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🏘️ Croton Local History
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the vicinity of Boscobel house is situated the small hamlet and landing of Crugers, a name derived from the Cruger family, who have long possessed estates in the immediate neighborhood. A small mountain stream enters the Hudson at this place called
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the Mill brook, upon which stood the manorial mills long since superseded by Ramsay’s mill. Above Crugers, crowning the bold banks of the mountain torrent, is situated the Cortlandt furnace which has given name to an extensive tract of forest
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(consisting of 1500 acres) called the furnace woods. In the year 1760 a mining company was established in England, and German miners employed for the purpose of obtaining and smelting iron ore in this vicinity. It would appear, however, that the ore
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was not found here in sufficient abundance, for, at a vast expense, we find it subsequently transported from the Queensbury mine, in the forest of Dean, Rockland county, (by the route of King’s ferry) and smelted in this furnace. But even in Rockland
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County the ore was not found in sufficient quantities to render it of any importance, so that prior to the Revolution the enterprise was wholly abandoned, and the property sold to Mr. John Ramsay whose daughter married John Cruger, father of Nicholas
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the present proprietor of the furnace woods. Mr. Benjamin Odell occupies the Ramsay residence and mill. The Cruger mansion is delightfully situated near the landing commanding from its elevated position, most extensive views of the river. The present
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occupant is the Hon. Nicholas Cruger who for several years represented this County in assembly.” Here is additional information from the historic property listings the Westchester County Historical Society has compiled on their website . Sadly, they
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note that although the site is “archaeologically significant as site of eighteenth century iron furnace and a much later (19th-20th century) grist mill. . . . all buildings associated with either venture are now long gone.” Property Cortlandt Furnace
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Municipality Cortlandt Community Street Number Street Address Off Furnace Dock Road Historic District Name Local Landmark Status? Yes 05/21/92 Local Landmark District Status? National Register District Status? County Register Status? National
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Register Status? National Historic Landmark Status? National Historic Landmark District Status? State Register Status? Eligible for National Register? Owner Mario Velardo Institutional Owner Mario Development Corp Tax Map Available? Tax Map Image
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Available? Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot Architect unknown Builder unknown Building Type Industrial: iron furnace and mill complex Building Type, Details Architectural Style NA Architectural Style, Details Current Use Current Use, Details woodlands
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Original Use Original Use, Details iron furnace; later grist mill (1860s-) Structural Condition Deteriorated Neighborhood Residential Threats to Building Possible development of property Site Integrity Original Site Date Moved Year Built c.1765-1766
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Structural System NA Structural System, Details Photograph Available? Yes Alterations NA, all buildings gone Date of Alterations Significance Archaeologically significant as site of eighteenth century iron furnace and a much later (19th-20th century)
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grist mill. However, all buildings associated with either venture are now long gone. Description Cortlandt furnace was one of many iron extraction and founding ventures established in Westchester County during the 18th and 19th centuries. Located
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just off Furnace Brook Road in the Town of Cortlandt, it was situated on the present Furnace Brook which was damed to provide water for the manufactory. The furnace was built, c. 1765-1766, by Peter Hasenclever, a German iron master. The site was
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considered good as it lay within a half mile of the Hudson River, allowing easy shipment of the product. However, the iron ore proved inadequate, and the furnace was shut down sometime before the Revolutionary War. Before 1800 a grist mill was
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located on the site, its buildings apparently built, at least in part, of stones scavanged from the furnace ruins. This business also was gone by 1879, and the area now is wooded and overgrown with only foundation stones and walls to mark the
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location of the furnace and mill. For further information see files maintained by the Westchester County Historical Society. Share this: Print (Opens in new window) Print Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens
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A M ap of Property of Phillip C. Van Wyck Esq. , surveyed by Thomas C. Cornell in August 1850. Below is a detail showing the Quaker meeting house and cemetery that was along what is now Grand Street, between South Mt. Airy Road and Church Street. The
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land was purchased in 1797 by Robert Underhill and several other trustees of the Society of Friends. The property was sold between 1904 and 1909 and most of the graves were moved to a Quaker cemetery in Amawalk. Share this: Print (Opens in new
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Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Like Loading... Related Tagged Croton Landing Published January 29, 2012 March 6, 2013
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“Sing-Sing or Mount Pleasant” by Jaques Milbert A print from Milbert’s 1828 book, Itinéraire pittoresque du fleuve Hudson et des parties latérales de l’Amérique du Nord, looking north from Sing-Sing. Croton Point can be seen jutting into the river
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from the right in the middle of the image. The French artist toured the Hudson River region in the 1820’s and compiled a series of drawings of views he encountered on his trip. Upon his return to Paris, an account of his travels, illustrated with
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lithographs of the views, introduced the beauties of the Hudson River to the European public. For more images from this book, along with many other similar works, see the New York Public Library’s Hudson River Portfolio . Share this: Print (Opens in
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Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Like Loading... Related Tagged Sing-Sing Published January 29, 2012 March 6, 2013
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