ousted after three years when William Beach took over. Beach expanded the production facilities, in time for the rise in demand that occurred as
244-484: A fountain of water that spouted to a height of 50 feet (15 m) from the beautifully decorated cast iron Croton Fountain in City Hall Park . Water started flowing through the aqueduct on June 22, 1842, taking 22 hours for gravity to take the water the 41 miles (66 km) (at a velocity of 1.86 miles per hour [2.99 km/h; 2.73 ft/s]) to reach Manhattan. Even though only 6,175 houses had been connected to
305-522: A left onto Ashburton Avenue going east. At Palisades Avenue, it makes a right and the trail bed restarts. Remnants of the aqueduct still exist and can be seen along the trail, including 21 stone ventilators, three stone weirs (chambers which were used to empty the aqueduct for maintenance), and one "Keeper's House" located in Dobbs Ferry . The Keeper's House in Dobbs Ferry was built in 1857 and
366-527: A limited supply of freshwater available. It dwindled as the city grew rapidly after the American Revolutionary War , and freshwater sources became polluted by effluent . Before the aqueduct was constructed, residents of New York obtained water from cisterns , wells, natural springs, and other bodies of water. Rapid population growth in the 19th century and encroachment on these areas as Manhattan moved further north of Wall Street , led to
427-527: A parish school and convent. The school was staffed by the Sister of Charity. Upon Gleason's death in 1894, he left a bequest of $ 500 to Kingston hospital. A mission was established in Whiteport. In 1897, Rev. P. Maughan, a Civil War veteran, became pastor and built the parish hall. The Rosendale region is most well known for the production of natural cement . The Rosendale natural cement industry began during
488-648: A portion of his land to John B. Jervis of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company so that a canal could be built across the property. As a condition of building the canal, Jacob required the company to build him a slip so he could ship his produce to market, and a bridge to reach his mill. Crews excavating the area a short while later found large deposits of dolostone containing an ideal amount of clay minerals that, once pulverized and mixed, could be turned into natural cement without additives. The company set up production facilities almost immediately, as similar cement
549-493: A rise in the water table, which flooded many cellars. To address this problem, the city built sewers in many residential streets. By 1852, 148 miles (238 km) of sewers had already been constructed. About this time the German cockroach attracted attention and was called the "Croton bug" in the mistaken belief that the aqueduct brought the insects into the homes being connected to the new water supply system. Despite its size,
610-478: A shift away from the canal that had spawned the cement works, and within two decades the canal would carry its last loads. As the century ended, the natural-cement industry dominated the market. The Snyder family was proud that their cement had been used in the Brooklyn Bridge , an icon of the era. Beach built another new plant in the northeast corner of the property to handle demand. But the development of
671-465: A valiant attempt to survive mounted by A. J. Snyder. The Snyder family owned and farmed the property since 1755. In 1809, Christopher and Deborah Snyder commissioned for their newlywed son, Jacob Lowe Snyder, a house with an accompanying gristmill on the creek. Known today as the Century House, it is the oldest extant building in the district whose age is precisely known. In 1825, Jacob ceded
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#1732780531829732-464: Is a deputy supervisor, a town clerk, two town justices, a deputy Town clerk, a Highway Superintendent and a Tax Collector. 41°50′38″N 74°04′56″W / 41.84389°N 74.08222°W / 41.84389; -74.08222 Old Croton Aqueduct The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842. The great aqueducts , which were among
793-539: Is accessible from numerous stations on that line. The trail briefly parallels the Rockefeller State Park Preserve and its trails. Access to the trail is easiest where it crosses Route 9 , known variously as Albany Post Road, Broadway, or Highland Avenue. Heading southbound into downtown Yonkers, the trail goes on-street at Bishop William J. Walls Place and N. Broadway, where it follows the sidewalk on N. Broadway for one block, and then makes
854-650: Is again being produced. Freedom Cement LLC, in North Brookfield, Massachusetts , is producing natural cement for use in historic restoration projects. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 20.8 square miles (54 km ), of which 19.9 square miles (52 km ) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km ) (3.90%) is water. Rosendale is bisected or bordered by natural and man-made formations. The New York State Thruway ( Interstate 87 ) passes through
915-635: Is open to the public on Sunday afternoons in the summer season. The museum is also known as the "Century House Historical Society Museum" and the "Snyder Estate Museum". Jacob Lowe Snyder's 1809 frame house, renovated in the 1940s, is the core of the CHHS property and the oldest building in the district. The house features the Cement Industry Museum , with artifacts and photographs from the Rosendale cement industry. Rosendale Natural Cement
976-606: Is the only remaining of four Keeper's Houses that is both on the aqueduct and open to the public. The only other remaining Keeper's House is located in Ossining, but it was moved off the aqueduct, is privately owned, and is not open to visitors. A portion of the Old Croton Aqueduct, running from the Croton River to Manhattan, was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1992. The Croton Water Supply System
1037-495: The Ceramic Brick House . Originally built in 1887 as a Second Empire -style mansion complete with mansard roof , in 1950 the windows and roof were converted to a more standard gable with dormers . It was also refaced in polychrome glazed brick imported from Leeds . This drastic exterior redesign did not cost the house its historic status as its original framing and interior layout remain intact. In addition to
1098-770: The Croton Distributing Reservoir , better known simply as the Croton Reservoir , a similar fortified tank located on Fifth Avenue between 40th Street and 42nd Street , where the New York Public Library Main Branch and Bryant Park are located today. This reservoir was built to resemble ancient Egyptian architecture . New Yorkers came uptown for the fine view of the city obtained from atop its walls. The aqueduct opened to public use with great fanfare on October 14, 1842. The day-long celebration culminated in
1159-605: The Gilded Age saw a rapid increase in demand after the lull caused by the Civil War . Beach died in 1881; control soon passed to his son William N. Beach II. The younger Beach took advantage of the recently constructed Wallkill Valley Railroad and its connections to the New York Central network as a way to get product to market, building a siding to the plant. In keeping with a general national trend, this began
1220-687: The Great Lawn and Turtle Pond in Central Park . The old aqueduct remained in service until 1955. In 1987 the northernmost portion was reopened to provide water to Ossining . The Old Croton Trail extends for 26.2 miles (42.2 km) in Westchester County , providing public access along all but four segments — in the Getty Square neighborhood of downtown Yonkers , Tarrytown , Scarborough and Ossining — along
1281-651: The Lenapes , who were a member of the Algonquian peoples . The area which was eventually known as Rosendale is generally attributed to having been founded by Jacob Rutsen in 1680 from 600 acres purchased from the Lenapes straddling the Rondout Creek . Initially, the land was leased but Rutsen expanded his holdings and built a homestead, in which he resided from 1700 until his death in 1730. The Town of Rosendale
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#17327805318291342-460: The brand Rosendale Natural Cement Products and began offering an authentic, historically accurate replacement. Several of the many contributing resources to the district are notable in their own right. None have yet been separately listed on the Register, save the sections of canal bed, a National Historic Landmark. The Century House Historical Society (CHHS) operates the site as a museum that
1403-616: The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The district is shaped like a letter "r", solidly bounded by the roads and creek on three of its sides, but with its eastern boundary mostly following old roads between Route 213, Binnewater road and Sawdust avenue. Physically, it is dominated by two large hills, foothills of the Shawangunk Ridge to the south, which rise to over 300 feet (91 m) in elevation, more than 200 feet (61 m) above
1464-665: The 19 acres (7.7 ha) around the eponymous 1809 building where Jacob Lowe Snyder lived at the time of the canal's construction. It was chartered provisionally in 1992 and fully in 2000. It runs the property as a museum devoted to both the house and the American natural cement industry. In the plant's last years, one of the few markets it had left was the restoration of historic buildings that had originally used it or similar materials. The factory's closure left those builders without any source of authentic material. In 2004 Edison Coatings, Inc., of Plainville, Connecticut , trademarked
1525-634: The 32-square-mile (83 km) area along the Rondout as well, creating a vibrant local industry. Snyder reinvested much of the Lawrence Cement Company's profits in improving its technical quality. He courted buyers for large, high-profile government projects like New York City's Croton Aqueduct and the Brooklyn Navy Yard docks. This helped create a reputation for quality that unwittingly resulted "Rosendale cement" becoming
1586-486: The abandoned Beach Mine. Eventually, that would produce five tons (4.5 tonnes) per day before it stopped in 1960. At the same time he also took advantage of a discovery that Portland cement could be made even more quickly and last longer when combined with natural cement in an 80:20 ratio . This blend was particularly suited to highways , then being built at a great pace everywhere due to the combination of New Deal public works projects and increasing automobile use . By
1647-538: The areas along the road are old fields, today meadows . Natural cement production began almost immediately after its discovery inside district bounds by James McEntee, an engineer on the D&;H canal construction project in 1825. Production peaked by the end of the 19th century at about 4,000,000 barrels per year. Demand for natural cement fell during the 20th century due to competitive pressure from Portland cement. The final cement company closed its operations in 1970 after
1708-404: The average family size was 3.02. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males. The median income for a household in the town
1769-473: The bed of the long-abandoned canal. He himself died five years later Recognizing its historic importance not just to the region but the country as a whole, two staffers at the American Association for State and Local History prepared an application to have the district designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978 that was never completed. The Century House Historical Society (CHHS) acquired
1830-410: The canal bed, other aspects of the canal remain within the district. There is a waste weir next to it, and just west of Binnewater Road is a reservoir that was used to keep the canal full during dry stretches. The slip that the company built for Snyder is also intact, and is possibly the only remaining slip from the original construction along the entire length of the former canal. Widow Jane Mine,
1891-560: The capacity of the Old Croton Aqueduct could not keep up with the growth of New York City, and construction on a New Croton Aqueduct began in 1885 a few miles east. The new aqueduct, buried much deeper than the old one, went into service in 1890, with three times the capacity of the Old Croton Aqueduct. It currently supplies 10 percent of New York City's water. The Croton Receiving Reservoir continued to supply New York City with drinking water until 1940, when Commissioner of Parks and Recreation Robert Moses ordered it drained and filled to create
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1952-581: The cheaper Portland cement during that period eventually toppled the Rosendale variety, whose market share dropped 90% in the first decade of the 20th century. Local industrial magnate Samuel Coykendall eventually tried to salvage the Rosendale industry through mergers, combining all the local companies save the ones on the Snyder property into one. The Consolidated Rosendale Cement Company was no more successful than any of its component companies had been, and
2013-841: The chemical additives characteristic of modern Portland cement production. Several abandoned dolomite mines still exist in the Rosendale region. A mine on the property of the Snyder Estate, which is maintained as part of a museum preserving the history of the Rosendale natural cement industry by the Century House Historical Society, is open to the public. Other mines have been put to a number of uses, including mushroom farming and movie locations. The records storage management company Iron Mountain currently maintains at least one mine for storing anything from microfiche to data backup tapes. In 2004 limited cement mining resumed in Rosendale, and Rosendale natural cement
2074-549: The construction of the Delaware and Hudson Canal in 1825. The Delaware and Hudson Canal was later finished in 1828 using the world class cement. Rosendale natural cement soon gained a reputation for quality among engineers and was used in the construction of many of the United States' most important landmarks, including the Brooklyn Bridge , the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty , Federal Hall National Memorial , and one of
2135-427: The creek's waters to the south. Between them in a narrow valley sit the remains of one of the largest cement plants in it. An old Wallkill Valley Railroad siding runs from there to the northeast corner near where it once joined the main line at today's Binnewater Historic District . Old mines and quarries are tunneled into the sides of both hills. The property is mostly wooded save for the developed areas. Some of
2196-406: The existence of polluting industries near wells and residential areas contributed to an unprecedented mortality rate of 2.6% (1 death per 39 inhabitants) in 1830. Then in 1832 cholera first reached New York in the deadliest epidemic to that date. The need for a new supply of fresh water was crucial. In March 1833, Major David Bates Douglass , engineering professor at West Point Military Academy ,
2257-749: The first in the United States , carried water by gravity 41 miles (66 km) from the Croton River in Westchester County to reservoirs in Manhattan . It was built because local water resources had become polluted and inadequate for the growing population of the city. Although the aqueduct was largely superseded by the New Croton Aqueduct , which was built in 1890, the Old Croton Aqueduct remained in service until 1955. The island of Manhattan, surrounded by brackish rivers, had
2318-441: The homes and dependencies of the Snyder family, who originally owned the land. They range in age from the bed of the canal, where the cement was discovered in 1825 during construction, to some of the last factories built before production was ended in 1970. Included are not just homes, barns, and factories but mines, reservoirs, and a rail siding . After an aborted attempt to secure National Historic Landmark District status in 1978,
2379-576: The interest of an investor from Cleveland named Kling, who leased a portion of the property from Snyder and started the Interstate Cement Company. The Great Depression soon put an end to that venture, and by 1935 it had become the Century Cement Manufacturing Co., wholly owned by Snyder. He was able to keep the company going through the later 1930s when he allowed mushroom growers to set up shop in
2440-420: The need for the Rosendale mix, and cut costs even further. Snyder and the company's technical team tried to keep up with the changes, but they were as old as he was and had trouble getting the formula right. The market for the natural cement the property still produced was almost negligible, and in 1970 Snyder finally halted production almost a century and a half after Rosendale cement had first been discovered on
2501-699: The northernmost 26 miles (42 km) of the aqueduct and its right-of-way , from Croton Gorge Park to the Yonkers-New York City line. It lies wholly within Westchester County but is under the jurisdiction of the Taconic Region of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation . The trail runs roughly parallel to Metro North's Hudson Line from northern Yonkers to Scarborough and
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2562-472: The pollution of many local fresh water sources. Below Grand Street , a small number of well-off customers of the Manhattan Company had fresh water delivered to them, but that company was actually more focused on banking—it eventually became Chase Manhattan —and only paid as much attention to its water activities as it needed to avoid losing the state charter that allowed it to bank. The poor and
2623-408: The population. There were 2,587 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and
2684-535: The possibilities of making Portland cement as well. Geologists found that there were significant reserves in the Hudson Valley of the type of limestone needed, so in 1958 the company bought a plant from the Swiss company Van Roll. Three years later it was built next to the existing facilities and began turning out cement. Around the same time, chemists developed an additive to Portland cement which eliminated
2745-403: The rest of the city were forced to rely on well water, often made palatable by adding alcoholic spirits, prompting temperance campaigners to call for the municipal provision of water. The unsanitary conditions caused an increase in disease. Epidemics of yellow fever ravaged the city. A polluted aquifer, overcrowded housing, the lack of sewers, public ignorance of basic sanitary conditions, and
2806-581: The route of the aqueduct. It crosses the lawn of Lyndhurst , following the aqueduct's easement. The trail enters New York City on the eastern side of Van Cortlandt Park and runs through the Bronx alongside Aqueduct Avenue, and the trail continues under the southern part of University Avenue. Both the trail and the tunnel are part of the Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park , which was created in 1968 and encompasses
2867-574: The site is now the Great Lawn and Turtle Pond in Central Park . The Receiving Reservoir was a rectangular tank within fortress-like rusticated retaining walls, 1,826 feet (557 m) long and 836 feet (255 m) wide; it held up to 180 million US gallons (680,000 m ) of water. 35 million US gallons (130,000 m ) flowed into it daily from northern Westchester. From the Receiving Reservoir, water flowed down to
2928-583: The start of World War II production was again on the increase. It fell during the war years but rebounded afterward to even higher levels as highway construction picked up again with the development of the Interstate Highway System . In 1954 Rosendale cement was used for the nearby sections of the New York State Thruway . However, it would be the last major public project in which it was used. Snyder had been exploring
2989-456: The system by 1844, the Croton water had already dramatically improved both domestic hygiene and interior design. Baths and running water were being built in the private homes of wealthy New Yorkers, and public bathing facilities were constructed for the masses. The water system had another inadvertent consequence. The decline in the number of residents drawing water from the city's wells resulted in
3050-654: The town, and the Rondout Creek joins the Wallkill River by the eastern town line. As of the census of 2000, there were 6,352 people, 2,587 households, and 1,634 families residing in the town. The population density was 318.5 inhabitants per square mile (123.0/km ). There were 2,857 housing units at an average density of 143.3 per square mile (55.3/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 95.72% White , 1.79% African American , 0.28% Native American , 0.44% Asian , 0.43% from other races , and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.63% of
3111-513: The unique acoustics are hosted in the summer. Rosendale, New York Rosendale is a town in the center of Ulster County, New York , United States. It once contained a village Rosendale , primarily centered around Main Street, but which was dissolved through vote in 1977. The population was 5,782 at the 2020 census. At the time of the European settlement, the region was inhabited by
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#17327805318293172-632: The wings of the United States Capitol . The industry fell into decline in the early 1900s. Rosendale natural cement was produced from dolomite extracted from mines in the Rosendale and Whiteport members of the Late Silurian Rondout Formation . The natural levels of magnesium and clay in the dolomite from the Rondout Formation are ideally suited for cement production and required none of
3233-454: Was $ 44,282, and the median income for a family was $ 51,444. Males had a median income of $ 34,321 versus $ 28,787 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 21,303. About 8.4% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over. The town's government is made up of a town board, consisting of a Supervisor and four council members. In addition, there
3294-562: Was appointed to survey and estimate the proposed route. In 1837, construction began on a massive engineering project, to divert water from sources upstate, following a route surveyed by Douglass and supervised by Douglass' successor, Chief Engineer John B. Jervis . The Croton River was dammed, aqueducts were built, tunnels dug, piping laid, and reservoirs created. The gravity-fed aqueduct dropped 13 inches per mile, 1/4" per 100' (~0.02%). An elliptical tube, 8.5 feet (2.6m) high by 7.5 feet (2.3m) wide, of iron piping encased in brick masonry
3355-753: Was formed in 1844 from parts of the Towns of Hurley , Marbletown , and New Paltz . Hamilton Child of Syracuse, New York published a "Gazetteer and Business Directory of Ulster County, N. Y." in 1872 that described the town. In the mid 1800s priests from St. Peter's in Poughkeepsie served missions in Saugerties and Rondout. In 1840 Rev. John N. Smith, pastor in Poughkeepsie, extended his care to Rosendale. In 1842, his successor, Rev. Myles Maxwell celebrated Mass in Petrie's cooper shop. That same year Maxwell
3416-415: Was in receivership by 1918. In 1911 an Ulster County court had forced the sale of the Snyder company from William Snyder to 21-year-old Andrew J. Snyder II after a disagreement over the sharing of profits . The younger Snyder dismantled one of the larger plants and built a smaller one in its place. He was able to continue production on a reduced scale through the 1920s, and later in that decade attracted
3477-731: Was laid, sometimes in cuts, with conical ventilating towers every mile or so, to relieve pressure and keep the water fresh. Hydraulic cement was added where the aqueduct crossed rivers. It extended from the Old Croton Dam in northern Westchester County to the Harlem River , where it continued over the High Bridge at 173rd Street and down the West Side of Manhattan and finally into a Receiving Reservoir located between 79th and 86th streets and Sixth and Seventh Avenues;
3538-440: Was named pastor of the new parish of St. Peter's, Rosendale. In 1874 Rev. Martin O'Flaherty became pastor. Given the ever-increasing Catholic population, attracted by the opportunity of employment in the cement quarries, plus the Delaware & Hudson Canal, a new, larger church building, designed by Arthur Crooks, was built. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on Christmas Day 1876. In 1881 pastor John J. Gleason built
3599-451: Was named the first resident pastor of St. Mary's in Rondout, and Rosendale became a mission served out of Rondout. St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church was organized by Father Thomas Martin O.P., pastor of St. Mary's in Rondout . Services were held in the home of Walter Delmar. In August 1850 the first Mass was celebrated in the new church. St. Peter's remained a mission of St. Mary's until 1855 when Rev. Edward Lynch, assistant at St. Mary's,
3660-626: Was used in the building of many historic buildings and structures, including the Brooklyn Bridge , the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty , the wings of the U.S. Capitol , the Washington Monument , Grand Central Terminal , the Croton Aqueduct , the Empire State Building (foundation) and dams and many other public works projects. There is also a display of horse-drawn carriages and sleighs . Known also as
3721-459: Was used to construct the Erie Canal . The presence of dolomite meant the canal could be built using this new cement and guaranteed another customer beside the anthracite coal miners the canal was built to serve. In 1830, Snyder leased the southeastern corner of his property to Watson Lawrence. Lawrence had already built a cement plant on adjacent land. Other mines and cement plants opened up in
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