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Sugarloaf Hill (Hudson Highlands)
Encyclopedia
Sugarloaf Hill is a peak along the Hudson River
in Putnam County
, New York
, part of the Hudson Highlands
. It was named by the Dutch for its resemblance in outline to a sugarloaf
when sailing up the river towards it.
runs along the west side. A small stream runs along the southeast side and flows into the Hudson, while to the northwest, the ground declines gently to the Hudson.
The hill is about 760 feet (231.6 m) high at its summit, towards the middle of the ridge. A red-blazed trail climbs its western side, and then runs along the ridge, across the summit, to end at a viewpoint over the Hudson of about 700 feet (213.4 m) elevation.
Hudson and the sunny, exposed rock allows this cactus to grow on the hill, and elsewhere in the Hudson Highlands.
, was built at the foot of the peak in 1758. Robinson, a Tory
, lost his house and estates there to confiscation in 1777. It was used as a headquarters by several American generals during the Revolution
, and Benedict Arnold
chose to dwell there when he took command of West Point in 1780. It was at Beverley that Arnold learned of the capture of John André
and the failure of his treason, and fled thence to HMS Vulture
.
Beverley later passed into the hands of Hamilton Fish
, and was destroyed by a fire in 1892. The hill was donated by the Osborn family to the Taconic State Park Commission in 1974, and now forms part of the Osborn Preserve of Hudson Highlands State Park
.
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
in Putnam County
Putnam County, New York
Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, part of the Hudson Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
. It was named by the Dutch for its resemblance in outline to a sugarloaf
Sugarloaf
A sugarloaf was the traditional form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century when granulated and cube sugars were introduced. A tall cone with a rounded top was the end product of a process that saw the dark molasses-rich raw sugar, which had been imported from...
when sailing up the river towards it.
Topography
Sugarloaf Hill is in fact a ridge, running northeast and southwest, close to the east shore of the Hudson. The peak of Castle Rock lies off the northeast end of the ridge, while NY 9DNew York State Route 9D
New York State Route 9D , also known as the Bear Mountain – Beacon Highway, is a north–south state highway that runs along the eastern shore of the Hudson River in New York in the United States. It starts at the eastern end of the Bear Mountain Bridge at U.S...
runs along the west side. A small stream runs along the southeast side and flows into the Hudson, while to the northwest, the ground declines gently to the Hudson.
The hill is about 760 feet (231.6 m) high at its summit, towards the middle of the ridge. A red-blazed trail climbs its western side, and then runs along the ridge, across the summit, to end at a viewpoint over the Hudson of about 700 feet (213.4 m) elevation.
Flora
Somewhat unusually, Opuntia humifusa, prickly-pear cactus, can be found growing on ledges atop Sugarloaf Hill. The oceanic warmth brought upstream by the estuarineEstuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
Hudson and the sunny, exposed rock allows this cactus to grow on the hill, and elsewhere in the Hudson Highlands.
History
Beverley, the house of Col. Beverley RobinsonBeverley Robinson
Beverley Robinson , a wealthy colonist from New York, was a son of the Hon. John Robinson of Virginia, who was the President of that colony. He is mostly remembered as the commander of the Loyal American Regiment, a loyalist regiment in the American War of Independence and for his work with the...
, was built at the foot of the peak in 1758. Robinson, a Tory
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
, lost his house and estates there to confiscation in 1777. It was used as a headquarters by several American generals during the Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, and Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
chose to dwell there when he took command of West Point in 1780. It was at Beverley that Arnold learned of the capture of John André
John André
John André was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American War of Independence. This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.-Early life:André was born on May 2, 1750 in London to...
and the failure of his treason, and fled thence to HMS Vulture
HMS Vulture
Several vessels of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Vulture, including:, a Royalist ketch captured by the Parliamentary forces in 1648., a Dunkirk privateer captured in 1656, and sold in 1663., a sloop of 1673, sold 1686., a fireship of 1690, lost to the French in 1708., a 10/14-gun sloop of...
.
Beverley later passed into the hands of Hamilton Fish
Hamilton Fish
Hamilton Fish was an American statesman and politician who served as the 16th Governor of New York, United States Senator and United States Secretary of State. Fish has been considered one of the best Secretary of States in the United States history; known for his judiciousness and reform efforts...
, and was destroyed by a fire in 1892. The hill was donated by the Osborn family to the Taconic State Park Commission in 1974, and now forms part of the Osborn Preserve of Hudson Highlands State Park
Hudson Highlands State Park
Hudson Highlands State Park is a non-contiguous state park in the U.S. state of New York, located on the east side of the Hudson River. The park runs from Peekskill in Westchester County, through Putnam County, to Beacon in Dutchess County, in the eastern section of the Hudson Highlands.The park's...
.