Start of the tour and Background information on the property
Welcome to the Fern Tor walking tour of the Fern Tor Nature Preserve located on the north end of Marist Colleges campus. Today, Fern Tor is a 12 or 13-acre nature preserve on the North end of Campus that stretches from the St. Ann’s parking lot to Quiet Cove Park in Poughkeepsie and encompasses the land between the Hudson River and Route Nine. Many different people had owned the land before Marist college purchased the property in 1997, but all of them have changed the property in ways that still can be seen today. This walking tour will take approximately 15 mins and will have some minor changes in elevation. There are clean trails but no may be unstable ground, so remember to watch your step and pay attention to where you are going.There were a few owners of the property before Marist acquired it, but the most important is Thomas Newbold and his family. At this auction, Thomas Newbold purchased the property for $10,000 in 1861. He and his descendants would own the property until 1946 The Newbold family was a prosperous New York City family that made enough money in a variety of business venture ranging from real estate to banking to shipping.The Newbold family would spend their summers in their new house on Fern Tor. There are no photographs of this house on record, so it is unclear what the house looked like exactly. There was speculation that the house never was built. However, a resident's named Mary Reilly was able to show a former president of the college Richard Foy the location of the main house’s foundation. Along with their main house, the Newbold family also built formal gardens, greenhouses, and a human-made pond that remains to this day. During this time he also constructed the carriage house that would later become the Saint Ann’s hermitage after Marist purchased the property 1997. The main house was demolished sometime after the Newbold sold their property. Its original location was where the old carriage trails level off and bend around to match the level of the house. The Newbold Family would own the property for 101 years from 1861 to 1946 when they sold their land to Charles Chlanda who would play an important role in dividing up the land into smaller parcels.
The Old Caretakers house of the Newbold Property
After the Newbolds sold the property, their land was divided up into smaller farms. One of them was the small caretaker's house for the Newbold estate back in the early 20th century. It is located on the eastern side of St. Ann's parking lot. Then in 1990, Marist College purchased this house and its surrounding land. It is still currently standing on the campus and serves as a residence to one of the Marist brother.
St. Ann's Hermitage
Chalanda sold the last bit of property to Dr. George T.C. Way in 1975. He was a well know obstetrician in Poughkeepsie. He and his family would renovate the Newbold carriage house and expand it to what we see today. They added a pool, three external carports, and added additions to the back of the house for more office space. Interestingly, during their construction, they used stones from the old Newbold main house to help build the foundation. They also constructed a large shed on the footprint of the on Newbold main house. After the Ways retired from work, they sold the land to Marist College in 1997. Their house would become the Saint Ann’s Hermitages that is still used by Marist ROTC to this day.
One on the Trail heads of Fern Tor nature presever
Here is the beginnings of one of the trial heads into Fern Tor. Today, Fern Tor is a 12 or 13-acre nature preserve on the North end of Campus that stretches from the St. Ann’s parking lot to Quiet Cove Park in Poughkeepsie and encompasses the land between the Hudson River and Route Nine. At this point, Fern Tor is an arboretum used by a few faculty members and students as a place of relaxation and hands-on learning. Many professors from different schools within the college have taken their classes out into the preserve featuring assignments from becoming inspired for a creative writing price to researching environmental issues.
The Woodcliff Pleasure Park
From this spot, if you were to look to you left, You would see today the New Gartland building and the northern athletic field. almost 70 years ago, this area would have been home to an amusement park called the Woodcliff pleasure park. The Woodcliff Pleasure Park was an amusement park owned and operated by Fred H. Ponty, a real-estate developer. The pleasure park had many carnivals rides like bumper cars and love boats, but the crowning jewel of it all was the rollercoaster known as the Blue Streak. This roller coaster was one of the most thrilling coasters on the east coast. It was constructed by the same designer, Vernon Keenan, who also built the Cyclone on Coney Island. Many people would make the journey up the Hudson River to come to the pleasure park and have an enjoyable day with their families.In August of 1941, 3,000 African American on a day liner from NYC started to protest their treatment in the par. This protest would lead to extensive damage to the park and a large community backlash against the African Americans. In the end, due to the extensive damages caused by the uprisings, the park closed for repairs and was never reopened due to the public reaction to the rioters. The park may have done this because of WWII and the need to supply the war effort or it may have been because of the projected loss of revenue from people visiting from New York City. The famous Blue Streak was dismantled in 1942 and had its steal donated to the war effort to be used in the construction of the tools of war the United States needed to fight in WWII.
Natural diversity of Fern Tor and Invasive Species
In its function as an arboretum, the school has decided to grow black walnut trees control the knotweed that has infested the park is accurate and if these trees can be used to control the population of this invasive species. Invasive species are a major problem to local ecosystems and it is important to protect them so that we can enjoy them for years to come.
The History of the Fern Tor Pond
There is a human-made pond, dating back to the old demolished manor of the Newbold family, which has become one of the centerpieces of the preserve. This lake is one most peaceful places on the Marist campus, and many students have made their way to this lake to destress and clear their heads. The trees that are growing it the tubes along the banks are the Black walnut trees that are used to repress the knotweed population.
The Fern Tor Overlook
The best part of Fern Tor is a small bluff that overlooks the Hudson River. From this place, anyone can feel as if they are deeply immersed in nature and feel a connection to themselves and the natural world around them. Its natural beauty is unparalleled by another spot on this campus. It is a place for calm and quiet reflection and contemplation.
Talk about the future plans and the Hudson valley Greenway project
I was not the only one who recognized that Fern Tor was being underutilized by the college. Junior Erik Anderson has been working diligently to expand the usability of the nature preserve. He has submitted a proposals to receive the president s grant to fund his ideas. Anderson recognizes that the area has so much potential to improve the lives of not only Marist students and faculty, but also the greater Hudson Valley. He has a few objectives that he laid out that he would like to accomplish to expand the usefulness of the area. The first primary objective would be to expand the trails by creating two more trials in the area. If he were to get funding for this project, one of his stretch goals would be to connect the trail to Quite Cover in the north and attach the Marist campus to the Greenway project which is a set of trails that are connecting Albany to New York City. he said that Fern Tor was the “The biggest untapped resource” on the Marist campus and that could not be more accurate. He would continue by saying that everything that he was doing was “for the students” meaning that the student body could gain so much form having a nature preserve enhances and enriched on its campus. Anderson vision for the future of a historically significant history of our campus is honestly incredible and needed during a time where more people need to understand our connection with nature and how we all benefit from it.
Closing thoughts and Reflections
The history of Fern Tor has so much to offer the large assists community and its history deserves not to be forgotten. If carefully cultivated, it can offer an experience like no other to everyone who would walk through it. by walking through these trails today, you not only are walking through the past, but you are stepping forward into the future. A future where people care about their environment and learn about their past so they can learn and grow from it.
Thank you For Taking the Fern Tor Walking Tour
Thank you For Taking the Fern Tor Walking Tour. I hope that You enjoyed your time and that you learned a little bit about the college, nature or yourself. This is the power of Fern Tor and with carful cultivation and can help individuals long into the future.
The End of the Tour
The end of the tour. Thank you again
