A Walk Around Peekskill, NY

About a month ago I decided to go for a walk around Peekskill, NY. The weather had been bad, and I’d been stuck at home for what seemed like forever. It was still pretty hot, but I felt I needed to get out. My plan was to go to Ossining station and take a train to Peekskill. I would then walk around the waterfront for a while, eventually heading off uphill to the main part of Peekskill where I would browse around in the Bruised Apple Bookstore before getting something to eat at Ramenesque. I like Ramen noodles and although I had walked by this restaurant a number of times, I’d never tried it. After that I’d walk back down to the station and head off home.

According to the Discover Peekskill website:

In September 1609, Henry Hudson anchored his ship, the “Halve Maen” (Dutch for Half Moon), along a bay on the Hudson River outside of what would become the City of Peekskill. His first mate, Robert Juet, described in the ship log the location as a “very pleasant place to build a town.” It was to become among the first Dutch trading posts.
Jan Peek was Peekskill’s earliest European resident, recognized as making first contact with the Lenape Native American people that populated the lower Hudson Valley at that time. The name “Peekskill” derives from a combination of the Jan Peek’s last name and the Dutch word for stream “kill.”
At the time of the American Revolution, George Washington established this area as the headquarters for the Continental Army in 1776. Its various mills built along the community’s creeks and streams made the area an important manufacturing center and provided the army with supplies.
Peekskill and Civil Rights History
Peekskill holds a prominent place in the history of civil rights. It is the most significant place in the Hudson River Valley for understanding the history of American slavery and the Underground Railroad, the network of secret sites that helped fugitive slaves travel to freedom. Historical Underground Railroad sites include the home of William Sands known as the “Safe House”, the home of the famous abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher, and the A.M.E. Zion Church whose members included Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Frederick Douglass.
In 1940 Peekskill incorporated as a city. In modern civil rights history, Peekskill would become known infamously as the place of the “Peekskill Riots” in 1949, local violent protest against the concerts announced by prominent activist Paul Robeson to benefit the Civil Rights Congress. The riot actually took place in Cortlandt Manor.
More recently, Peekskill would become the first city in New York State to elect an African American mayor, Richard E. Jackson in 1984.
A City that Makes Things, Promotes People
Peekskill has always been known as an industrial center – a city that makes things. The mills of Peek’s Creek provided essential gunpowder, leather, planks, and flour for the fight for American independence. The area is also known for its prominence as a maker of brick pavers, iron plows, hats, and stoves—many of which were transported West to fuel the settling of America. Peekskill is also known for the invention of Crayola Crayons at the Peekskill Chemical Works and the Fleishman Factory made yeast used across the country.
Peekskill has been home to numerous individuals that make their mark in the world with an inventive, entrepreneurial spirit. Peekskill was the home of Peter Cooper, who built the first successful locomotive to be used as an American railroad and sponsored the first trans-Atlantic telegraph. L. Frank Baum, who wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, attended the Peekskill Military Academy and, while controversial, some believe that the city’s yellow brick roads inspired him. While historians debate the authenticity of that claim, others believe in letting the imagination go along with the fantasy.
In addition to Washington, Peekskill played host to Abraham Lincoln. On his way to his inauguration, Lincoln’s train stopped here and he spoke to a huge crowd.

The artwork above is part of a larger piece that’s all over Peekskill Metro North Station. According to a Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) press release dated April 26, 2013:

The just-renovated train station at Peekskill now boasts “Jan Peeck’s Vine,” a steel sculpture that creeps around columns and railings and spells out the name “Peekskill” under the eaves.
…
The work by artist Joy Taylor and commissioned by MTA Arts for Transit and Urban Design translates natural forms into dramatic sculptures that echo the structural elements of the existing station, but frees them to run riot in a flowing, whimsical design. The artwork is named for the area’s first European resident for whom the city is named.
“The piece is designed exclusively for Peekskill,” Taylor said. “It incorporates the zigzag structure of the historic station, which transitions into a flowering vine descriptive of the current flowering of the arts in the city. The vine itself is a stylized contemporary vision of the indigenous bindweed that Jan Peeck would have found growing here on his arrival.”
The Vine consists of two matching sculptures on the southbound platform, one on either side of the stairs. From their bases they rise to the canopy roof, surrounding two supporting columns with zig-zag pattern that replicates the lacing historic northbound canopy. As they climb up the columns, they begin to curve and twine, transforming into vines that meet above the stairs like a huge vine-covered arbor welcoming visitors to a local garden.
These sculptural elements are fabricated from carbon steel rod and shaped plate carbon steel that gives the vines, the leaves and flowers a sinuous three-dimensional reality as well as a distinctive silhouette.
Elements of this sculpture recur in the two “Peekskill” monograms atop the elevator entrances. The third element includes several vine-like railing inserts that replace vertical railings in several sections on the northbound platform. Here the design, a near-symmetry reminiscent of the larger vine sculptures, is cut from flat steel and finished to match “Jan Peeck’s Vine,” unifying the elements. The artwork is finished in two colors, gray-green for the vines and leaves, red-orange for the flowers.
While it hints at earlier Peekskill architectural motifs, “Jan Peeck’s Vine” is a thoroughly contemporary piece. It takes advantage of steel’s ability to soar free of support, to twine and suspend itself in air. Its bold color and stylized, oversized leaves and flowers add a striking new layer to Peekskill’s visual life which will become part of the experience of arriving here.

Along the Waterfront

Both pictures were taken looking vaguely north, northwest towards the Bear Mountain Bridge (not visible in pictures). First picture, on the left, Jones Point. On the right, Fort Hill. In the center, Bear Mountain.

Second Picture: watercraft and passing ducks. In the background, Jones Point.

Huygen’s Helmet

The Peekskill Waterfront abounds with lots of artworks. I’ve taken pictures of most of them during earlier visits, so I didn’t bother this time. I’d taken a picture of this one before too, but that time I’d taken a picture of the full artwork with the Hudson in the background (see picture below). This time, however, I decided to put my head inside and see what kind of picture I could get…maybe something a bit more abstract?

A nearby sign reads:

Serge Onnen
Dutch, born 1965
lives and works in Amsterdam and New York
Huygen’s Helmet, 2009
Materials: Welded metal, pvc pipe, structolite.
HVCCA exhibition ‘Double Dutch’
Support generously given by FONDS BRVB
and the Mondriaan Foundation.
Double Dutch was an exhibition celebrating the Quadricentennial of the Dutch discovery and settlement of the Hudson River, which took place between September 12, 2009 and July 26, 2010 at the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art (HVCCA). The exhibition curated by Marc and Livia Straus showcased contemporary Dutch installation art.
“Double Dutch” artists included: Marc Bijl, Martha Colburn, Fendry Ekel, Dylan Graham, Folkert De Jong, Job Koelewijn, Maartje Korstanje, Alon Levin, Erik Van Lieshout, Serge Onnen, Daan Padmos, Karen Sargsyan, Lara Schnitger.

The House on the Hill

You can’t help but see this house if you’re driving north on Route 9/Albany Post Road. It was once part of Peekskill’s Historic Community of St Mary. For more on this see: The Abbey Inn and Spa, part of which can be seen on the right side of the picture. In 1908 a granite three-story house designed by Henry Martyn Congdon (1834–1922) (who also designed the Abbey Buildings) was built for the convent’s resident chaplains. The first of these occupants was Rev. Father Maurice Cowl. It is now the private home of a local doctor

For more information on the Abbey and its buildings see New York Almanack’s article: Peekskill’s Historic Community of St Mary

Diver Statue

According to a recent Peekskill Herald article entitled: “Peekskill’s ‘Diver’ at the Olympics“:

Visitors to Paris for the Olympics might catch a glimpse of the same iconic Peekskill diver that graces our riverfront. The 16-foot tall sculpture that sits at the Peekskill riverfront has a twin that is in front of the Eiffel Tower for the Summer Olympics. Artist Carol Feuerman’s sculpture was chosen by Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris for exhibition during the Olympics and Paralympics. In this TikTok short video, Feuerman narrates while the diver is installed at its City of Lights base.
Feuerman’s sculpture, whose official name is The Golden Mean was part of the art festival known as Peekskill Project V in 2013. Originally on temporary loan to Peekskill during the public art project, through the efforts of Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art (HVMOCA) and the generosity of the artist, the work was made affordable for purchase by the City of Peekskill.
In a map created by HVMOCA of public art in Peekskill, Feuerman’s piece was described as “a sculpture crafted in bronze of a male diver, his cap featuring gold leaf detail. The choice of a black and naturally bronzing patina as opposed to a realistic finish that is the usual hallmark of the artist, was made purposefully so that the sculpture creates a silhouette at varied times of the day, a majestic tribute to the beauty of the athlete, a bow to the Greek classical works of the past. Perfectly balanced and stalwart, it stands on the Peekskill Riverfront Green, as a beacon to human ambition and artistic accomplishment, visible to travelers on Metro North. It quickly became an icon on the waterfront, with hikers and visitors at all times of the year shooting and posting selfies.
Weighing 1500 pounds, the diver had a specially crafted steel base for support. Under supervision of members of the Department of Parks and the Department of Public Works, a backhoe was brought in to dig a deep pit into the ground to house the base. Though created based on measurements given to the fabricator, the base had to nevertheless be refined and retooled on site to hold the diver securely in place.”
Because casting in bronze is extremely expensive, artists create limited editions of pieces. It took Feuerman some five years to create The Golden Mean. Her process is documented in this video.

Riverfront Green Park – Sam Otice (911 Memorial)

According to the Fieldguide to US Public Monuments and Memorials:

This remembrance honors Samuel Oitice, a 25-year Peekskill, New York, veteran firefighter, native and resident. Oitice was also a City of New York firefighter; he was killed in the terrorist attacks on the towers of the World Trade Center, 9/11/2001. The memorial recalls and pays homage also to victims, responders and rescuers as well as those left behind, stunned and grieved, that Tuesday morning after equally vicious attacks in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The site’s program and design were developed by the memorial’s leadership group in cooperation with The Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. The memorial’s centerpiece, a bronze statue of a firefighter, behind a stoic gaze and on one knee, before Oitice’s remaindered, fire-fighting gear, was created by artist Andrea Grimsley under an arrangement with Verdin. Combined with the site as well is a steel beam from the WTC, courtesy of the Port Authority of NY and NJ.

The work’s supporters and champions were many, led and coordinated by the Sam Oitice Heroes Remembered Memorial Committee. From idea to unveiling, its members labored nearly ten years to create the monument.

The memorial was dedicated July 24, 2010. The white structure in the background is the monument commemorating the deaths of seven firefighters during the 1918 Fleischmanns factory fire.

Riverfront Green Park – Peekskill Fire Department Alarm Bell

In the same park (Peekskill Waterfront Green) as the Samuel Otice memorial mentioned in previous post stands another memorial: The Peekskill Fire Department Alarm Bell. If you look up instead of out to the Hudson River, you’ll see an actual artifact from the City of Peekskill’s history: a beautiful bell commemorating those who lost their lives in the 1918 Fleischman Manufacturing Company Fire.

The bronzed inscription reads as follows:

PEEKSKILL FIRE DEPARTMENT ALARM BELL

ON AUGUST 1, 1918, THIS BELL TOLLED THE ALARM FOR THE
FLEISCHMANN MANUFACTURING COMPANY FIRE,
AT WHICH SEVEN PEEKSKILL VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS LOST THEIR LIVES.

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE GALLANT MEN
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN TH FLEISCHMANN FIRE
AUGUST 1, 1918

DEPARTMENT SURGEON DR. CHARLES R.F. GREEN – CORTLANDT HOOK & LADDER CO #1
CAPTAIN CLARENCE J. LOCKWOOD – CORTLANDT HOOK & LADDER CO #1
1ST LT. JAMES H. SELLECK – CORTLANDT HOOK & LADDER CO #1
2ND LT. LOUIS A. BARMORE – CORTLANDT HOOK & LADDER CO #1
FIREFIGHTER GEORGE A. CASSACLES – CORTLANDT HOOK & LADDER CO #1
FIREFIGHTER JOHN F. TORPY – CENTENNIAL HOSE CO #4
FIREFIGHTER WALTER COLE – CENTENNIAL HOSE CO #4
“GREATER LOVE HAS NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN
LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.”
JOHN 15:13

The Standard House

According to Wikipedia:

The Standard House is a landmark in the city of Peekskill in Westchester County, New York, built in 1855. It is located at 50 Hudson Avenue between South Water Street and the Metro-North Hudson Line train tracks.
An Italianate brick building, it and the Union Hotel across the street are the only two hotel buildings remaining from the period of Peekskill’s industrial height as a center for the manufacture of stoves. It continued to be in use as a hotel after that industry declined, but couldn’t survive the decline of the railroad in the mid-20th century. Vacant and neglected through most of the later years of that century, it was restored early in the next. In 2000 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Currently it houses a retail store on the ground floor, and the city’s economic development offices.

As you’ll see from the sign in the second picture, The Standard House also houses Dylan’s Wine Cellar. According to their website:

[It] dates back to 1853 when a prominent Peekskill resident, Thomas Nelson sold the property the Standard House was built on in 1853 for $525 to another Peekskill resident, Issac Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds began construction of the Standard House likely between 1853 and 1858. During this time the Peekskill waterfront was hustle and bustling with lots of foundries, factories, salons, and hotels. The waterfront was a hub for transportation between the docks and train depot with the transportation of freight and passengers from New York and surrounding areas.
Early assessment documents listed the history of the Standard House has the following:
1879 “Store”
1881 to 1883 “Salon”
1883 to 1890, the Standard House was sold numerous times.
April 1, 1890 John Galligan purchased the Standard House and the assessment records indicated the Standard House as a salon.
An advertisement in the Annual Directory of Peekskill in 1900 read “Standard House” bar well stocked with the choicest liquors, wines, ales and cigars.
1901-1911 “Hotel”.
November 17, 1911 the Standard House was sold to Patrick O’Neil Jr. who sold the building a short time after to A. Hupfels Sons Brewing Company.
September 9, 1920 John J. Carbon bought the Standard House. Mr. Carbone operated, Carbones, a well-known Peekskill restaurant and bar. The Standard House stayed in the Carbone family as Carbones and the Central Grill from 1920 to 1997.
Unfortunately, over the years, the Standard House was neglected and fell into disrepair.
Sometime in the early 90’s there was a fire on the third floor and the building suffered fire and water damage. After the fire the building was boarded up and left to deteriorate.
December 17, 1998, the Standard House was given new life when Peekskill residents, Richard and Kathy Cerreta, purchased the building. Once purchased, the Cerreta’s paid the back taxes and all building violations and began work. Instead of building new, the Cerreta’s were very meticulous with restoring the building, refurbishing most of the original materials and architecture. In 18 short months, the Standard House was transformed from a building that was dilapidated to a pristine work of art. The Cerreta’s were at the forefront of the revitalization of Peekskill and they created a high “standard” of historic restoration of Peekskill’s architectural history.
Accolades
The Standard House has been awarded New York State Register of Historic Places (4/4/00)National Register of Historic Places (National Landmark Status) (9/22/00)Peekskill’s first Local Historic Landmark (2/26/01).
The Cerreta’s have also been recognized with many awards for their preservation of the Standard House. Today, the building is owned by the Zwick family, owners of Dylan’s Wine Cellar. They intend to preserve and continue the rich history of the Standard House by keeping the building original and in the family.

For lots more information on The Standard House see: Standard House.

Lincoln Depot Museum

According to the museum’s website:

Located by Peekskill Bay on the east bank of the Hudson River, The Lincoln Depot Museum is a 3,000 square foot freight and passenger rail depot where President-elect Abraham Lincoln stopped to greet New Yorkers on February 19, 1861 during his inaugural train ride between Springfield, IL and Washington, DC.
New York State Governor George Pataki aided the City of Peekskill with a grant to restore the old rail depot as a museum. County Legislator John G. Testa, then the Mayor of Peekskill, steered a volunteer board of directors to incorporate The Lincoln Depot Foundation, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to restore the Depot as a museum that would illuminate and celebrate Lincoln’s relationship to New York and to New Yorkers before and during the Civil War. Remembering and recounting Lincoln’s ties to Peekskill has special resonance for those who treasure the history of the Hudson Valley as well as lovers of Civil War history.
The mission of The Lincoln Depot Museum is to explore, remember, and educate audiences about the place that our local history played on the national stage.

HISTORY

The Hudson River Railroad finally reached Peekskill in 1849. Early City Historian Carlton B. Scofield described the original station as a “grimy, wooden shack measuring twelve by fourteen feet.” Due to a fire and the expansion of the railroad line to Poughkeepsie in 1850 and then to Albany in 1851, it was clear a new and larger station was needed. The combination Greek and Gothic Revival station visited by Lincoln in 1861 is one of only two surviving original locations visited by Lincoln on his Inaugural Journey. The other is located in Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln’s trip began. The depot originally served as a combination passenger station and freight depot. The depot was eventually abandoned for passenger use in 1874 when the present Romanesque Style station was opened on Railroad Avenue. Although there are no known records showing the exact date the depot was constructed, the earliest known map depicting the depot is from 1852. An original copy of this map is on display in the museum.
Abraham Lincoln left Springfield, Illinois on February 11, 1861 and arrived in Washington DC on February 23rd for his upcoming Inauguration as President of the United States. His stop in Peekskill on February 19th was his only stop in Westchester County. He stopped at the invitation of one of Peekskill’s most prominent citizens, William Nelson, a local lawyer and former Congressman serving with Lincoln from 1847-49. Two village residents attending Lincoln’s visit were Chauncey M. Depew (26 years old) and James W. Husted (27 years old). Both men were recent graduates of Yale and these local lawyers led the local supporters of Lincoln. Together, they formed the Highland Wide Awakes and led pro-Lincoln parades through the streets of Peekskill. Both would go on to prominence of their own. Depew was a NY State Assembly member, NY Secretary of State, Westchester County Clerk, US Senator and President of the NY Central Railroad; he played an important role in Lincoln’s reelection obtaining the votes of NY soldiers in the field. Husted served 22 years as a member of the NY State Assembly spending time as Speaker and Minority Leader and he became a Major General for the Fifth Division of the NY National Guard. Additionally, he spent time as Superintendent of Peekskill Public Schools and Harbor Master of NY.

Murals

Peekskill has quite a lot of murals. In this particular location (Central Ave) there were several more. I only photographed these two. I’ve not yet been able to find any information about them (e.g. who created them, what they represent, why they’re there etc.), but while looking for such information I came across a person who described such murals as “putting lipstick on a pig”.

I don’t agree. I like the bright colors; they brighten up the place a lot.

A Fence

I like old, weathered, wooden fences so when I spotted this one on the other side of the road, I immediately went across to photograph it.

After this point in my walk, I had a fairly long, uphill stretch. I wasn’t particularly looking forward to it as it had gotten very hot and humid.

Bruised Apple Books

At the end of my uphill trek, I ended up outside one of my favorite bookstores: Bruised Apple Books. I was tired and very thirsty, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go in and look around. Thankfully it was air-conditioned.

The store describes itself as follows:

The Bruised Apple is as far from the big corporate bookstores as you can get. From the hand painted sign above the front door to the numerous hidden (and not so hidden) clippings and letters that decorate the store, everything is personalized by the family and friends of the Bruised Apple. Since 1993 we have been buying selling and trading all sorts of used, out of print and sometimes truly rare books, records and now also CDs and movies. We also carry an interesting selection of new books and maps about history and the outdoors in the Hudson Valley. We have about 50,000 titles organized into about 200 subject headings that are comfortably nestled along aisles wide enough to avoid the dreaded claustrophobia…

I ended up coming out with two books in used but decent condition: Magnum Landscape and Photography: Essays and Images.

Whiskey River

I was by now very, very thirsty. I could have maybe staggered a bit farther to get to my eventual destination, but I found myself passing this place. It’s called Whiskey River, and it specializes in a variety of whiskeys and, more importantly CRAFT BEERS. How could I resist?

A Westchester Magazine review (A Curated Menu of Epic Eats Is Blowing up in Peekskill) from May 2020 described it as follows (note that this is a very short extract from a much longer review):

All in all, Whiskey River has hit the ground running despite some serious hurdles in the market. They’ve partnered with local all-stars Blithe Bagels for a Mother’s Day gift basket and are already working on more team-ups and limited-time menu options. The food is outstanding, the drink options are copious (and quality), and for all that the prices are shockingly reasonable — only $12-$16 for most entrées in large portions, and $15-$20 for jumbo cocktails (though you can snag an 8oz happy hour margarita until 5 p.m. for just $5).
Local foodies will definitely want to check out this rising star in Peekskill’s downtown scene by putting in a take-out order now. By the time restaurants reopen, we’re not sure you’ll be able to get a reservation.

I didn’t have anything to eat (I was going to another restaurant after all), but I did have one of the craft beers. I don’t remember what it was called, but it certainly tasted good. But then again, by that point probably anything would have tasted good. Maybe even pumpkin beer (my all-time worst beer).

Ramenesque

Finally I got to my ultimate destination: Ramenesque, which describes itself as follows:

RameNesque opened her doors in October 2013. A Manhattan Village styled Ramen restaurant with a unique interior design that fits Chef Nikki’s concept in creating a Japanese Causal Dining & Café atmosphere. RameNesque offers Peekskill a variety of Japanese cuisine.
Homemade style Shoyu Ramen, Miso Ramen, Tom Yum Ramen, Dan Dan and Vegetarian Ramen.The kitchen staff makes a daily batch of soup that simmers daily for several hours. No MSG, artificial ingredients and ready made products. Only fresh produce, natural flavor enhancers such as seaweed, and love for healthy & flavorful homemade foods are allowed in RameNesque kitchen.

It was a lot larger inside than it looked from the outside. Their menu can be foundhere.

So how did I like it? I felt like something spicy, so I ordered the Tom Yum Ramen. In case you don’t know what Tom Yum isWikipedia(which also provides more information) describes it as follows:

Tom yum or tom yam is a family of hot and sour Thai soups. The strong, hot, and sour flavors make it very popular in Thai cuisine. The name “tom yam” is composed of two Thai words. Tom refers to the boiling process, while yam means ‘mixed’. Historian Giles Milton contends that the origins of Tom Yum can be traced back to India, where there is a variation of hot and sour shrimp soup known as “sour prawn soup”. In Thailand, Tom Yam is available in various types, with the most popular being “Tom Yam Nam Khon,” or Creamy Tom Yam Soup, and “Tom Yam Nam Sai,” or Clear Tom Yam Soup. This soup features a variety of main ingredients, including shrimp, pork, chicken, and seafood.

They asked how spicy I liked it and I answered very spicy. That’s my preference. and I often find that Asian restaurants tone it down for westerners so if you want it spicy you have to ask for very spicy. This one was just right. I really enjoyed it.

The beer was a perfect accompaniment.

Ice Cream Eaters

As I mentioned earlier it was a very hot and humid day. As I left Ramenesque I noticed this group of people eating ice cream. A wonderful opportunity for a bit of street photography, I thought. Pity the guy on the far left was not a foot or two away from the rest. I could perhaps have waited to see if he would move, but I had to get to my train and I was a little concerned that they might notice me.

Dogs

I was now ready to head back to the station to get my train. Soon after leaving Ramenesque I came across these dogs. At first, I thought there was only one of them, but then the second one raised its head. I have no idea what breed they are? They certainly were very cute though!

McGregory Brook

Sunflowers

Back down near the river again. Just as I was passing the Lincoln Depot Museum I came across these gorgeous sunflowers. Look out Van Gogh!

A Skull

I hesitate to finish this short walk around Peekskill, NY with a skull seen outside Taco Dive Bar, but it was the last picture I took before boarding my train back home. And, after all, it’s not a very scary skull with all of its bright colors.