Thomas Cole House

Thomas Cole House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
U.S. National Historic Site
Thomas Cole House in 2007
Location	218 Spring Street, Catskill, New York
Coordinates	42°13′33″N 73°51′43″W / 42.22583°N 73.86194°W / 42.22583; -73.86194Coordinates: 42°13′33″N 73°51′43″W / 42.22583°N 73.86194°W / 42.22583; -73.86194
Area	3.5 acres (1.4 ha)
Built	1812
Governing body	Private
NRHP Reference #	66000522[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	June 23, 1965[2]
Designated NHS	December 9, 1999 [3]

The Thomas Cole House, also known as Cedar Grove or the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, is a National Historic Landmark that includes the home and the studio of painter Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School of American painting. It is located at 218 Spring Street, Catskill, NY, USA. The site provided Thomas Cole with a residence and studio from 1833 through his death in 1848.^[4]

The property was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.^[2][5] It was declared a National Historic Site in 1999.^[6]

Site History

Pre-Cole Years

In 1684, Gysbert uyt den Bogaert purchased about 460 acres (190 ha) of land from Native Americans, an area at the mouth of Catskill Creek that was bounded on the east by the Hudson River.^[7] After the death of his last descendent the land was subsequently divided and sold by a speculator in the middle of the 18th century. The land was further subdivided during the Revolutionary War, but the development of the area (including the foundations of the town of Catskill) only began in the mid-1790s when growth is described in historical sources as “very rapid.”^[8]

One of the first landowners was Dr. Thomas Thomson (1750–1805), who arrived in 1787 to practice medicine, speculate in land, and live with his family.^[9] After his death and the return of his son Thomas T. Thomson from South America in 1815, the doctor and his family purchased and leased neighboring lots until their property encompassed 155 acres (0.63 km²) at its apex. During this period, the family built a Federal-style house as their primary residence, finishing construction in 1816.^[10] The first documented references to the property as ‘Cedar Grove’ date to this time.

In 1821, Thomas T. Thomson died. His brother John A. Thomson, known familiarly as “Uncle Sandy,” assumed duties as head of the household. The Cedar Grove property was a working farm, with oxen, cows, beef cattle, hogs, and one horse. Barley, oats, corn, and hay were cultivated, though orchards produced the primary cash crop of the farm. A large extended family lived with Uncle Sandy, including four of his orphaned nieces.

Thomas Cole’s Residency

When Thomas Cole arrived in the early 1830s, Cedar Grove had become “a viable gentleman’s farm.”^[11] Looking to secure a more permanent residence in the Catskill area while maintaining a studio in New York City, Cole rented space from the Thomson family to live and paint. In November 1836 he formally entered the family, marrying John A. Thomson’s niece Maria Bartow in the West Parlor of the Cedar Grove house. She was 23 years old to his 35.

Cole painted numerous scenes of the Catskill landscape around Cedar Grove, including such well-known paintings as ‘Lake with Dead Trees,’ and ‘Kaaterskill Falls.’ Cedar Grove continues to offer views of the Catskill mountains, and Cole expressed his feelings for the site and its proximity to the wilderness in poetry and letters. In 1834 he wrote,

"O Cedar Grove! Whene’er I think to part / From thine all peaceful shades my aching heart / Is like to his who leaves some blessed shore / A weeping exile ne’er to see it more…”^[12]

Cole purchased two and a half acres of land outright from John A. Thomson, intending to construct a separate house for his wife and himself, but never did so.^[13] Instead, he lived in the master bedroom formerly occupied by John A. Thomson, and raised his children in the main house.

Late in 1839 Cole moved into a new studio, using part of a barn that John A. Thomson had constructed. The studio still stands today, replete with an extra window built to give the artist more northern light. Here Cole painted a number of important works, most notably The Voyage of Life. After John A. Thomson’s death in 1846, Cole erected another studio on the property, which was demolished in the 1970s. In February 1848 Cole caught pneumonia and died in the master bedroom at Cedar Grove, leaving behind his wife and four children.

Post-Cole Years

Cole’s student Frederic Edwin Church became a close friend of the family and sketched much of Cedar Grove in 1848. Following Cole’s death, a number of artists traveled to visit Cedar Grove, with some renting his studio and making paintings and sketches of the houses and grounds. Jasper Francis Cropsey and Charles Herbert Moore were among those who visited, and descriptions of the site began to appear in magazines and newspapers. Cole’s privileged position in American art during the mid-19th century ensured constant interest in his place of work by the artistic community until many years after his death.

In the 1880s, however, the family had fallen on hard financial circumstances, with Frederic Church forced to assist them in 1882. The size of the property gradually diminished due to a combination of public works (including a road and reservoir) and sales to help the family’s financial situation. In 1933 the construction of the nearby Rip Van Winkle Bridge at first threatened to demolish the house, but after concerted efforts by the Cole family only took a portion of land.

In 1964 the last surviving descendent of Cole held an auction to sell a number of Cole’s paintings and furnishings. During the 1960s, the historic flower beds were abandoned, and the old cottage that Cole had initially rented was demolished. After New York State declined to preserve the property, it was purchased by the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development who listed it for sale with restrictive deed covenants in 1981. In 1982 it was purchased by four art enthusiasts who began restoration work. After the National Park Service declined to acquire the site, a grant from the Beecher Trust helped the Greene County Historical Society purchase the site in 1998. Restoration began in earnest and Cedar Grove opened to the public in 2001.^[14]

References

External links

• Official site: Cedar Grove, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site

v t e Hudson River School Movements: Age of Enlightenment Romanticism Victorianism / Realism Artists: Thomas Cole Asher Brown Durand Frederic Edwin Church John Frederick Kensett Sanford Robinson Gifford Albert Bierstadt Museums: Metropolitan Museum of Art Wadsworth Atheneum National Gallery of Art New-York Historical Society Westervelt Warner Brooklyn Museum Locations: Catskill Mountain House Kaaterskill Falls North-South Lake Olana Thomas Cole House

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in New York Topics Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types Lists by county Albany Allegany Bronx Broome Cattaraugus Cayuga Chautauqua Chemung Chenango Clinton Columbia Cortland Delaware Dutchess Erie Essex Franklin Fulton Genesee Greene Hamilton Herkimer Jefferson Kings (Brooklyn) Lewis Livingston Madison Monroe Montgomery Nassau New York (Manhattan) Niagara Oneida Onondaga Ontario Orange Orleans Oswego Otsego Putnam Queens Rensselaer Richmond (Staten Island) Rockland Saratoga Schenectady Schoharie Schuyler Seneca St. Lawrence Steuben Suffolk Sullivan Tioga Tompkins Ulster Warren Washington Wayne Westchester Northern Southern Wyoming Yates Lists by city Albany Buffalo New Rochelle New York City Bronx Brooklyn Queens Staten Island Manhattan Below 14th St. 14th–59th St. 59th–110th St. Above 110th St. Minor islands Peekskill Poughkeepsie Rhinebeck Rochester Syracuse Yonkers Other lists Bridges and tunnels National Historic Landmarks Category:National Register of Historic Places in New York Portal:National Register of Historic Places

v t e Protected areas of New York Federal National Historical Parks Saratoga Women's Rights National Historic Sites Eleanor Roosevelt Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt Martin Van Buren Sagamore Hill Saint Paul's Church Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Memorials Federal Hall General Grant Hamilton Grange Statue of Liberty National Monuments African Burial Ground Castle Clinton Fort Stanwix Governors Island National Trails Appalachian Trail North Country National Scenic Trail National Seashores and Recreation Areas Fire Island NS Gateway NRA Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River National Historic Sites Kate Mullany affiliated Thomas Cole affiliated National Wildlife Refuges Amagansett Conscience Point Elizabeth A. Morton Iroquois Montezuma Oyster Bay Sayville Seatuck Shawangunk Grasslands Target Rock Wallkill River Wertheim National Forests Finger Lakes Wilderness Areas Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness State State Parks Allen H. Treman Allegany Amherst Battle Island Bayard Cutting Arboretum Bayswater Point Bear Mountain Beaver Island Beechwood Belmont Lake Bethpage Betty & Wilbur Davis Big Six Mile Creek Blauvelt Bonavista Bowman Lake Braddock Bay Brentwood Bristol Beach Brookhaven Buckhorn Island Buffalo Harbor Burnham Point Buttermilk Falls Caleb Smith Camp Hero Canandaigua Lake Canoe-Picnic Point Captree Catharine Valley Trail Caumsett Cayuga Lake Cedar Island Cedar Point Chenango Valley Cherry Plain Chimney Bluffs Chittenango Falls Clarence Fahnestock Clark Reservation Clay Pit Ponds Cold Spring Harbor Coles Creek Conesus Lake Connetquot River Crab Island Croil Island Cumberland Bay Darien Lakes De Veaux Woods Dean's Cove Delta Lake Devil's Hole Dewolf Point Donald J. Trump Earl W. Brydges Eel Weir Emma Treadwell Thacher Empire – Fulton Ferry Evangola Fahnestock Fair Haven Beach Fillmore Glen Fort Niagara Four Mile Creek Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Frenchman Island Galop Island Gantry Plaza Gilbert Lake Gilgo Glimmerglass Golden Hill Goosepond Mountain Grafton Lakes Grass Point Green Lakes Hamlin Beach Harriet Hollister Spencer Harriman Haverstraw Beach Heckscher Hempstead Lake High Tor Highland Lakes Higley Flow Hither Hills Honeoye Hook Mountain Hudson Highlands Hudson River Islands Hudson River Hunt's Pond Iona Island Irondequoit Bay Jacques Cartier James Baird Jamesport John Boyd Thacher Jones Beach Joseph Davis Keewaydin Keuka Lake Knox Farm Kring Point Lake Erie Lake Superior Lake Taghkanic Lakeside Beach Letchworth Lock 32 Lodi Point Long Island Long Point - Finger Lakes Long Point - Thousand Islands Long Point on Lake Chautauqua Macomb Reservation Margaret Lewis Norrie Mark Twain Mary Island Max V. Shaul Mexico Point Midway Mine Kill Minnewaska Montauk Downs Montauk Point Moreau Lake Napeague Newtown Battlefield Niagara Falls Nissequogue River Nyack Beach Oak Orchard Ogden Mills & Ruth Livingston Mills Old Croton Aqueduct Old Erie Canal Oquaga Creek Orient Beach Peebles Island Pinnacle Pixley Falls Point Au Roche Reservoir Riverbank Robert G. Wehle Robert H. Treman Robert Moses - Long Island Robert Moses - Thousand Islands Robert V. Riddell Roberto Clemente Rockefeller Rockland Lake Sampson Sandy Island Beach Saratoga Lake Saratoga Spa Schodack Island Schunemunk Mountain Selkirk Shores Seneca Lake Shadmoor Shaver Pond Nature Center Silver Lake Sonnenberg Gardens Southwick Beach St. Lawrence State Park at the Fair Sterling Forest Steuben Memorial Stony Brook Storm King Sunken Meadow Taconic Outdoor Education Center Taconic - Copake Falls Area Taconic - Rudd Pond Area Tallman Mountain Taughannock Falls Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center Thompson's Lake Tioga Trail View Valley Stream Verona Beach Waterson Point Watkins Glen Wellesley Island Westcott Beach Whetstone Gulf Whirlpool Wildwood Wilson-Tuscarora Wonder Lake Woodlawn Beach State Historic Sites Bennington Battlefield Caumsett Clermont Clinton House Crailo Crown Point Darwin Martin House Fort Montgomery Fort Ontario Ganondagan Grant Cottage Herkimer Home Hyde Hall John Brown Farm and Gravesite John Burroughs Memorial (Woodchuck Lodge) John Hay Homestead Johnson Hall Knox's Headquarters Lorenzo New Windsor Cantonment Olana Old Croton Aqueduct Old Erie Canal Old Fort Niagara Oriskany Battlefield Philipse Manor Hall Plantings Fields Arboretum -- Coe Hall Historic House Museum Sackets Harbor Battlefield Schoharie Crossing Schuyler Mansion Senate House Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion Staatsburgh Steuben Memorial Stony Point Battlefield Walt Whitman Birthplace Washington's Headquarters State Forests 402 state forests Wild Forests Aldrich Balsam Black River Blackhead Blue Mountain Bluestone Cherry Ridge Colgate Lake Cranberry Lake Crystal Lake Debar Mountain Dry Brook Ferris Lake Fulton Chain Grass River Halcott Mountain Hammond Pond Horseshoe Hunter Mountain Independence River Jessup River Kaaterskill Lake George Middle Mountain Moose River Plains Overlook Mountain Phoenica Raquette Boreal Saranac Lakes Sargent Ponds Shaler Mountain Shandaken Sundown Taylor Pond Vanderwhacker Mountain Watson East Triangle White Hill Wilcox Lake Willowemoc Windham High Peak Forest Preserve Adirondack Park Catskill Park Other Nature Conservancy Eugene and Agnes Meyer Nature Preserve Santanoni Arthur W. Butler Memorial Indian Brook Assemblage Marrion Yarrow Preserve Mildred E. Grierson Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary Mount Holly Preserve Henry Morgenthau Preserve Mount Holly Sanctuary Otter Creek Preserve Uplands Farm Nature Sanctuary Atlantic Double Dunes Pine Neck Nature Sanctuary Long Island Center for Conservation Ruth Wales Sanctuary Calverton Ponds Accabonac Harbor Peconic Estuary Big Woods Mashomack Montauk Mountain Andy Warhol Visual Arts Coon Mountain Chaumont Barrens Christman Clintonville Pine Barrens Centon El Dorado Beach O.D. von Engeln Everton Falls Freund Gadway Sandstone Pavement Barrens Hannacroix Ravine Kenrose Limestone Rise Lisha Kill Long Pond Preserve Lordsland Lower Poultney River and Saddles Mianus River Gorge Moccasin Kill Nellie Hill Pawling Nature Roger Perry Memorial Sam's Point Lewis A. Swyer Schunemunk Mountain Shadmoor Silver Lake Bog Preserve Spring Pond Bog Preserve Stewart Thompson Pond and Stissing Mountain West Branch Whitbeck Memorial Grove New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation New York State Department of Environmental Conservation