City of Hudson
We invite you to investigate all that
Hudson has to offer. Founded as a whaling port in the
19th century, Hudson suffered the same late 19th &
early 20th century post Industrial Revolution economic
depression as the rest of the Hudson Valley. Only, Hudson
never recovered. Never, until that is, when late in
the 20th century a few pioneers ventured north from
New York City and rented store fronts to establish their
antiques businesses.
They selected Hudson because of its
location, its buildings and its friendly and congenial
people. Because of the hard economy, the majority of
Hudson's Federal style main street remains intact and
Hudson being located between the major northeast population
centers, close to major highways, is a perfect location.
The fine collections that are found in the antique shops
of Hudson reflect the glorious beauty of the Greek Revival
and Federal townhouses that line the city's streets.
A Mecca for shoppers, Hudson is a
unique center with a wide variety of shops and merchandise.
Each shop is a sparkling gem in which you might find
Regency, Empire, Mission, Beidemeir, Tibetan or Chinese
pieces of the finest quality. There are beautiful fine
and folk paintings and prints galore. There's work by
American, English, French, Swedish, and Russian furniture
designers. There are textiles, ceramics and porcelain,
books, postcards, 14th century metalware, architectural
and decorative accessories. There are garden ornaments
and old kimonos. All of it antique, all of it in exquisite
condition. Hudson is the most concentrated center for
fine antiques in the Hudson River Valley. And it's only
two hours from Manhattan, three from Boston.
The dealers are exceptionally knowledgeable.
From varied backgrounds, they've plied their trade for
years, some of them in distant corners of the globe.
They are experts in their fields with business connections
that allow them to find the best and most beautiful
items to bring to Hudson.
- Olana State
Historic Site - Country home of the world renowned
Hudson River School artist Frederic Church. Take our
Virtual Tour and feel like you are standing high above
the Mighty Hudson River.
- Clermont
State Historic Site - Manor House of the influential
Livingston family, prominent in the early development
of the Hudson Valley, and patriots in the American
Revolution.
Whaling families from Nantucket became
convinced, after the American Revolution, that the British
would attempt to retake its former American Colonies.
As Nantucket is located about 50 miles from the mainland,
they felt particularly at risk.
So, in 1783 the families empowered
the Jenkins brothers, Thomas & Seth, to find a safer
place to live and work. After considering several locations
they decided on a 100 acre tract of land 100 miles up
the Hudson known as Claverack Landing. In 1784 thirty
families, many of them Quakers, moved to Claverack Landing
from Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Newport and Providence.
Originally called Proprietors, these
families had, by late 1784, laid out the City of Hudson
on a grid pattern. By 1786 there were over 1,500 individuals
in Hudson and a fleet of over 25 ships plying the oceans
to support Hudson's Sperm-Oil industry.
Hudson prospered for a century until
the end of the 19th century when the economy declined
and the City and its buildings descended into a quiet
slumber. |
