Orange Mill Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Orange Mill Historic District
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The main powder mill building, on Powder Mill Road
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Town of Newburgh, NY |
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| Nearest city | City of Newburgh |
| Area | 200 acres (81 ha) |
| Built | 19th century |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000357 |
| Added to NRHP | 1997 |
The Orange Mill Historic District is a special area in the Town of Newburgh, Orange County, New York. It's called a historic district because it has many old buildings and lands that tell an important story. This district covers about 42 acres. It includes Algonquin Park and the land around it. You can find it along Powder Mill Road, not far from NY 52. It is about a mile northwest of the city of Newburgh.
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What is a Historic District?
A historic district is like a special neighborhood. It has buildings, places, or objects that are important to history. These areas are protected to keep their historical look and feel. The Orange Mill Historic District is the only one of its kind in the Town of Newburgh. It helps us remember the past.
Making Gunpowder in Newburgh
The district gets its name from an old gunpowder factory. This factory was called a powder mill. Asa Taylor built it in 1816. Later, the Laflin & Rand Powder Company took it over in 1869. The mill was located next to a small stream. This stream flows from Orange Lake into Quassaick Creek.
The mill mostly made gunpowder for people nearby. They used it for hunting and shooting sports. But during the Civil War, something important happened. The Union Army bought some of its high-quality gunpowder. Before the war, a local historian named Edward Ruttenber said the mills were "the most complete and extensive works in the country." This was when Daniel Rodgers owned them.
From Factory to Park
The gunpowder factory stopped working in the early 1900s. After that, people started building houses on some of the land. But a man named Col. Frederic Adrian Delano (1863–1953) bought the main part of the factory land. He was the uncle of future President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Colonel Delano wanted the land to become a public park.
He gave the land to the City of Newburgh. Even though the park was outside the city, they took care of it. But by the mid-1970s, it became too expensive for the city. So, Orange County bought the property. Today, it is still part of the Orange County Parks and Recreation system. It is also next to Cronomer Hill Park.
What You Can See Today
The historic district today includes 14 old buildings. These buildings were once the heart of the gunpowder factory. They are called "contributing properties." This means they help tell the story of the district. Many of these stone buildings still stand. They have no roofs, but they are next to the park's picnic areas.
The Orange Mill Historic District is very special. It is the only 19th-century gunpowder factory left in New York. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
