Iron industry kilns slated as gift to Amenia
Restored kilns in the Deep Hollow area of Wassaic, iron industry relics, would be donated to Amenia as a gift.
Leila Hawken
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Customers fill the parking lot at home decor store Hammertown Barn on Friday, April 3, after founder Joan Osofsky announced the store would be closing permanently. The designer furniture outlet operated the flagship store in Pine Plains for more than 40 years and stores in Rhinebeck, New York, and Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
Photo by Nathan Miller
The store is best known for offering a mix of contemporary and rustic-style furniture rooted in the region’s rural traditions.
"What began as a small store in Pine Plains grew into something far beyond what I even imagined — not just three stores, but a true community," Osofsky wrote.
Shoppers cars spill out onto Route 199 on Friday, April 3, as their owners crowd into home decor store Hammertown Barn for the first day of a 40% off closing sale. Founder Joan Osofsky announced on Thursday, April 2, the business would be shutting its doors permanently.Photo by Nathan MillerOsofsky described the decision as bittersweet and said she will be at the stores in their final days to celebrate and sell the remaining merchandise. The stores will remain open until inventory is sold.
Osofsky told customers that all items will be sold at a 40% discount. Consignment and already reduced-price items are not included in the closing sale.
"This closing is bittersweet, but the friendships, memories, and connections we shared will endure," Osofsky said.
Customers at the store on Friday, April 3, echoed that sentiment. Jennifer Enloe said she had been visiting the store since the '90s, sometimes just to browse and enjoy the homey feeling inside the shop without any intention of buying anything.
"I would just go there just to walk around and feel at home," Enloe said. "It makes me kind of sad, but I understand it's time for Joan to move on. It surprises me how I feel about it."
A protester holds a sign at Fountain Square in Amenia on March 28, where more than 200 people gathered as part of the nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations.
Photo by Aly Morrissey
Kim Travis of Amenia — who organized the rally at Fountain Square — said the demonstration reflected a dramatic shift from her early days protesting alone, when she faced threats while standing by herself.
“This started with just me, alone in June — day after day, getting threats,” Travis said. “To see it grow into more than 200 people today for this ‘No Kings’ rally in our little-bitty town of Amenia is incredible.”
She said the turnout reflected broader support across rural communities. There were several rallies in towns across Dutchess County and in neighboring Connecticut.
Travis described the mood of the Amenia crowd as both emotional and energizing.
“Our hearts are filled with joy — it’s just incredible that so many people turned out today,” she said.
She added that the message of the protest was rooted in democratic values.
“We want our country back, and we want democracy,” Travis said. “We the people serve no kings. That’s what the Constitution is all about.”
Protesters display an upside down American flag in Amenia on March 28, where more than 200 people gathered as part of the nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations.Photo by Aly Morrissey
Ellie Myers, a senior boarding student at Millbrook School who lives in Brooklyn, attended the Fountain Square protests and said she has been protesting since Donald Trump was first elected in 2016.
“Showing up is really important to me, and I’m grateful to be in a community where I can support others,” Myers said. “Right now, ICE is the biggest issue. I have friends and family who have been affected — hardworking immigrants who came here for freedom and haven’t found it. That’s heartbreaking. It goes against what ‘we the people’ is supposed to mean, and it’s painful to see, both in the news and in real life.”
Myers added that she witnessed ICE in the airports during recent travel back to school and it was “heartbreaking.”
Dutchess County Legislator Eric Alexander, who represents Amenia and surrounding communities, also attended the rally, noting it followed a unanimous county resolution opposing a proposed ICE facility in the Hudson Valley.
“That wasn’t just Democrats,” Alexander said. “That was the entire legislature unanimously saying no to ICE, and a lot of that came from the voice of the people — the people we represent.”
Alexander said the size of the rally stood out, noting its growth from a single protester to a dozen regular participants and ultimately more than 200 attendees.
“I see a great sense of community, and I see a great sense of optimism,” he said. “But I also see high frustration. People are very concerned, and I think that concern is only growing as we see more and more of what’s going on in our country.”
He said the country is in a war that hasn’t sufficiently been explained to the American people, dysfunction is rampant at airports, and prices of everything from gas to groceries are soaring.
“And we don’t see an end in sight — we don’t see a plan,” he said. “These are people standing out here today saying we, as citizens, deserve to have our voices heard and to try to get some things to change.”
Protesters at Fountain Square in Amenia on March 28.Photo by Aly Morrissey
Several other local protests took place in Dutchess County, including in Rhinebeck, Poughkeepsie and Beacon.
Meanwhile, similar demonstrations took place across the border in Connecticut.
In Salisbury, several hundred people gathered along Route 44, where organizers set up signs and encouraged participants to share messages. In Cornwall, organizers estimated more than 300 attendees at the intersection of Route 7 and Route 4. Meanwhile, in Kent, both sides of Main Street were lined with protesters, with turnout estimated at more than 250.
As the rallies wound down, organizers such as Travis said the protests would not stop.
“A lot of the surrounding small towns showed up, too, because we want to show the rest of the country that small towns can be strong, loud and resist just as much as anyone,” she said. “And we intend to, and we’re not stopping.”
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