Dutchess County Historical Society

A rich collection of the fascinating history of Dutchess County — you don’t have to be a history buff, but curiosity helps. Enjoy!

Dutchess County Medical Reserve Corps

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) of Dutchess County is part of a national network of volunteers dedicated to supporting public health infrastructure and disaster preparedness and response in their local communities. Locally, the MRC is more than 400 members strong, and comprised of both healthcare and non-healthcare professionals.

Medical Reserve Corps

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. The MRC network comprises approximately 180,000 volunteers in roughly 860 community-based units located throughout the United States and its territories. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds.

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks. Official website of the Department of Homeland Security

American Farmland Trust

No Farms No Food No Future

Without farmland and ranchland, we can’t win the global fight against climate change. Our food, our water, our environment, our survival—it all depends on American agricultural land.

A New Leaf Used Books

An independent bookstore with more than ten thousand used books in seven rooms of a renovated 19th century building in the center of the village of Pine Plains, New York. Co-owners James Polk and Ginger Dowd have run the business since 1999. We carry volumes of fiction, fantasy, puppets & marionettes, gardening, cookbooks, history, biography, art, photography, science, nature, women’s studies, criticism, black studies, automotive, maritime, aviation, Americana and general nonfiction. Some of our books are available on the Internet from Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes & Noble, ABE Books, among others.

Pine Plains Central School District

About the District

The Pine Plains Central School District covers 140 square miles and includes the towns of Pine Plains, Stanford, and parts of the towns of Ancram, Clermont, Clinton, Gallatin, Livingston, Milan, and Northeast. The majority of the residents reside in the Towns of Pine Plains and Stanford.

Honors Courses are available in English, Global Studies, and American History
Advanced Placement Courses offered in Calculus, Chemistry, European History, and Biology
Character Education Program
FFA Fall Agricultural Festival-highlights the unique agriculture program in the District and the area’s agricultural heritage.
Annual School Musical-major community event involving drama students, volunteers and professionals

The STEM program at Stissing Mountain High School.

Denise Jordan Finley

For my thirteenth birthday, my grandmother took me to the local music shop to buy my first guitar. I will never forget. It was a Suzuki– The very same company that made the motorcycles. the body was made of cheap wood and the fretboard was soft and rough, but I was in heaven, and I learned to play chords immediately upon taking it out of the case that day! I call myself a singer-songwriter with a strong acoustic sound which bends as much toward Americana folk style as it does to light jazz. When you listen to my songs you may find that one can be very different from the next. I pride myself in this. The thread that runs through them is the sounds of the combination of my voice and guitar as one instrument. Note: Denise is from a local farming family!

Joseph Szilaski Custom Knives and Tomahawks

Most of my knives and tomahawks are one-of-a-kind designs some with carvings in ivory, pearl and Damascus steel. All my knives and hawks are functional working pieces, most are differentially heat treated and triple quenched. They will perform extremely well for their intended tasks.

Factory Lane Auto Repair

Offering Automotive Repair for both Foreign and Domestic vehicles. With a skilled work force to help get you back up and running in top shape!

Disclosure: Actually, this is a test to see how a link from Facebook would work out for a business that does not need a website. Okay, Dominic and Peter are friends.

Bank of Millbrook

Committed to providing you the best bank we can for the 21st Century.

We understand that, and it’s why we’ve worked hard since 1891 to make the Bank of Millbrook a sound, stable institution you can trust, one that Bauer Financial, Inc. has awarded their Superior Five Star rating.

Anthony Silvia Signs

Anthony Silvia Signs serves Dutchess County, NY as well as Northern Litchfield County, Connecticut. We have been in Pine Plains since 2014, in the heart of Dutchess County. We provide everything from magnetic bumper stickers to large custom-carved signs with guilded letters. We also do sign restoration for existing signs. From work trucks to police and fire vehicles, automotive graphics and lettering are no problem. Logo design is another service offered for new businesses. Our 2,000 square foot sign shop can accommodate any size project, in any weather, so that we can deliver results quickly. Big or small. Indoors or outdoors – should you find yourself in need of signage, stop in and say hello.

Ancram Opera House

Ancram Opera House presents a mix of contemporary theatre, alternative cabaret, and community programs. Located in the Hudson River Valley in a former grange hall converted into an intimate and flexible space, AOH offers a unique opportunity to directly engage, up close, with visionary theatre artists at the top of their field yet rarely seen in our region.

Inspired by the aspirations of the grange movement, the Ancram Opera House creates meaningful encounters through the performing arts that forge connection and community. We believe performances—experienced in our small, intimate space—offer the possibility for real exchange, instill a sense of place and contribute to healthier and happier lives. Our hall fosters an audience’s immersion with a performance to make it complete and the potential for personal growth that the arts provide. We also look to Ancram’s pastoral character to nurture fervent artistic creation.

Pine Plains Tractor

Welcome to Pine Plains Tractor & Equip., Inc.

Our hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM on Saturdays READY FOR THE WEATHER!

Town Hall of Pine Plains, NY

Pine Plains is a walkable, Climate Smart Community situated in the northeast quadrant of Dutchess County, 94 miles north of New York City. Town Hall is located at 3284 Route 199 and is open 5 days a week, 7:30a.m. to 3:30a.m. 518-398-8600 The Town Clerk’s office is open 5 days a week, 10-1:15p.m. and the 2nd and 4th Saturdays 10a.m.-12p.m. 518-398-7155 Town Clerk: Judy Harpp

Pine Plains Free Library

Our Mission

The mission of the Pine Plains Free Library is to provide resources, programs, and services that facilitate life-long learning, community engagement, and public awareness of local information.

Our Vision

The Pine Plains Free Library will be a facilitator of learning, the recognized source of community information, the place to gather and discuss, and a promoter of reading for all ages.

Our History

Click here to read the history of the Pine Plains Free Library.

The Inn at Pine Plains

Conveniently located at the crossroads of Routes 82 and 199, Pine Plains is the perfect base for exploring the Hudson Valley, the Litchfield Hills, the. Berkshires and beyond.

Our eight beautiful rooms each have their own unique character.

All rooms have en suite baths, AC, cable TV, and free wifi.

Pine Plains Platter

More than just another breakfast and lunch spot, the Pine Plains Platter feeds hearts and souls. With a large selection of inventive sandwiches, salads, soups and daily specials, including vegan and gluten free options, you can always find the meal that will hit the spot. Breakfast is served all day and includes all things egg, meat and cheese, as well as ridiculously fabulous muffins, scones, donuts and more, baked on site.

The locally sourced and seasonal breakfast and lunch specials result from the close working relationships with many of the farmers and food producers in the area. Local and community defines the essence of the Pine Plains Platter.

Ronnybrook Farm Dairy

Thirty years ago, brothers Ron and Rick Osofsky went back to the future. They began bottling unhomogenized milk in glass on their dairy farm. Local and natural milk just 90 miles north of NYC. Glass milk bottles had become a relic from another age (like the rotary phone, the typewriter or unhomogenized milk). Their Creamline™ milk was an immediate hit at Farmers Markets around NYC. Today the Osofsky brothers and their extended families are all part of the farm. Over the past 25 years, the name Ronnybrook has become synonymous with high quality super-premium dairy products, expanding its product line to include its highly acclaimed chocolate milk, Creamline™ yogurt, drinkable yogurt, European Style Butter (84%-86% butterfat), crème fraiche, sour cream, egg nog, buttermilk and ice cream. According to the New York Times, Ronnybrook’s products are the “Dom Perignon of Dairy!”

The Stissing Cener

(Formerly Memorial Hall)

Plans for Pine Plains Memorial Hall’s restoration are underway. We are in the second year of a five-year planning, capital fundraising, and construction project that will support the economic and cultural rebirth of the Memorial Hall in this wonderful agrarian town, nestled between the Catskills and the Berkshires at the foot of Stissing Mountain in Dutchess County. The Restoration will maintain the original rural character of the building and its elegant open auditorium space, while adding equipment and modernization to support arts programs, film, and music performances.

The Stissing Center is unveiled to the Pine Plains Community for the first time.

Fat Apple Farm

Fat Apple Farm

Fat Apple is a sustainable, ethical livestock farm in the Hudson Valley of New York. We believe that farming practices that treat our animals with dignity and holistically restore our beautiful land also lead to delicious and healthy products for our customers. Specifically, we raise:

pastured pork
pastured poultry (chickens and turkey)
pastured eggs (chicken and duck)
grass-fed beef
grass-fed lamb

Additionally, we love to host people on our land, to give folks a place to unwind and engage our lovely 400+ acres, to learn about our farming practices, to eat food in the very place it was raised, and to connect with others. We’ll be hosting several dinners on the farm in 2019, we hope you’’ come out! Until then, you can book a camping stay at our Tentrr site.

Stissing House

STISSING HOUSE

HISTORY

In 1782, at the end of the Revolutionary War, Captain Cornelius Elmendorphh helped establish a new settlement by building his log home, a tavern, in the region of Pine Plains. Only fifteen miles east of General Washington’s fort, this settlement was the connecting link between the Hudson River and Connecticut. The story of the Stissing House, the dreams of its proprietors, and its subsequent ups and downs, mirrors the consequences of the ambitious pioneers. This elegant building boasts not only its grand history of society balls, town meetings, and political conventions, but also of its notorious past of shameful excesses. The Stissing House was built in the 1700’s and includes historic and unique architectural features. Of special interest is one of only a handful of early 19th century domed ballrooms in the country, and extremely rare form of original Dutch colonial framing and some of the finest known examples of 18th century hand hewn timbers. It has served as an inn, tavern, restaurantand bawdyhouse for generations of New Yorkers passing through what was once the primary crossroads of early New York State. Washington and Roosevelt used the Stissing House to further their political careers; the Marquis de Lafayette also spent his nights here, along with countless cattle herders, horse breeders, wayfarers and others, who stopped at the Stissing House for food, drink and entertainment. After the restoration efforts by its owners and the help of the community, the Stissing House has regained its spirited past. Pine Plains continues to preserve its history through the preservation of its buildings and sites of historical importance. Add to this the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside and a true respect for the environment by its residents. Pine Plains remains a very special place.

Pine Plains Business Association

PINE PLAINS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Come Home to Pine Plains…

A walk-able village, one can shop easily for fine wines and local cheeses, old fashioned and necessary sundries, books and antiques, or take a yoga class and have a haircut. There are three family-to- fine restaurants, including a lively beer garden, an authentic southern Italian trattoria, and the beautifully preserved 1782 tavern, Stissing House, which has a farm-to- table menu. Pine Plains has a post office, library, pharmacy, bank, grocery store, book shop, tennis, yoga, fitness center, liquor store, dentist, doctor, veterinarians, electricians, plumbers, mechanics and a vintage car shop.

Matt Finley, Kingsmill Music

Matt Finley is a native of Bolton (on Lake George), New York. He graduated from Union College, where he led a combined Union/SUNY Albany/RPI Jazz Workshop to the finals of the American College Jazz Festival. Matt earned his master’s degree from the College of Saint Rose and is permanently certified to teach music in New York State. He performed for many years with Grammy-winning baritone saxophonist Nick Brignola and was a featured trumpet soloist and arranger with the Albany Jazz Workshop, composed of top professionals in New York’s Capital District.
As associate dean and acting dean of academic affairs at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, New York, Matt received the 1998 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service, the highest award bestowed by the State University of New York. He also holds the college record for teaching courses in the largest number of academic departments and occasionally teaches as an adjunct lecturer.

Little Nine Partners Historical Society

LITTLE NINE PARTNERS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Over the years, LNPHS has worked closely with residents and landowners to preserve and protect the historical fabric of the patent area which encompasses the communities of Pine Plains, Milan, and Northeast. Today the focal point of LNPHS is the preservation and restoration of the Revolutionary Graham-Brush House in Pine Plains. To support this effort and other preservation initiatives, the Society hosts fundraising and awareness events, sells reproductions of historical photographs and documents, encourages the participation of talented volunteers such as carpenters, painters, designers, and writers, and accepts donations. If you would like to get involved, please contact President Dyan Wapnick, or one of the other LNPHS Board Members.

Lia's Mountain View

LIA’S MOUNTAINVIEW RESTAURANT

Our story begins in a small town, Monreale, Sicily. A town that is a little bigger than Pine Plains, but home to the Mirto family for generations, and where we still have a home to this day.

In 1965 Lia, her father Giuseppe, mother Nina, and her siblings: Nick, Maria and Vincenza. all set sail on the Christopher Columbus and joined other family members in the Bronx. Giuseppe loved to eat, loved to make life a party. His motto was “A Tavola!” “Let’s Eat!” In 1976 the family moved to Yorktown Heights and started a small restaurant and bakery – the Brick Oven Bakery – which quickly became a success. Both Giuseppe and Nina cooked, sharing recipes and ideas. Their style of food was Southern Italian, influenced by the Mediterranean, infused with the spices of the Middle East, savory and sweet, and fresh, always fresh, ingredients.

Jacuterie

JACUTERIE is an artisanal charcuterie company in the Hudson Valley of New York. We operate out of our own USDA inspected facility, where we specialize in European style dry cured salami, whole muscle charcuterie, and small batches of fresh sausages. While we take our inspiration for flavors from across the globe, all our products are made locally in the Hudson Valley, sourcing our meats and other ingredients from as many local sources as possible. We also make several flavors of smoked bacon and larger quantities of fresh sausages at neighboring USDA facilities in the area.

Founded in 2012 by Jack Peele at Herondale Farm, JACUTERIE continues to grow and add new styles of charcuterie every year. You can find our products at several farmers markets in the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires, as well as stores and restaurants throughout New York state, and New England. We ship our charcuterie Nationwide.

Dutchess County Tourism

Dutchess County Tourism was founded in 1984 under the umbrella of the Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation. It became incorporated as Dutchess Tourism, Inc. in 2014 and is a 501c6 non-profit organization. The officially designated destination marketing organization for Dutchess County, it brings tourism dollars to area businesses by marketing and promoting the assets of Dutchess County to the nation and the world.

Mission Statement: Drive visitation to Dutchess County to generate the maximum impact through hotel stays and visitor spending.

Vision Statement: To make Dutchess County the premier destination choice of travel in the Hudson Valley, New York State, and the Northeast, with increased emphasis on overnight stays.

Herondale Farm

100% Grass Fed/Grass Finished Beef & Lamb, Pasture Raised Chicken & Pork.

We pursue sustainable farming practices through holistic management. By managing land resources in partnership with grazing animals, we strive to increase land productivity, optimize water resources, preserve food sources, create sustainable livelihoods and remove carbon dioxide from our atmosphere—oh and did we say—have some fun!!

We raise healthy and happy animals. We use no hormones or antibiotics. Our chickens and pigs are a seasonal business—from spring through late fall—to ensure that they have grass as a big part of their diet. As soon as the chickens have feathers they are living outside in the paddocks surrounding the barns, gleaning a great deal of nutrition from the pasture. The pigs are always outside rooting up marginal fields or woodlots. And the cows and lambs graze the fields as long as the grass is standing, after which they enjoy the alfalfa baleage and hay that we put up for supplemental winter-feed.

Harney Tea

34 YEARS AGO IN SALISBURY, CONNECTICUT, PROPRIETOR OF THE HISTORIC WHITE HART INN, JOHN HARNEY, DEVELOPED A PASSION FOR FINE TEAS.

John was introduced to the world of tea by Stanley Mason, who turned to creating his craft tea blends after years in the corporate world of tea in London & New York. Over time, Mason taught John both the art and business of the craft. Starting production out of his basement in 1983, John began his journey in mastering the art of tea blending. Serving his distinctive blends with inn guests, he soon found they were coming back for more. Never did John Harney imagine that his small home-run business in Salisbury, Connecticut would turn into a global operation, now headquartered in Millerton, New York filling 90,000 square feet of warehouse space and a new bottling plant in Hudson, New York, and employing over 200 people. The company, which sources, blends, and packages their product from start to finish, has grown from their original six teas, to more than three hundred. John brought in his two sons: Mike & Paul. Their story truly captures the essence of American Business Ingenuity.

Hammertown

It all started 35 years ago as a little shop, in an old horse barn, in a little town called Pine Plains. Owner, Joan Osofsky, called it Hammertown Barn. It was her vision to bring a “modern country” sensibility to this corner of the Hudson Valley. And, she succeeded. Now, with the addition of two more Hammertown stores (in Rhinebeck, NY and Great Barrington, MA), she continues to inspire her customers to love where they live by carefully selecting and curating every item in our stores. Whether it’s a pair of earrings, a lamp, a piece of furniture, a book or a child’s toy, it is selected with standards of design, purpose, style and most importantly – comfort. Here is a film portrait from Pine Plains Views:

Full Circus Farm

Full Circus Farm is a horse-powered and certified organic farm growing vegetables, fruit trees and fun in Pine Plains, NY. We are now selling grass-fed beef and veal! Our cows are raised with a lot of love and a lot of sunshine. Get in touch if you are interested: fullcircusfarm@gmail.com

Friends of the Pine Plains Library

Founded in 2005, The FRIENDS of the Pine Plains Free Library is a 501C3 non-profit organization whose mission is to give on-going support to the library and provide outreach and enrichment programs to the community. Membership in the FRIENDS is an opportunity for community members to contribute to the support of the library. FRIENDS meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of the Month at 1 p.m. in the library.

City-Data, Pine Plains, NY

City-Data.com has every piece of statical information, no matter how trivial or generalized you could possibly want not only about Pine Plains but any town in the USA. Fun to check out, and I think you could even win some bar drinks with it!

Chaseholm Farm

Chaseholm Farm. We are a grass-based dairy farm nestled in a 350-acre patchwork of pastures, crop land, woods and waterways. Chaseholm Farm continues today as a sibling effort in agriculture; Sarah Chase manages the grazing and farm lands, as well as a motley crew of Holsteins, Jerseys and a few Brown Swiss, while Rory turns that milk into delicious Farmstead cheeses at the Creamery. One of the highlights of the farm is a monthly Burger Night in the warm weather. Here is a video from Pine Plains Views:

Central Hudson Storm and Outage Map

Your electricity or gas out? This is where to get storm outage information from Central Hudson. Just fiddle around with the map a bit and you will be amazed at how much information it gives!

Black Sheep Hill Farm

We are located in Pine Plains, New York, in the beautiful Hudson Valley. We breed Black Welsh Mountain and Gotland Sheep. Both are heritage breeds valued for their wool and meat. We also raise heritage breed pigs, work several acres in garden vegetables and keep about 200 chickens for eggs. Our Farm Store is open year-round and we welcome visitors and inquiries.

Berlinghoff Contracting

Berlinghoff Contracting, Inc. is located in Pine Plains. We are a full-service electrical contractor with electrical experience in residential and commercial wiring. Established in 2003, we have grown to be the trusted electrical contractor serving Dutchess, Columbia, Greene Counties and beyond.

5 thoughts on “Links and Resources”

Susan says:

October 9, 2018 at 10:21 am

Wonderful site. I started visiting friends who lived here in Pine Plains in the early 70s and when I moved here 16 years ago, it still had the same feel- unlike most Dutchess County places. I just started reading here, but want to spend more time viewing all these great articles and pictures. Lots of work went into this, we can tell. Thank you so much!

1. stan says:
  
  October 9, 2018 at 12:54 pm
  
  Hi Susan,
  Thanks for commenting.
  I’m thrilled that you are enjoying the website. Visit often, as there are scads of video stories and new ones coming.
  Stan
  
Bernadette Sigler says:

June 6, 2012 at 9:06 pm

My husband, Tony Sigler, grew up here in Gallatin-which is basically-Pine Plains. His family has been here for 5 generations. We have been together for almost 30 years, which is how long I have lived here. I have owned my business in town for quite a long time. We read things in your blog about places & events that we never knew about! Thumbs up! Thank-you!

Marti Steed says:

January 24, 2012 at 3:25 pm

We live in Pine Plains and have been here for 36 years on Briarcliff Lane. This is great information for us as well as for our real estate clients. Thank you for your hard work. Marti Steed

stan says:

February 26, 2011 at 4:15 pm

Chris,

I just put up a link for you in the local business section. I trust you will reciprocate!