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West Point Foundry Tours to Showcase New Elements at Archaeology Project
Scenic Hudson and Michigan Technological University will host two "Day at the Foundry" tours on Saturday, June 2, and Saturday, July 14, from 10am- 4pm (rain or shine). The team of expert industrial archaeologists from Michigan Tech conducting research at Scenic Hudson's West Point Foundry Preserve will offer guided tours of the historic property. The tours are free, open to the public and begin on the hour. Tours will explain the historical significance of the foundry and explore the newly excavated boring mill and molding shop.
Register online for either of these tours at www.scenichudson.org/events, or contact Vickie Muller at 845- 473-4440, ext. 270. Renowned site tells story of America's industrial rise As America's Industrial Revolution began changing a nation of small farms to one of emerging cities, West Point Foundry was a technological powerhouse. Operating from 1818 to 1911, this ironworks grew to employ hundreds of workers who made steam engines, water wheels, mill equipment and other items that sparked the country's economic transformation. Innovative Parrott guns that helped turn the tide of the Civil War and massive pipes for New York Scenic Hudson works to protect City's water system came from this site.
Be first to see new excavations Visitors will get a first glimpse at beginning excavations of the boring mill and molding shop, two principal shops. Constructed in 1817, these buildings were two of the earliest erected at the West Point Foundry. Focusing on the intersection of these two buildings, tours will feature a recently unearthed doorway as well as a 3-D simulation of the molding shop. Visitors will get an inside look at the foundry office building. Constructed in 1865 at the pinnacle of the foundry's success, it is an important artifact that Scenic Hudson is preserving to help bring to life the history of this important industrial site.
Scenic Hudson has sponsored research by Michigan Tech archaeologists to better understand how to interpret the site's history to the public.
Directions: from the intersection of Route 9D and Main Street (Route 301) in Cold Spring, take third left onto Rock Street to the end, turn right onto Kemble Avenue and follow signs. The site is a short walk from the Cold Spring train station (follow signs from platform). and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors. A crusader for the valley since 1963, we are credited with saving fabled Storm King Mountain from a destructive industrial project and launching the modern grass-roots environmental movement. Today with more than 18,000 ardent supporters, we are the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson River Valley. Our team of experts combines land acquisition, support for agriculture, citizen-based advocacy and sophisticated planning tools to create environmentally healthy communities, champion smart economic growth, open up riverfronts to the public and preserve the valley's inspiring beauty and natural resources. www.scenichudson.org.
Michigan Technological University's industrial archeologists research the history of the relationship between people and technology at the roots of the modern world. Michigan Tech faculty offers a graduate degree in industrial archeology, a unique program in the United States. www.westpointfoundry.org
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