Where in the Hudson Valley…?
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In last month’s issue, we asked readers to identify the whereabouts of an 18th-century blast furnace. Located in Taconic State Park in Copake Falls, the stone structure reaches 32 feet in height, and is almost as wide. In 1872, a man named Frederick Miles built the (at the time) state-of-the-art furnace, which allowed heated air to “blast” through small openings at the furnace’s base; this caused the charcoal to expand, resulting in more fuel for less money. Miles’s ironworks enjoyed much success, and he was able to build housing for his workers in the surrounding area. By 1903, however, the site was abandoned (though some of the village’s remains are still visible in the park). Last year, the Friends of Taconic State Park raised the funds necessary to erect a roof over the furnace, protecting it from adverse weather conditions. Congratulations to Don Teator of Freehold, who nabbed our prize. This month, click here to see if you can identify the location of another restoration — this one with a Revolutionary past.
As soon as I saw the picture I knew where it was. I grew up in Copake Falls on Miles Road — named after Mr. Miles — and would visit the furnace many times in my childhood. At that time it was not really a good place to visit: The area was used by the state park for storing maintenance equipment. It’s great to see that the furnace is being preserved.
Gary Williams
Stamford
We love the park, the people, and the good work they do in maintaining and improving this beautiful place.
Mary Thompson
Vestal
Real Estate Record
Regarding the “Eight Hot Hometowns” (April): I work for Dutchess Country Realty in Millerton. Many real estate sales that take place there are through the Columbia Greene Northern Dutchess Multiple Listing Service, not the Mid-Hudson Multiple Listing Service. There were not just five sales recorded in Millerton/Northeast for 2012. There were an additional 11 real estate sales transactions that occurred in 2012, and four of those were through Dutchess Country Realty.
Theresa Westlake
Millerton
Correction
In our April “Spring It On!” article, the stone vase we featured was described incorrectly. Designed by Michael Jamieson of Jamieson Stoneworks, the vase is constructed of several stone sections, and therefore cannot hold water as implied in our description. Visit www.jamiesonstoneworks.com for more information on the piece
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