Community news and opinion for Nyack, NY
by Bill Batson The Nyack Library is an example of one of the most epic philanthropic gestures of the early 20th Century. Andrew Carnegie supported the construction of 1,689 public libraries in 1,419 communities across America. The steel magnate, who was at the time the richest man in the world, … [Read more...]
by Bill Batson More than 200 years ago, Nicholas Green and Tunis Depew sowed the seeds that would become the Nyack Library. A membership fee of $90 a year was required to join the first edition of our community's book depository. Their institution was undoubtedly modeled on Benjamin … [Read more...]
by Bill Batson When we turn on the faucet or flush the toilet, the water always flows. We may not know the exact source, or where the mains and pipes are buried, but we can reliably depend on the quality and availability of water in our village. Nyack is fortunate to have a publicly controlled … [Read more...]
by Bill Batson Two years before Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as president, St. Philip's A.M.E. Zion Church was founded in 1859 by abolitionist John W Towt. Today, the term abolitionist is considered a badge of honor. In the 1850’s, as slave catchers roamed the north empowered by the … [Read more...]
by Bill Batson Pilgrim Baptist Church has found a safe harbor at the corner of High Avenue and North Franklin Street for the last 51 years. The building has multiple slanted roofs and high arched windows that look like the peaks of cresting waves. The pulpit is on the north side of the nave … [Read more...]
by Bill Batson The building in Haverstraw that was the subject of Edward Hopper’s 1925 painting “House by the Railroad” still stands proud. The haunting depiction of the three story house by Hopper came to the attention of the cast and crew of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie classic, Psycho. … [Read more...]
by Bill Batson The man who built this house, with the benefit of slave labor, laid much of the foundation for the village we occupy. Since his death in 1842, John Green’s house has had many owners and tenants. Because of the neglect of its current absentee landlord, the building might … [Read more...]
by Bill Batson Not every beautiful old house in Nyack merits its own historic marker. For other properties, the traditional historic marker is not a loud enough shout out. Clearly, there are many addresses that could compete for the title of most interesting building in the village. In lieu … [Read more...]
by Bill Batson This is the house where Martin Luther King would have slept. Were it not for an assassin in Memphis in 1968, our nation’s Nobel Peace Prize winning champion of nonviolence would have made it to Nyack. The purpose of his visit would have been to commune with the Fellowship of … [Read more...]
by Bill Batson Until recently, painters in Nyack were second-class artisans. Nyack’s musicians could fine-tune their instruments at Long Island Drum Center. Local writers could always haunt the stacks at Pickwick Book Shop. Our thespians were able to find an audience at Elmwood Playhouse. But … [Read more...]
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