Bard College Presents Montgomery Place Fall Salon Series on Renewable Energies

Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.— The Montgomery Place Fall Salon Series Renewable Energies: Balancing Outputs and Historic Landscapes presents two sessions highlighting how a local community balances the implementation of renewable energies within an historically significant landscape. Session 1: Solar Energy takes place on Tuesday, November 12, 3–5 p.m. and Session 2: Hydro Energy, on Tuesday, December 3, 3–5 p.m. Programs are free and open to the public. Seating is limited; registration required. For more information and to register send an email to montgomeryplace@bard.edu or call 845-758-7505.

“The Town of Red Hook has areas that have been recognized locally, statewide, and nationally both as a scenic region, and for having significant historic architecture, landscapes, and viewsheds,” says Emily Majer, Town of Red Hook historian. “These attributes, along with the firm commitment to agriculture and open space, are character defining features of the town which contribute to the quality of life, and economic vitality. Consequently, it is important to be sensitive in the placement of ground and roof-mounted solar panels in designated historic districts and on historic structures, and to protect the viability of important agricultural land and built structures within the town.” Local Law 143-37 “Solar Energy Systems” spells out what kind, size, and placement of array is allowable in each zoning district in order to maximize the utilization of this renewable energy source, while preserving the historic and bucolic nature of the town. 

“Small-scale hydropower was historically an important energy source in this area that may see a resurgence as we work to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel-based energy sources that are driving the climate crisis,” says Robyn Smyth, assistant professor of environmental and urban studies, Bard College.

The Town of Red Hook is home to the Hudson River National Historic Landmark District, the most prestigious designation of historic resources in the nation.
 
Panel Speakers

Session 1: Solar Energy
November 12, 3–5 p.m.
Emily Majer ’95, Town of Red Hook historian and deputy mayor, Village of Tivoli
Audrey Friedrichsen, land use and environmental advocacy attorney, Scenic Hudson
Jeff Irish, vice president, SunCommon
Moderated by Ben Hoen CEP ’06, research scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Session 2: Hydro Energy
December 3, 3–5 p.m.
Emily Majer ’95, Town of Red Hook historian and deputy mayor, Village of Tivoli
Jan Borchert, head of hydro facility design and permitting, Current Hydro
Tracy Brown, restoration manager, Connecticut and New York Northeast Coldwater Habitat Program, Trout Unlimited 
Weston Davey, historic site restoration coordinator, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation
Moderated by Robyn Smyth, assistant professor of environmental and urban studies, Bard College

For more information and to register send an email to montgomeryplace@bard.edu or call 845-758-7505.
 

About Montgomery Place

Originally, the land was occupied by Native Americans who used it for hunting and harvesting wild foods. During the 18th century, European settlers farmed the area and harnessed the power of the Sawkill Creek for gristmills and sawmills. In 1802, 58-year-old Janet Livingston Montgomery, widow of Revolutionary War hero Gen. Richard Montgomery, purchased the land to create a fashionable country house.

In 1804–5, she built a federal-style mansion on the property. Janet’s true passion was for plants and botany, and she established and ran a commercial nursery for fruit trees, shrubs, berries, and seeds. When she died in 1828, her brother Edward and his wife, Louise, inherited the property.

After Edward’s death a few years later, Louise, daughter Cora, and son-in-law Thomas Barton transformed portions of the estate from a working farm into a showplace. Renowned architect Alexander Jackson Davis redesigned the house, adding new wings and porticos in classic revival style to suit prevailing Romantic sensibilities. Landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing created plans for elaborate flower gardens, several walking paths, rustic benches, and an arboretum. (Both Davis and Downing were also involved in the original design and layout of the Blithewood estate, now part of the main Bard College campus.) 

In the 1920s, Violetta and John Ross Delafield (a Livingston descendent) inherited the estate. Violetta, a botanist, created multiple gardens, continuing the legacy of Cora, Louise, and Janet. In 1986, Livingston heir John Dennis Delafield transferred the estate to Historic Hudson Valley in whose hands it remained until 2016, when Bard College acquired the property and a new chapter began.

Montgomery Place illustrates Americans’ changing relationship with nature and landscape over time. As the attitudes of the people who lived and worked there shifted, the estate changed from productive landscape to ornamental showcase to recreational retreat. Today, the Montgomery Place setting functions as a microcosm of American landscape history, from the early wilderness to its latest reincarnation as part of the integrated campus of Bard College. Bard is committed to conserving Montgomery Place’s significant historic and cultural assets as well as preserving its landscape and maintaining its public access and farm.

For more information go to bard.edu/montgomeryplace/

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This event was last updated on 03-17-2020

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