Hurley

By Deana F. Decker

Hurley explores the historical area southwest of Kingston that is bounded by the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains. It depicts the town of Hurley a national historic district and its individual hamlets of Hurley, West Hurley, Glenford, Morgan Hill, Ashton, and Eagles Nest. It shows stone houses dating back to the late 1700s, famed bluestone quarries of the 1800s, and reservoir construction that swallowed four of the hamlets in the early 1900s.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Oct 22, 2007
• ISBN: 9781439619889

Deana F. Decker

Deana F. Decker, a local resident and member of the Hurley Heritage Society, brings together photographs from the Hurley Heritage Society, the town historian, and several private collections from local residents to create Hurley, a fascinating history of a unique town.

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interesting.

INTRODUCTION

The Esopus Native Americans, the northernmost group of the Delaware Tribe, first occupied the Esopus Valley. They farmed the fertile flood plains of the Esopus Creek. Nearby, a violent Minsi tribe also inhabited the area. In June 1662, five businessmen petitioned Gov. Gen. Peter Stuyvesant, head of the Dutch New Netherland Colony, to establish a village southwest of Wiltwyck. They named it Nieu Dorp, Dutch for new village.

Driven by discontent and constant squabbling with their new Dutch neighbors, the Minsi attacked the two villages in June 1663, hereafter named the Second Esopus War. They burned the one-story wooden cottages and killed numerous residents and soldiers. The Esopus, attempting to show the Minsi that they were not wimps, kidnapped 34 women and children, most of whom were from Wiltwyck, on an outing to Nieu Dorp. The Esopus took their captives to an area now known as New Paltz. It was a year before all the well-treated captives were recovered.

In September 1664, Stuyvesant surrendered the entire New Netherland colony to an English fleet commanded by Col. Richard Nicolls. He renamed the colony New York, after the Duke of York. In 1668, Richard Lovelace became governor of the colony and placed more control in the hands of a civilian government, which he appointed from nominees submitted by the locals. In 1669, he renamed some of the Dutch settlements with English names. Thus Nieu Dorp became Hurley, after the Lovelace ancestral home in England. Wiltwyck became Kingston. He defined the hamlet’s boundaries, creating a township. He also relocated a troublesome English garrison to its own township, Marbletown, to ease tensions in the area.

As the residents rebuilt after the Second Esopus War, some rebuilt in wood, but many began to build with locally abundant limestone. In 1708, under the rule of Queen Anne, the roads of the colony of New York were surveyed and straightened and the present road system in the town was established. After Main Street was established, stone houses were constructed alongside it. In 1966, the National Park Service named Hurley Street (Main Street) and Hurley Mountain Road a national historic district for the 10 stone houses illustrating 17th- and 18th-century Dutch architecture.

Shortly after its formation, Hurley was a self-sustaining community. Wheat, rye, and barley were grown on the river valley, growing two alternate crops a year. Each homestead consisted of a barn, kitchen, garden, and orchard, growing apples and pears, for family use. Cattle grazed on the upland pastures. Roelof Swaetwout, an enterprising farmer, grew hops in such quantity that his market extended from Albany to New York City. By 1680, the hamlet grew to include a grain mill, brewery, distillery, blacksmith, and carpenter. By 1720, this increased with a shoemaker, commercial weaver, tannery, and stone quarry.

The first school building was established in 1786 on Main Street. Prior to that, school was held in various private homes. This building remained in use until 1836, when a new, larger stone school was built. The new building had a second floor added on in wood and operated until the present Hurley School was erected in 1939.

Ulster County has had a militia force since 1669, and it participated in local Native American defenses, the French and Indian War, and the American Revolution. Hurley supplied its share of soldiers to defend the colony, including Col. Cornelius D. Wynkoop, Col. Charles De Witt, and Maj. Adrian Wynkoop. During the months of November and December 1777, after the British advanced up the Hudson River and burned Kingston, Hurley served as a military outpost and the temporary capital of the state of New York. In October 1783, Gen. George Washington visited the town to thank the inhabitants for their support during the war.

Just after the American Revolution, the western area of the town, called the Hurley Patentee Woods, was subdivided. The discovery of mass quantities of easily workable sandstone called bluestone influenced a rapid population growth of quarry workers and their families in this area. This industry continued until the late 1890s.

In the southern part of the town, currently the town of Rosendale, new settlements appeared with the building of the Delaware and