Post Office moves; flood hazard sanctions; oldest house razed
From the Archives: Thursday, April 3, 2025
From the Archives: Thursday, April 3, 2025
‘Millerton Post Office Moved; New Location Said to be Temporary’;
With a crew of carpenters and cleaners working overtime since Saturday converting the erstwhile saloon of the late Charles A. Corey into a semblance of quarters suitable for the temporary installation of the Millerton post office, sufficient progress was reported Tuesday morning to warrant the immediate removal of mail and equipment from the Shufelt building where the post office has been situated for the past twenty years.
While admitting that the new location was in no way suitable for post office occupancy, the post office inspector supervising the work Tuesday morning pointed out that it was merely temporary, and that a new brick building yet to be erected has been leased by the United States government for five years on the condition that it be ready for occupation by June 1, 1934.
As far as could be learned such arbitrary action by any government department is unprecedented in the history of the United States with the possible exception of a time of national emergency which no one has felt adequately describes the present situation, and the legality of the department’s action as well as the ethics of the case constituted the chief topic of discussion throughout the Village over the week-end.
‘About Millerton’; Mrs. Willard S. Vail was able to sit up Monday for a few minutes for the first time since Wednesday when she contracted a severe bronchial cold that for a time threatened to develop into pneumonia. Mrs. Vail is compelled to use a cane in moving about because of the bad sprain she suffered about two weeks ago when she fell part way down a flight of stairs.
William Masten has moved from the Hoysradt house in Railroad Street to the Clement Wiltsie place in Mill Street.
‘Former Millertonian In Match’; Pocket billiard enthusiasts will have an opportunity to witness an interesting contest Saturday night when William Rathbun, former Millertonian, will play an exhibition match with Frank Taberski, of Schenectady, veteran cue artist and former world’s champion, in the Masonic Temple in Poughkeepsie.
‘Flood Hazard Areas Face Federal Economic Sanctions’; State Environmental Conservation Regional Director Warren H. McKeon said this week that Millerton, Millbrook and other Dutchess County communities with flood hazard areas may shortly face Federal economic sanctions under provisions of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973.
These communities are threatened with a loss of Federal aid for a wide variety of projects and activities in areas subject to flooding. Mortgage money for homes and business properties in these areas is also scheduled for termination if the communities do not join the National Flood Insurance Program before July 1 of this year.
‘Day Care Holds Raffle’; The Millerton Day Care Center is sponsoring a raffle, with the drawing for three prizes - a picnic basket, hibachi and an iron — set for Tuesday, April 22.
Tickets costing 25 cents per chance or $1 for a book of five, are being sold by parents of children enrolled in the Day Care Center.
‘Trap Shoot To Benefit Ambulance Fund’; The Millerton Gun Club will sponsor a trap shoot on Sunday, April 13, with all proceeds earmarked for the Millerton Ambulance fund. Grounds will open at noon, and refreshments and food, including barbecued chicken, will be available.
All “hot shots” are welcome, stresses Gun Club member Charlene Ahearn. Persons with questions are invited to contact Mrs. Ahearn at….
‘Grange Week Proclaimed’; Mayor-elect John L. Hermans Tuesday proclaimed the week of April 6-12 as “Grange Week” in Millerton, and urged all citizens to join him in honoring this worthy organization.
‘March Colder, Less Snowy’; Frank Paar, Millerton’s “weatherman,” has announced that March this year was colder and less snowy than the same period last year.
According to Mr. Paar, the temperature this March averaged 31.61 degrees, with only 2 inches of snow recorded, while March 1974 experienced a 33.74-degree average, with 6 inches of snow. The year 1972 saw the wintriest March: 10.5 inches of snow fell and the mercury averaged 31.16 degrees.
‘Sheriff’s Report’; Millerton Burglaries
The Sheriff’s office is currently investigating a burglary at the home of Donald Ezzo on Gun Club Road, Millerton. During the night of March 22 the hinge pins of the front door were removed, allowing entry via the door, and a 22 Winchester rifle, tools and a tent were stolen. The garage also was entered and tools pilfered.
Corporal Bedell and Officer Decker, while investigating this burglary, discovered that the home of another Gun Club Road resident, Arnaldo Gallardo, had been partially ransacked sometime between March 18 and 21. The house had been forcibly entered through the front door. Gallardo was out of town during this period.
‘NE’s Oldest House Coming Down’; NORTH EAST — A house near Spencer’s Corners that dates to the mid-18th century is coming down, a North East landowner confirmed last week.
Christof Hamm, who has recently purchased and built on farmland near the house, said, “The house is in bad condition and not worth saving,” citing the need for extensive asbestos removal from the site.
A “center-hall colonial,” the house is commonly known as the Merwin House and is located on Merwin-Clark Road near Spencer’s Corners.
Merwin House is thought to be the original structure from the 18th century, though there have been additions and changes over the years. The house was built in the mid- to- late-1700’s by Uriah Lawrence, Esq., a native of England, on a road that became an iron-ore trade route running from Salisbury, Conn., to Rhinebeck.
‘Village Budget Rises, 10% Raises Proposed for Mayor, Trustees’; MILLERTON — The Village Board got right down to work on the 2000-2001 budget and swore in new trustees John Scutieri and Beverly Gordon during meetings March 30 and April 3, while Michelle Haab announced her resignation as village attorney.
‘HV Rail Trail Seeks More volunteers’; MILLERTON - The Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association (HVRTA) will hold two meetings in April for trail volunteers.
Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.
AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.
“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.
“Megan’s job is not an easy one,” Blackman said, honoring Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent who has served the town for 20 years.
Also among those honored was Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner for 20 years of service as Court Clerk.
Maureen Moore, Court Clerk, was also honored in absentia for her 20 years of town service.
In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.
AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.
A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.
As with the first historic market installation at the Old Amenia Burying Ground, held in April, Amenia Union Cemetery graves of Revolutionary War veterans had been marked with American flags in advance.
Jim Middlebrook, representing the Columbia Mid-Hudson chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, attended along with other members of his chapter. Speaking before the unveiling, Middlebrook said that the historic marker project had begun in August 2024, and included a detailed process to certify the names on the graves.
Middlebrook described the work of the William C. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse whose mission is to promote “pride of place” by providing grants in support of installing historic markers and plaques nationwide to honor patriots for their service. Active now in seven or eight states, Middlebrook said, the foundation will soon add Connecticut and Massachusetts to the list.
The new Amenia Union marker honors “at least five veterans of the American Revolution interred between 1787 and 1810,” although Town Historian Betsy Strauss lists six veterans buried in the cemetery. The sixth, Gerhard Winegar, whose burial had been in 1781 could not fully satisfy the certification standards.
Strauss provided the following listing of six names:
Col. Colbe Chamberlain, 1739-1796
Capt. William Chamberlain, 1745-1810
Lieut. Samuel Snyder, 1712-1808
Gerhard Winegar, 1750-1781
Ensign Henry Winegar, 1723-1787
Capt. William Young, 1747-1806
Bee Bee the clown, face painters and a community wide scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for the Millerton Street Fair in Downtown Millerton on Saturday, June 28.
MILLERTON — The Millerton News, in partnership with the North East Community Center (NECC) and the Millerton Business Alliance, is hosting its first Street Fair on Saturday in a celebration of the town.
Rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the fair will bring together local nonprofits and businesses, with live music, entertainment, kids’ activities, local eats, and family fun in Veterans Park, in front of the Millerton Inn, and beyond.
“The Millerton Street Fair will celebrate everything we love about this community — its spirit, its dedication to service and its creative energy,” said James Clark, publisher and CEO of The Millerton News.
Local nonprofits will showcase their work and impact, including Climate Smart Millerton, Eddie Collins Memorial Park, North East Historical Society, Townscape, Tri-Corner FEED, Village of Millerton, and the Webutuck Elementary School.Participating businesses include Bes, Little Red Bird Studio, NBT, The Elephant’s Tusk, and many more.Local retail and dining establishments will be open with special promotions. NECC’s Farmer’s Market will run during the event.
Among the planned festivities are live music from John Stey and the Resilience Brass Band, performances from Bee Bee the Clown, face painting by students from Webutuck High School, and a community-wide scavenger hunt for kids.Other kids’ activities include egg and spoon races, and a “touch-a-truck” open house at the firehouse.The Irondale Schoolhouse will be hosting a special exhibit, and the North East-Millerton Library will be offering signups for the Summer Reading Program, a science show from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., lawn games, and a cookie cook-off.
For more information, go to millertonnews.com/street-fair.
The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.
MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.
For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.
The second talk, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m., invites Carl Lounsbury of the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg to speak on the architecture of the Nine Partners Meetinghouse. His talk is titled, “Nine Partners Meetinghouse Plan: A New Form in the Hudson Valley.” Expert in early American architecture, Lounsbury’s talk will compare Nine Partners with other later houses of worship in New York and New England.
Both lecture events will be held at the 1780 brick Nine Partners Quaker Meetinghouse in Millbrook. An earlier meetinghouse on the site had burned. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 18th century.
Given the age of the structure, handicapped access is limited and there are no rest room facilities.
Visitors should enter through the cemetery gate entrance.
The lectures are free and open to all, supported by a grant from the county and offered as part of Dutchess County’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.