Wappingers Falls Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Wappingers Falls
Historic District
is in the center of that village in Dutchess County
, New York
, United States
. It is a 90-acre (36 ha) area roughly centered along South Avenue and West Main Street NY 9D
and Wappingers Creek. It includes Mesier Park in the center of the village and many adjacent residential neighborhoods, roughly bounded by Elm, Park, Walker, Market and McKinley streets.
Much of the district was built in the wake of the industrialization of Wappingers Falls in the 19th century, and its styles
represent a cross-section of that century. However, the contributing properties
include older buildings, like the ca. 1740 Mesier-Brewer House, and newer ones like the Village Hall
, formerly a post office
designed under the supervision of Franklin D. Roosevelt
during his presidency.
mill
was built in the hollow created by the creek as it descends from Lake Wappinger to drain into the nearby Hudson River
. By 1856 it had become one of the largest printworks in the country. A fire that year destroyed the original buildings completely, but they were immediately rebuilt and continued in operation until 1931. The streets on the hillside opposite the mill are lined with frame houses, mostly duplexes
, built by the mill for its workers. The two halves of the district, and the village, are connected by an 1884 stone arch bridge
that replaced earlier wooden structures.
The village's business district, along West Main Street north and south of the creek, is lined with three-story Italianate
row buildings dating to the years after the Civil War
. The residential streets to the southwest are filled with larger houses in a variety of 19th-century styles, from Greek
and Gothic Revival to Second Empire and Queen Anne
.
Two significant contributing properties
separately listed in the Register date to the pre- and post-industrial eras. The Mesier-Brewer House in the center of the village is a well-preserved pre-Revolutionary
stone
and wood home common in the region. Across from it at the junction of West Main Street and South Avenue is the fieldstone
village hall
. It was originally built as one of five post office
s in the county designed in stone at the insistence of Roosevelt, a native of nearby Hyde Park
. In the late 20th century a new post office was built several blocks to the east and in 1995 the village moved its operations there from an old savings bank building downtown. The police, who had been working from the Mesier House, joined them.
In 1984 the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. It is described as a "collection of distinct nineteenth-century structures linked to the development of an important Hudson Valley
industrial center." The village is currently proposing efforts such as traffic calming
to make the commercial portions of the district more friendly to pedestrians
Wappingers Falls, New York
Wappingers Falls is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The name is derived from the local Wappinger Indians. One half of the village is in the town of Wappinger and the other half is in the town of Poughkeepsie, with Wappinger Creek forming the dividing line between the...
Historic District
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
is in the center of that village in Dutchess County
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a 90-acre (36 ha) area roughly centered along South Avenue and West Main Street NY 9D
New 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...
and Wappingers Creek. It includes Mesier Park in the center of the village and many adjacent residential neighborhoods, roughly bounded by Elm, Park, Walker, Market and McKinley streets.
Much of the district was built in the wake of the industrialization of Wappingers Falls in the 19th century, and its styles
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
represent a cross-section of that century. However, the contributing properties
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
include older buildings, like the ca. 1740 Mesier-Brewer House, and newer ones like the Village Hall
Wappingers Falls Village Hall
Wappingers Falls Village Hall is located at the corner of South Avenue and East Main Street in the Dutchess County, New York, USA municipality of that name. It was originally built in 1940 as the village's new post office, a Works Progress Administration project. President Franklin D...
, formerly a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
designed under the supervision of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
during his presidency.
History
In 1819 a small cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
was built in the hollow created by the creek as it descends from Lake Wappinger to drain into the nearby Hudson River
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...
. By 1856 it had become one of the largest printworks in the country. A fire that year destroyed the original buildings completely, but they were immediately rebuilt and continued in operation until 1931. The streets on the hillside opposite the mill are lined with frame houses, mostly duplexes
Duplex (building)
The term duplex can be used to describe several different dwelling unit configurations:A duplex house is defined as a dwelling having apartments with separate entrances for two families. This includes two-story houses having a complete apartment on each floor and also side-by-side apartments on a...
, built by the mill for its workers. The two halves of the district, and the village, are connected by an 1884 stone arch bridge
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
that replaced earlier wooden structures.
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
row buildings dating to the years after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The residential streets to the southwest are filled with larger houses in a variety of 19th-century styles, from Greek
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
and Gothic Revival to Second Empire and Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
.
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
separately listed in the Register date to the pre- and post-industrial eras. The Mesier-Brewer House in the center of the village is a well-preserved pre-Revolutionary
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
stone
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
and wood home common in the region. Across from it at the junction of West Main Street and South Avenue is the fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
village hall
Wappingers Falls Village Hall
Wappingers Falls Village Hall is located at the corner of South Avenue and East Main Street in the Dutchess County, New York, USA municipality of that name. It was originally built in 1940 as the village's new post office, a Works Progress Administration project. President Franklin D...
. It was originally built as one of five post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
s in the county designed in stone at the insistence of Roosevelt, a native of nearby Hyde Park
Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....
. In the late 20th century a new post office was built several blocks to the east and in 1995 the village moved its operations there from an old savings bank building downtown. The police, who had been working from the Mesier House, joined them.
In 1984 the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It is described as a "collection of distinct nineteenth-century structures linked to the development of an important Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
industrial center." The village is currently proposing efforts such as traffic calming
Traffic calming
Traffic calming is intended to slow or reduce motor-vehicle traffic in order to improve the living conditions for residents as well as to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Urban planners and traffic engineers have many strategies for traffic calming...
to make the commercial portions of the district more friendly to pedestrians