Image by Teresa Golden

Thomas Cole National Historic Site on Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley

Episode 176: Thomas Cole Historic Site

The Thomas Cole National Historic Site is a National Historic Landmark that includes the former home, also known as Cedar Grove, and the studio of painter Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School of American painting. Located in the village of Catskill, NY, Thomas Cole lived and worked there between 1833 until his death in 1848. In 1965, the property was declared a National Historic Landmark and designated a National Historic Site in 1999. It is also considered an affiliated area of the National Park Service.

Cedar Grove, a Federal Era house, was restored and opened to the public in 2001. Aided by historical photographs, sketches, and a painting, Cole's 'New Studio', originally built in 1846 and demolished in 1973, was reconstructed and reopened to the public in 2016. It currently is used for traveling exhibitions that change periodically. The house and the studio are open for tours, events and workshops throughout the year. Three years later, in partnership with the Olana State Historic Site and the New York State Bridge Authority, the Hudson River Skywalk was opened, creating a pedestrian walkway across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge connecting Olana with the Thomas Cole Historic Site. There is also the Mawignack Preserve, a park along the Catskill Creek that is operated by the Greene Land Trust, which contains signage about Thomas Cole as it was one of his favorite places to paint.

This was all possible through a dedicated team of volunteers led by Elizabeth Jacks, an Executive director of the site for over two decades. She joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley to talk about how the site’s history and how it has evolved thanks to the many partnerships that have been formed over time. During her tenure, Betsy expanded the campus from one building to six and grew the organization's operating budget tenfold. She emphasizes that historic sites are actually for the living, to help us all better understand the past and how history has helped to shape how we see the world today.

Hosts: Annie Scibienski and Taly Hahn

Guest: Elizabeth Jacks

Photo by: Teresa Golden

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Taly Hahn, Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Robin Smith, Jean Thomas