From Forest to Factory to Forest

From Forest to Factory to Forest (HM1CPE)

Location: Cold Spring, NY 10516 Putnam County
Buy New York State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 41° 24.874', W 73° 56.893'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 395 views
Inscription
( East Side Marker : )
The landscape abundant forest and untamed waterpower that drew Gouverneur Kemble to open West Point Foundry in 1818 underwent dramatic changes over its decades of operations. The area's woodlands were denuded to produce charcoal for powering the furnaces. Foundry Brook was channelized into an intricate network of flumes, raceways and storage ponds that powered operations and regulated water flow through the site. It's hard to picture more than 1,000 workers filling this narrow ravine, laboring day and night in a large-scale industrial complex. After foundry operations ceased, the site's decay was gradual. Many above-ground remains were repurposed for building projects in the village, while invasive and non-native trees and other plants ultimately filled the mostly vacant site. Scenic Hudson removed tons of debris and reconstructed sections of stream banks to keep Foundry Brook within its historic channel, making it less likely to overflow and threaten foundry ruins.

( West Side Marker : )
Foundry Cove: Restoring & Protecting a Natural Treasure
Pre-1800

An incomparable setting.

1817-1911
From a testing platform where you are standing, foundry cannons were fired across the river.

1952-1979
The nearby Marathon Battery Company, which made batteries for military and commercial uses, dumped massive amounts of heavy metals and waste into Foundry Cove, polluting river sediments and poisoning wildlife.

1983-1996
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared Foundry Cove a Superfund site, initiating a $100-million cleanup dredging sediments and disposing of thousands of tons of contaminated soils.
Just prior to the EPA cleanup and restoration, archaeologists recovered 145,000 foundry-related artifacts.

1996
Scenic Hudson purchased the 87-acre foundry property to ensure its permanent protection as a public resource for recreation and education.

Today
Foundry Cove provides habitat for abundant wildlife and is a prime bird-watching and paddling destination.
Details
HM NumberHM1CPE
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, September 25th, 2014 at 8:16am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18T E 587900 N 4585313
Decimal Degrees41.41456667, -73.94821667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 41° 24.874', W 73° 56.893'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds41° 24' 52.44" N, 73° 56' 53.58" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)845, 914
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 81 Kemble Ave, Cold Spring NY 10516, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?