4
Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, May 30, 2018
County to preserve Algonquin ruins
Continued from page 1
eventually bought by the DuPont family monopoly.
However, upon the U.S. government ordering the DuPont
family to split up and divest their monopoly on gun
powder, the family sold the property, which eventually
became a City of Newburgh public park in 1934. In
1978, upon increasing disrepair and erosion of the site’s
historic landmarks, the park was transferred to the
county’s care.
In the fall of 2017, after years of collaboration between
the County Historian’s office, Parks Department and
Legislators Leigh Benton and James Kulisek, the county
was granted money to hire consulting firm Lacey Thaler
Riley Wilson LLC, which would produce a report on
the masonry conditions of the park’s gunpowder ruins.
The study will continue over the next several months,
culminating in a report on the estimated cost and
suggested methods for repairing the historic industrial
ruins.
Orange County Historian Johanna Yaun explained
that this is the first step in the process to deciding how to
preserve the ruins.
“[This] is the county’s initial chance to gather as much
information as we can, so we know what to do and can
make those changes,” said Yaun.
Plus, the data will enable the county to write up
more detailed proposals, helping the park receive grants
to fund the project. According to Yaun, the county
ultimately hopes to create a visitor experience that could
provide information of the park’s history. This could be a
guided tour, posted information kiosks, or perhaps even a
digital tour experience through a smartphone app.
“We want to have some kind of way of having the
history of the site visible on the property,” said Yaun.
What exactly that experience would look like depends
on the results of this study, which will give the county a
better understanding of the price range of preservation
repairs. Based on the costs, preservation work could
The Algonquin Park Powder Mill dates back to 1815.
involve stabilizing remaining structures and even
potentially restoring some of the buildings for tourists.
Due to the location of some of the ruins, the plan may
require rerouting some of the hiking routes around the
park to better preserve the ruins and prevent them from
further wear and tear.
According to Yaun, long term plans for the park
could even include more visitor-friendly additions like
concession stands and outdoor stages. At this point, the
county is open to all possibilities.
Photo courtesy County Historian’s office
The county was granted money to hire consulting firm Lacey Thaler Riley Wilson LLC, which would produce a report on the
masonry conditions of the park’s gunpowder ruins.
Once city property, Algonquin Park was passed to the
county in 1978.