Willmar tribune., 1900-12-26
HISTORIC SPOTS PROTECTED.
Achievements During the Past Year
OF y Patriotic New York
Society.

The Society for the Preservation Of
Scenic and Historic Places and OBJ
1ects refers in its report to the New
York legislature for 1900 to the efforts
for the preservation of the Palisades.
This noble work of creation (the
Palisades), famous throughout the
world, has Of late years been the OBJ
ject of commercial vandalism so ex-
tensive as to threaten it's serious inn
pairment if permitted to continue"
the report says. ''The offenders have
been the quarrymen, who have found
these cliffs a profitable source from
which to obtain material for paving
and crushed stone for roadmaking."
The report recites the appointment
of the state commissions in New York
and New Jersey to prepare the way
for the establishment of an Inter-
state Palisades park, and the work
OF the commissions. with its promise
OF ultimate success when a park shall
extend from the beginning of the Pal
isdes at Fort Lee to their termina-
tion 1917. miles up the Hudson river
at Piermont, N. Y. The legislative
bills in the two states, resulting from
the commissions work. the report
says, "taken together form the first
definite and effective steps thus far
jointly taken by the adjoining states
for the conservation of one of the
most beautiful and impressive scenic
features of the Hudson" reports the
New York Sun.
The society in its capacity of pub
iic trustee is now in custody of the
state reservation of the battlefield of
Stony Point, and it has in hand i'm
portant plans for the rehabilitation
of the battlefield. The society hopes
to have committed to it's care SINH
larly the battlefield of Lake George.
The Stony Point reservation is now
placarded with signs of warning to
trespassers, the work of the society,
which employs watchman to protect
the states property there.
The proposed reservation of Wat
kins Glen, the report says, can be
made to yield an income of 2% per
cent. on the purchase price within
two years, and the society is per-
suaded that within five years the in.
come could be raised to five per cent.
from hotel and other privileges.
The society is anxious that steps be
taken, and has already done what it
could to that end, for the preserva-
ton of the Philipse manor hall at
Yonkers. The report says: "It is
built of brick imported from Holland
and is at the same time one of the
states most ancient buildings and
one of it's best preserved specimens OF
Dutch colonial architecture. It stands
almost alone in representing in this
country the feudal system, which
dominated all Europe in the middle
ages and which had temporary
tenure in the new world after the set
tlement of this colony. In the early
history of New York state there were
but three great manors having the
peculiar feudal rights which centered
in the lord of the manor the legis-
lative, executive and judicial author
ity and converted the occupants of the
land into his servants. These were
the Philipse, Van Cortlandt and Van
Rensselaer, manors."
The society has lent it's influence
in New York city for the preserva-
tion of Fraunce's tavern, the Poe cot
tage and the Jumel mansion particu-
larly, and has sought to prevent fur
ther loss Of street names of historical
interest in this city through the re-
curing efforts of the thoughtless to
rename old thoroughfares here, as in
the substitution of Park row for
Chatham street. It has also sought to
overcome the sentiment of similar
character which every little while
makes itself felt in villages and seeks
to have their historic names changed.
Among other matters to which the So
ciety has given its attention are the
diversion of water from Niagara falls
for commercial or drainage purposes
and the methods of landscape garden
ing in Central park, of this city.