Walkway Over The Hudson Awarded $500,000 for Visitors Center

SouthwestDutchess

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — the Walkway Over The Hudson is getting a new visitors center.

The Walkway was awarded a $500,000 grant through New York State’s Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) program this week, to be allocated toward the planned Eastern Entrance Welcome Center.

The welcome center is expected to be completed by spring 2019 and will feature permanent restrooms, a gathering area for up to 40 visitors, water fountains, benches, lighting, landscaping and other amenities. The welcoming center will cost approximately $3 million and be located adjacent to the park’s east side parking lot and at the juncture between the Walkway State Park and the Dutchess County Rail Trail.

“The Dutchess Welcome Center is another great and much-needed enhancement to Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park,” said Walkway Executive Director Elizabeth Waldstein-Hart.

Whenever I hear about the WALKWAY, I think of old friend, the late Bernie Rudberg from Hopewell Junction. Know a lot of others promoted the Walkway, but Bernie was a great promoter.

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It was dream begun almost 20 years ago – an all-volunteer effort to one day restore Hopewell Junction’s last standing railroad building – the one that gave birth to this community. While it was badly ravaged by fire and the elements, the building had tremendous character and history.

Our vision was to create a showcase for the community’s industrial past. The building was reopened in 2012 by an amazing all-volunteer effort. Its museum rooms were opened in 2013.

What is desperately needed now are restrooms for both our visitors and to serve Dutchess Rail Trail users.

To do that we must raise the funds needed to recreate the 1892 vintage Switching Tower #196 located opposite the restored Depot.

The Tower’s upper floor will be a museum room with replica control apparatus. The ground floor plan calls for two restrooms with composting flush toilets for school and civic groups, Depot visitors, and Rail Trail users.

Find out about their fund raising

Read More About Hopewell Junction Restoration

Read about the significance of Hopewell Junction

 

Central New England Railway Getting New Signal Tower at Hopewell Junction

For many years we have covered the historic Central New England Railway. Since 2006 we have covered their bus tours of the old railroad right-of-way. We have always covered the restoration of the Hopewell Junction depot.

Now they have a new and ambitious project. A new signal tower! The Tower Crowdfunding effort is now live on CauseVox and they have a Tower page on their web site!
Support the Hopewell Depot Tower Build campaign!
Learn more about the tower fundraising campaign on CauseVox.

The statement below explains their plans:

Almost 20 years ago, we began an all-volunteer effort to save Hopewell Junction’s last-standing railroad building. We opened that to the public in 2012.

Now we want to continue showcasing the community’s industrial past and also add the first high-quality restrooms to the adjacent Dutchess Rail Trail.With your help, we will build a replica of the switching tower that stood here from 1892 to 1938.

The tower will add to the historic value of our park, as we preserve the history and tell the story of the region’s railroads and the founding of Hopewell Junction. The restrooms will be on the first floor and the second floor will feature educational displays.

So please consider joining our campaign by making a tax-deductible donation. Also, if your employer supports matching grants, please forward the application to: Hopewell Depot Tower Project, P.O. Box 1044, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533.

New Video on the Restored Railroad Station in Hopewell Junction, New York

 The Town of East Fishkill has produced a 44 minute video about the Hopewell Junction Depot Restoration.  It will be broadcast on our local TV channel and it is already on YouTube and Facebook. Try this YouTube link to see what we have been doing at Hopewell Depot.

Find out more about the huge restoration project in Hopewell Junction

Picture at the top shows the great guy behind all this: Bernie Rudberg, riding on a Railway Express wagon

See all about The Central New England Railway in Hopewell Junction

Bernie Rudberg is also involved with the old Central New England Railway and runs a bus tour every year.

Click to see more about the Central New England Railway in New York State and the whole Central New England that once existed

 

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_______________________________________________ The Stationmaster – Hopewell Depot Restoration Corp. Newshttp://hopewelldepot.org * info@hopewelldepot.org * 845-202-0990https://www.facebook.com/hopewelldepot