Portage

Yea, I fucking Miss New York City.
Got a house, better live in it.
Heres a Toast to My Lady, Brooklyn.

Posted by jmarston at 08:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Maps

Love my mom, amma, & afa; as well as our ancestral farm Úlfsstaðir, on this June 17th: Iceland National Day. The homestead below.

Mom in front of the ancestral church

Posted by jmarston at 09:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Links of Note

Posted by jmarston at 09:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | City of Hudson

we need to turn more land over to the pursuit of sustainable agriculture. a working landscape. support your local farmers.

Posted by jmarston at 09:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Columbia County

of the blogosphere at Portage. I used to link these lovely folks out from Transfer. Peruse with pleasure.

Ecology of Absence

The Necessity for Ruins

Posted by jmarston at 09:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Posted by jmarston at 07:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Marking the Historic

A 1990 Times article on the inevitable decline of the bb era in sullivan county.

And the slideshow to end all slideshows, ones' memories of the mountains. Strange.

Posted by jmarston at 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Greene County

the center for land use interpretation L.A./Troy,NY published the fascinating, Up River: Man-Made sites on the Hudson from the Battery to Troy

Posted by jmarston at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Hudson River

Hudsoncentric.

Posted by jmarston at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | City of Hudson

upstate new york, photo tour from one of our faves back in the city, massengale.

Posted by jmarston at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Links of Note

the pastures, from the roof of the capital, pre-plaza.

the best one article look you can get of the atrocity that is the plaza.

Posted by jmarston at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Albany County

Albany

from the Colonial Albany Project

Posted by jmarston at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Albany County

lifted from Art Deco in Albany, by Walter Richard Wheeler, published by the Historic Albany Foundation.

Posted by jmarston at 09:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Albany County

Almost a decade of working in the City of New York, the transplant has gone thru, I/m living at my 1807 in Hudson, and Albany is where I work. LMFAO. Weird. Anyways! Lots of good old urban shit coming outta Albany and Hudson. We'll be there, bitches. Along with all that new country love

Posted by jmarston at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Albany County

the sound of hudson, yes, visit john doe books & records on warren st.

Posted by jmarston at 04:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | City of Hudson

Anyone familiar with Manhattan real estate knows the Durst family, heck, anyone familiar the NYPost knows the Dursts (thanks Robert). What many folks in the Hudson Valley don't know is that the Durst Organization has been slowly accumulating massive parcels of land in and around Pine Plains. One of their colossal developments is the Carvel Property Development, in collaboration with golf resort developer Landmark. They recently submitted their draft DEIS. The Plan is massive, and disturbing.

The site as it exists includes: 140 acres of wetlands, 990 acres of prime and important farmland soils, 1,200 acres of undisturbed woodland, a 35 acre lake, & 35,000 feet of stream. These numbers from the Dutchess Land Conservancy
. Whats proposed: 951 homes on 1.5 acre lots, 16 miles of new pavement, and a 310 acre golf course. Condos, townhouses, and mcmansions. Here is their Own site plan (pdf); indeed, how vague a clue even this is and it still tells a horrible story. An abberation of land along the TSP and 199, Pine Plains will Never be the same. Imagine Florida off the Taconic, these people are not joking.

Pine Plains United is a coalition dedicated to raising awareness of runaway development in Pine Plains, they are the organizing committee against this monomanical plan.

James Sheldon, of Little Town Views , has some excellent coverage of this.

The Dutchess County Planning Department has recommended against the plan, saying essentially that this plan has no community character, useless open space (& pointless 'trails'), no affordability, and an insulting use of the word green: "In this project's current form, using the adjective "green" is nothing more than putting the proverbial 'spats on a pig'. "

The developers believe the Hudson Valley is the new baby boomer mecca for sunbelt style living. We cannot let the subdividing of our rural resources begin here. IT has to Stop.

Public Comment of Durst Draft DEIS
Fri Feb 29 7pm – Fri Feb 29 8:30pm
Stissing High School
Pine Plains, NY

PLEASE, if your unavailable to comment in person, submit comments in writing, mail them to the:

Town of Pine Plains Planning Board
Pine Plains Town Hall
PO Box 955
Pine Plains
New York, 12567.
-- Comments must be post marked no later than April 2nd, 2008 to be considered part of the official public record.

Posted by jmarston at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Dutchess County

images scanned from Man-Made America: Chaos or Control? Yale 1963.

the tsp was begun in 1924, built in 4 major sections, coming to completion in 1965 at just over 105 miles. excellent history of the taconic state parkway from nycroads.com... "Roosevelt selected a route that would take motorists through a high, narrow ridge bounded by the Hudson River and the Catskills Mountains to the west, and by the Berkshire Mountains to the east. Unlike Moses, whose parkways encouraged the motorist to remain focused on the right-of-way, Roosevelt incorporated the sweeping landscape of rugged mountains and family farms into the design of the northern Taconic. This pastoral landscape supported his view of the history of the Hudson Valley."

Posted by jmarston at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Columbia County

David Deutsch & Teddy Cruz, HUDSON NEW YORK WE'RE SO EXCITED!! Read the New York Times write up.

Posted by jmarston at 12:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | City of Hudson

One of the most famous pieces of industrial architecture on the Hudson River - Glenwood Power Station - is at great risk of demolition, and much to the bewilderment of any student of planning, the mayor is slobbering his approval all over the idea. In a below the crease back page article, the Times quotes, "We need jobs and economic activity, and if preservation efforts become a roadblock, this mayor is not going to support them.” Yea, tear down one of the most attractive and meaningful draws to rusty ole Yonkers, and put up some vapid slab of speculative garbage & reap those bribes, Mayor Amicone, thats vision! Wow, have we not learned anything in the last 40 years. Keep your eyes on the Amazing & Admirable Hudson Valley Ruins. In addition to the Glenwood Power Station, the Yonkers Masonic Lodge is at even greater risk, mentioned in the Times article and on HVR.org.

Posted by jmarston at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Hudson River

Posted by jmarston at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Marking the Historic

some photographs I took of the astounding domestic architecture of savannah ga. couth & understated, savannah is the humbler colonial city of the confederacy.

... next is the other, larger slaver's paradise, charleston.

Posted by jmarston at 01:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Links of Note

Phebe Folger

Posted by jmarston at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | City of Hudson

Posted by jmarston at 12:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Marking the Historic

Red Hook Concerns has been providing some excellent coverage of the post election wooha in Red Hook. Seems the republican old guard, who lost their majority in Dutchess County for the first time in 20 years, wasn't too happy about losing their majority on the Red Hook board. So the Supervisor elect (Sue Crane) stepped down, then appointed a replacement before the newly elected members (Democrats) took their seats. Slick eh? Say nothing of the legality of such moves, why this wasn't in the bylaws is beyond most. The public comment at the first meeting, after the strategically muted announcement, was civil - beyond Sue's smarmy & inexplicably vague responses to concerns. This is Democracy baby! No need to give away the juicy goodness that is the most recent meeting, now that this move has been given some traction (and a petition)... see the video at RHconcerns.

Why is any of this important? Land Use! Zoning is becoming a tremendously important issue as development pressures push northward. Stay tuned for more about the Dursts in Dutchess.

Heres the Poughkeepsie Journal coverage, and the Daily Freeman coverage.

Posted by jmarston at 12:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Dutchess County

some more old country

Posted by jmarston at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Old Country

Posted by jmarston at 01:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Marking the Historic

In an amazing (and all too rare) alignment of preservationists & housing advocates today's city council meeting was momentarily shut down in New Orleans. They were slated to approve the demolition (which they eventually did) of perfectly suitable, with minimal investment, historically & architecturally important public housing. The latest move in a continued ethnic cleansing of New Orleans in a ghastly post Katrina state of war against NO. Two weeks prior the City Council voted to evict the homeless, many of whom are working homeless, from a park across from City Hall. This also comes at a time when FEMA has just given notice to most of its trailer parks within New Orleans proper, that residents need to relocate on the first of the year. Merry Fucking Christmas New Orleans. Affordable housing, much less habitable housing, is an Extreme shortage, beyond even the most paranoid calculations. So it is with no surprise that todays meeting ended in hostilities, and it shouldn't be a shock that continuing dissolution in New Orleans demands resistance, calling on Preservationists, Architectural Historians, and Land Use Planners to align themselves not with Bullshit new urbanist drafts, but with those who have made that City one of America's most unique urban cultures. No Justice, No Peace. Related articles on the situation linked below.

NYT article on razing, with audio slideshow. AP coverage of today's events, as well as JusticeforNewOrleans.org, facts and myths on the demolitions. NYTimes video.

Posted by jmarston at 05:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Links of Note

Many familiar with the planning & architecture online community know the infallible documentarian of the rowhouse form, herodotus. I thought it appropriate to share his photo gallery here, this is only a smattering of his exhaustive snapshot study of the American rowhouse, from the which the below photo is taken. Enjoy! click here.

Posted by jmarston at 04:54 PM | Permalink | Links of Note

Posted by jmarston at 12:52 AM | Permalink | Marking the Historic

continuing, marking the historic

Posted by jmarston at 12:49 AM | Permalink | Marking the Historic

Posted by jmarston at 12:28 AM | Permalink | Columbia County

Posted by jmarston at 12:24 AM | Permalink | Columbia County

Posted by jmarston at 12:16 AM | Permalink | City of Hudson

Posted by jmarston at 12:10 AM | Permalink | City of Hudson

Posted by jmarston at 12:04 AM | Permalink | City of Hudson

Looking North, Pre-HUD demolition. Below appears an excerpt from Captain Franklin Ellis, written in 1878.

"This is a public ground, much frequented for the purpose which its name indicates, by the people of Hudson, who have always held it in high and deserved estimation as a place of popular resort.

It is a grassed and graded spot of about one and a half acres, upon the summit of the high promontory which rises from the river-bank, opposite the foot of Warren street, and is the western end of the ridge on which the city is built.

It has been in use as a public walk or promenade nearly or quite as long as Hudson has been a city. On the 9th of March, 1795, the proprietors resolved by vote "that the certain piece of land known by the name of the Parade or Mall, in front of Main street, and on the bank fronting the river, be granted to the common council forever, as a public walk or Mall, and for no other purpose whatever;" by which it is made sure that it had been in use as a promenade ground for a considerable time before 1795, long enough to have acquired the name mentioned in the resolution above quoted.

After the hill was donated to the city (but we have been unable to ascertain how long after that time) there was built upon it a house of octagonal shape, two stories high, the upper one being used as a lookout or observatory, and the lower one as a refreshment-room, which latter was never a desirable addition to the "attractions" of the place. Upon the erection of this structure the "Mall" received the name of "Round-House Hill," and continued to be so known until about 1835, when the ground was improved by the erection of a fence, the laying out and grading of walks, and the removal of the "round-house;" after which the name, being inappropriate as well as inelegant, was dropped, and, after some discussion and the suggestion of several high-sounding names (among which was "Paradise Hill"), that of "Parade Hill" was adopted, and continued in use for many years, but has now been generally discarded for the more appropriate one by which the hill is known at the present time.

During the past summer (1878) the ground has been improved and placed in the best condition. The walks have been re-graded and graveled, the grass-plats newly sodded, and a large number of comfortable seats placed in the proper positions. Along the entire river-front and southern end there has been completed a solid wall, commencing low enough to secure a firm foundation, and rising to a level with the grade, above which it is surmounted by a strong and handsome iron fence. When we approach the city by the river from the south, this fence is not at first seen, but the hill, standing boldly out to the river, with its towering flag-staff, and its steep escarpment crowned by the rampart-like wall, looks much like a fortification, and forms one of the most salient features in the city's outline."

Posted by jmarston at 05:56 PM | Permalink | City of Hudson

Asher Durand.

Posted by jmarston at 05:45 PM | Permalink | Dutchess County

Asher Durand.

Posted by jmarston at 05:34 PM | Permalink | Greene County

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"The Hudson valley loved the Mary Powell. People who are more than thirty years old still love her, for her sum white image moves, swift and quiet, on waters called back to mind from long oblivion. "She was a lovely boat," they say. "Her bell had a silver tongue. Her whistle was a golden sound..." "Serenely she skimmed past the swiftest, not stirring a ripple on a cup of coffee in her dining room. She had clean lines--three hundred feet of them in one long symmetry. The rococo dreams of the poets of the jigsaw were not for her. The other boats with their drippings of cheap ornament were fancy girls beside the river queen."

"Mary Powell was built for Captain Absalom Anderson of Kingston in 1860 and named for Mary Powell, of a family identified with Hudson River sailing sloops and steamboats for 100 years. A portrait bust of Mary Powell adorned the pilot house. Michael S. Allison of Jersey City was the builder and the design Captain Anderson's own, 260 feet length, 34.6 feet beam and 10.3 feet depth of hold."

-excerpts from From "The Hudson," by Carl Carmer, 1939 & "Steamboat Days," by Fred Erving Dayton, 1925.

Posted by jmarston at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Hudson River

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Posted by jmarston at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Ad Snoop

I'm researching 6 over 6 for my windows, there are 9 over 6, 12 over 9, basically a whole slew of combinations divisible by 3 or 4, but these Wow. Found over at the Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, NY.

Posted by jmarston at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Columbia County

Posted by jmarston at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Maps

Another hopeful article on the power of broadband to revitalize the countryside, without bulldozing its bucolic splendor as a path towards revitalization Financial Times.

Posted by jmarston at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Links of Note

"A tornado hit Brooklyn, there's floods in Queens, and now all of a sudden there's sharks in Rockaway. It's very odd," said beachgoer Dot Di Lorenzo.

Posted by jmarston at 04:41 AM | Permalink | Links of Note

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