West Point Foundry Preserve. Photo: Robert Rodriguez, Jr.
Historic site and favored local walk will undergo transformation
By Kevin E. Foley
As of Tuesday, June 12, Scenic Hudson’s West Point Foundry Preserve will be closed for about 15 months for construction of the new historic and environmental park the group has planned for several years. The closing of the 87-acre area, used by many local residents as a jogging and walking retreat, is needed to protect public safety while the work goes on. Scenic Hudson had previously signaled the park would have to close but only announced the actual closing yesterday.
A ceremonial groundbreaking for the project is scheduled for Saturday, June 16. Local elected officials as well as land and historic preservation activists have praised the project for its educational, environmental and economic benefits.
The park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will undergo a $3.6-million construction and restoration to create an “education-heritage resource for the public that will tell the stories of the foundry’s contributions to the Industrial Revolution, its role in the Civil War and the land’s remarkable ecological renewal. The new park will feature interpretive elements, gathering areas and a universally accessible trail connecting to the Cold Spring train station,” according to a Scenic Hudson statement.
