Hudson is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 61,570. The county seat is Hudson, New York, Hudson. The name comes from th ...
, United States.
At the
2020 census, it had a population of 5,894.
On the east side of the
Hudson River
The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
, from the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
, it was named after the river's explorer,
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the Northeastern United States.
In 1607 and 16 ...
.
Often called the "
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
of
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...
", Hudson is a tourist destination known for its antique shops and boutiques.
History
The native
Mahican
The Mohicans ( or ) are an Eastern Algonquian Native American tribe that historically spoke an Algonquian language. As part of the Eastern Algonquian family of tribes, they are related to the neighboring Lenape, whose indigenous territory was ...
people had occupied this territory for hundreds of years before
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
colonists began to settle here in the 17th century, calling it "Claverack Landing" (as it was later known in English). In 1662, some of the Dutch bought this area of land from the Mahican. Later it was part of the Town of
Claverack established by English colonists.
In 1783, after the American Revolution, the area was settled largely by Quaker
whalers and merchants hailing primarily from the
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
islands of
Nantucket
Nantucket () is an island in the state of Massachusetts in the United States, about south of the Cape Cod peninsula. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island, Tuckernuck and Muskeget Island, Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and Co ...
and
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...
in Massachusetts, and
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...
, led by Thomas and Seth Jenkins. They capitalized on Hudson being at the
head of navigation
The head of navigation is the farthest point above the mouth of a river that can be navigated by ships. Determining the head of navigation can be subjective on many streams, as the point may vary greatly with the size or the draft of the ship b ...
on the
Hudson River
The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
and developed it as a busy port. Hudson was chartered as a city in 1785. The self-described "Proprietors" laid out a city grid. By 1786, the city had several fine wharves, warehouses, a spermaceti-works and fifteen hundred residents.
In 1794
John Alsop
John Alsop Jr. (1724 – November 22, 1794) was an American merchant and politician from New York City. As a delegate for New York to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1776, he signed the 1774 Continental Association.
Early life
Alsop wa ...
, of the New York City shipping and commission agents Alsop & Hicks, relocated to Hudson for a brief time. He continued to maintain a part interest in the New York firm and attracted customers from the Hudson area, including: Thomas Jenkins & Sons, Seth Jenkins, and the Paddock family, among others. After Alsop's death in November 1794, his partner,
Isaac Hicks
Isaac Hicks (1767 – January 10, 1820) was a Quaker merchant, active in the mercantile and shipping business from 1790 to 1807, both by himself and in partnerships.
Early life
Isaac Hicks was born in 1767, into the Quaker farming community of ...
, began to focus more of his efforts toward increasing his sale of whale products-especially oil and spermaceti candles.
Hudson grew rapidly as an active port and came within one vote of being named by the state legislature as the capital of New York state. It lost to Albany, an historic center of Dutch and English colonial trade from the 17th century.
[Margaret B. Schram, ''Hudson's Merchants and Whalers: The Rise and Fall of a River Port, 1783–1850'', Black Dome Printing, 2004]
Hudson grew rapidly, and by 1790 was the 24th-largest city in the United States, then limited to east of the Allegheny Mountains. In 1820, it had a population of 5,310 and ranked as the fourth-largest city in the state of New York, after New York City, Albany, and Brooklyn.
The renowned case of ''
People v. Croswell
''The People of the State of New York v. Harry Croswell'' (3 Johns. Cas. 337 N.Y. 1804), commonly known and cited as ''People v. Croswell'', is an important case in the evolution of United States defamation law. It was a criminal libel case broug ...
'' began in Hudson when
Harry Croswell
Harry Croswell (June 16, 1778 – March 13, 1858) was a crusading political journalist, a publisher, author, and an Episcopal Church clergyman. Though largely self-educated, he received an honorary degree of A. M. from Yale College in 1817, ...
published on September 9, 1802, an attack on President
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
in the Federalist paper ''The Wasp''. The state's Democratic-Republican attorney General
Ambrose Spencer
Ambrose Spencer (December 13, 1765March 13, 1848) was an American lawyer and politician.
Early life
Ambrose Spencer was born on December 13, 1765, in Salisbury in the Connecticut Colony. He was the son of Philip Spencer and Mary (née Moore) Sp ...
indicted Croswell for seditious libel. The case eventually wound up with
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...
defending Crosswell before the New York Supreme court in Albany in 1804. Crosswell lost, apparently due the influence of anti-Federalist Justice
Morgan Lewis. However, enough state assemblymen had observed the trial that in 1805 they changed the state law on libel.
Construction of the
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...
in 1824 drew development west in the state, stimulating development of cities related to
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
trade, such as
Rochester and
Buffalo
Buffalo most commonly refers to:
* True buffalo or Bubalina, a subtribe of wild cattle, including most "Old World" buffalo, such as water buffalo
* Bison, a genus of wild cattle, including the American buffalo
* Buffalo, New York, a city in the n ...
. The Hudson River continued to be important to commerce, as it carried lumber and other products from the Midwest to New York and downriver markets.
During the 19th century, considerable industry was developed in Hudson, and the city became known as a factory town. It attracted new waves of immigrants and migrants to industrial jobs. Wealthy factory owners and merchants built fine houses in the Victorian period.
Hudson obtained a new charter in 1895. It reached its peak of population in 1930, with 12,337 residents.

In 1935, to celebrate the
sesquicentennial
An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded.
Most countries celebrate national anniversaries, typically called national days. These could be the date of independence of the nation or the adoption o ...
of the city, the
United States Mint
The United States Mint is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bull ...
issued the Hudson Half Dollar. The coin is one of the rarest ever minted by the United States Government, as only 10,008 coins were struck. On the front of the coin is an image of
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the Northeastern United States.
In 1607 and 16 ...
's ship the
''Half Moon'', and on the reverse is the seal of the city. Local legend has it that coin was minted on direct order of President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
to thank the Hudson City Democratic Committee for being the first to endorse him for state senator and governor.
In the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, Hudson became notorious as a center of vice, especially
gambling
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...
and
prostitution
Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...
.
[Bruce Edward Hall, ''Diamond Street: The Story of the Little Town with the Big Red Light District'', Black Dome Printing, 1994] The former Diamond Street is today Columbia Street. At the peak of the vice industry, Hudson boasted more than 50 bars. These rackets were mostly broken up in 1951, after surprise raids of Hudson
brothel
A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...
s by
New York state troopers, under orders from Governor
Thomas E. Dewey
Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 47th Governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in 1944 and ...
, netted several local policemen, among other customers.
In 2020,
HudsonUP, a
Universal basic income
Universal basic income (UBI) is a social welfare proposal in which all citizens of a given population regularly receive a minimum income in the form of an unconditional transfer payment, i.e., without a means test or need to perform Work (hu ...
pilot, was launched in Hudson by The Spark of Hudson community center together with
Humanity Forward Foundation
Humanity most commonly refers to:
* Human, also humankind
* Humanity (virtue)
Humanity may also refer to:
Literature
* ''Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century'', a 1999 book by Jonathan Glover
* ''Humanity'', a 1990 science fiction n ...
. Some residents will receive an unrestricted payment of $500 per month, for 5 years, funded by the
Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, political commentator, and author. He founded the political party and action committee Forward Party (United States), Forward Party in 2021, for which he serves ...
Foundation.
The first written mention of 'cocktail' as a beverage appeared in The Farmers Cabinet, 1803, in the United States. The first definition of a cocktail as an alcoholic beverage appeared three years later in The Balance and Columbian Repository (Hudson, New York) May 13, 1806. Traditionally, cocktail ingredients included spirits, sugar, water and bitters; however, this definition evolved throughout the 1800s to include the addition of a liqueur.
Land use controversy
From late 1998 until spring 2005, a
land-use conflict A land-use conflict occurs when there are conflicting views on land-use policies, such as when an increasing population creates competitive demands for the use of the land, causing a negative impact on other land uses nearby.
Common types
Urban
...
took place when St. Lawrence Cement (SLC), a subsidiary of Swiss multinational Holderbank (since renamed
Holcim
Holcim is a Swiss-based global building materials and Construction aggregate, aggregates flagship division of the Holcim Group. The original company was merged on 10 July 2015 with Lafarge (company), Lafarge to form LafargeHolcim as the new c ...
), then one of the world's largest cement companies, proposed to build a cement-manufacturing plant in the city and area. The massive coal-fired plant project would have occupied more than in the city of Hudson and the town of
Greenport. Supporters cited the project for jobs and stimulating other growth.
Sustained grassroots opposition to the project was led by business owner Peter Jung
[Public Broadcasting System](_blank)
(PBS), from ''Two Square Miles'' documentary: "Jung co-founded Friends of Hudson and served as president of the organization throughout most of its six-year battle with St. Lawrence Cement." and journalist Sam Pratt,
(PBS): "Pratt is the devoted co-founder and executive director of Friends of Hudson, the grassroots organization that has helped score a series of against-the-odds environmental and political victories in the Hudson Valley, including the fight against the St. Lawrence Cement plant proposal."[''The Independent'' newspaper](_blank)
(Hillsdale, NY): "Opposition leader Sam Pratt, executive director of Friends of Hudson, welcomed the decision." NOTE: Newspaper is now defunct, but this article is archived a
StopThePlant.com
/ref> co-founders of Friends of Hudson (FOH). Opponents argued the proposed project violated state environmental regulations and would adversely affect the river, shoreline, and related habitats.
The controversy gained national attention from news outlets such as CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
and ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', as well as media outlets in Canada and Switzerland. The project was withdrawn after New York Secretary of State Randy Daniels determined that the company's plans were inconsistent with New York State's 24 coastal policies. Opponents of the cement project described the ruling as "a colossal relief", and supporters, including the Business Council of New York State, denounced it as "flawed in its logic". Nearly 14,000 public comments were received by the State's Division of Coastal Resources (87% of them opposed to the project), a record for that agency.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 7.38%, is water.
Hudson is located from New York Harbor, at the head of navigation on the Hudson River, on what originally was a spit of land jutting into the Hudson River between the South Bay and North Bay. Both bays have been largely filled in. Across the Hudson River lies the town of Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
in Greene County; a ferry connected the two municipalities during much of the 19th century. Between them lies Middle Ground Flats, a former sandbar
In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material, and rises from the bed of a body of water close to the surface or ...
that grew due to both natural silting
Siltation is water pollution caused by particulate Terrestrial ecoregion, terrestrial Clastic rock, clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the i ...
and also from dumping the spoils of dredging
Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing d ...
; today it is inhabited by deer and a few occupants of quasi-legal summer shanties. The Town of Greenport borders the other three sides of the city.
Demographics
As of the census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 6,713 people, 2,766 households, and 1,368 families residing in the city. The population was estimated at 6,64
Hudson (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
in 2013. These numbers include the approximately 360 residents of the local Hudson Correctional Facility.
Population declines since the late 20th century may be attributable to demographic trends in which retirees, young couples, childless couples, singles, and weekenders have been gradually replacing larger families in the city. They have converted apartment buildings to single-family homes, and the number of unoccupied homes and rate of tax delinquency have declined.
The population density was . The racial makeup of the city was 59.0% (55.5% Non-Hispanic) White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 25.0% African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 7.1% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 8.2% of the population.
There were 2,766 households, out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.6% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.5% were non-families. 40.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,117, and the median income for a family was $37,400. Males had a median income of $26,274 versus $22,598 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $22,353. About 23.0% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The city has a mayor-council form of elected government. Since the 1990s, nine mayors have served: William Allen, Dolly Allen, Richard Scalera, Kenneth Cranna, Richard Tracy, William Hallenbeck, Tiffany Martin Hamilton, Rick Rector, and Kamal Johnson. This period has been marked by unusual levels of friction between elected officials and residents, as the demographics and economics of the city have shifted. The Common Council consists of ten members elected from five districts, and a Council President elected citywide, as is the Treasurer.
LGBTQ community
In the early 21st century, Hudson has become a destination for LGBTQ
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
people. In 2010, Hudson High School made national history when two openly gay seniors, Timothy Howard and Charlie Ferrusi, were named prom king and queen. During the same year, Hudson hosted its first LGBTQ pride parade, attended by several hundred people. Lil' Deb's Oasis is a restaurant in the city that hosts queer events and is an LGBTQ gathering space.
Economy
After a steep economic decline in the 1960s and '70s, following the loss of jobs due to restructuring in the manufacturing sector, the city has undergone a significant revival. The economy has shifted to one based on tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
, services and related retail.
Attracted by its quality architecture, a group of antique
An antique () is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that i ...
s dealers opened shops on the city's main thoroughfare, Warren Street, in the mid-1980s. Among these were the Hudson Antiques Center, founded by Alain Pioton, and the English Antiques Center. In the early 21st century, the city has nearly seventy shops now, represented by the Hudson Antiques Dealers Association (HADA). The business revival stimulated tourism and attracted residents, some taking second homes in the city. It has become known for its active arts scene, restaurants, art galleries and nightlife, in addition to the antique shops.
Hudson (2016) has a higher concentration of independent artists than only two other U.S. counties — Kings County, known worldwide as Brooklyn, and Taos County, N.M., according to ''Captivate: The Capital Region's Creative Economy'', a study released in 2014 by the Regional Alliance for the Creative Economy.
Transportation
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Hudson via the Hudson station.
Columbia County Public Transportation provides local service and commuter service to Albany.
Greene County Transit
Greene County Transit is a bus system in Greene County, New York. The system offers fixed bus routes throughout the county, plus a route connecting to Hudson in Columbia County and countywide dial-a-ride service. The system is managed, owned, ...
's route 711 connects Hudson to Catskill, across the Hudson River in Greene County.
Hudson Ferry Company provides ferry service across the Hudson River to Athens, also in Greene County.
Local news sources
*''The Register Star
''The Register Star'' is a daily newspaper published in Hudson, New York
Hudson is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Columbia County, New York, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 cen ...
''
*'' Modern Farmer''
Attractions
Hudson is home to the Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY) Museum of Firefighting, one of the largest fire service-centered museums in the world. It is on the grounds of the FASNY Firemen's home, the first nursing home for firemen in the country.
The Hudson Music Festival was an annual event established in 2011 and was New York's largest free music festival. The fourth annual Hudson Music Festival took place August 8, 9 & 10, 2014 and showcased 100 acts.
Hudson Hall Hudson Hall most commonly refers to:
* Hudson Hall (arts organization)
Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House is an arts organization and venue in downtown Hudson, New York. The organization presents and produces arts and cultural program ...
, an arts venue and organization, is located on Warren Street in the center of the city. It is New York's oldest operating theater.
Time & Space Limited, a not-for-profit arts organization serves the City of Hudson and the Hudson River Valley Region. It shows a wide selection of independent movies.
A farmers market takes place on Saturdays, offering a variety of fresh organic products from the Hudson Valley area. The market is conducted outdoors in the warm season and indoor in the wintertime.
Olde York Farm is a woman-owned and family-operated distillery sourcing Hudson Valley foraged and farmed ingredients to make seasonal batch spirits. The farm consists of land growing apples for apple based spirits, land for growing grain, and a black walnut tree grove on site at the distillery. The property is part of the historic Jacob Rutsen van Rensselaer House and Mill complex. Rensselaer also had his own distillery and cooperage circa 1805. Today the distillery and cooperage reside in Rensselaer's former carriage house. Barrels are handmade on site to age bourbon, whiskey, and brandy.
Many local restaurants use fresh meat, eggs, herbs, and produce from local farms and agrarian groups.
National Register of Historic Properties listings
With hundreds of properties listed or eligible to be listed in the State and National
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
registers of historic places, Hudson has been called the "finest dictionary of American architecture in New York State". The vast majority of properties listed within the Hudson Historic District are considered to be contributing, attesting to their quality.[Byrne Fone, ''Historic Hudson: An Architectural Portrait'', Black Dome Press, 2005]
These properties include the Dr. Oliver Bronson House and Estate
The Plumb-Bronson House, also known as the Dr. Oliver Bronson House and Stables, is a historic house on Worth Avenue (United States Route 9) in Hudson, New York. Built in 1811 and significantly altered in 1839 and 1849, it is an important early ...
and Dr. Oliver Bronson House and Stables (both for Dr. Oliver Bronson), Henry A. and Evanlina Dubois House, Cornelius H. Evans House, Front Street-Parade Hill-Lower Warren Street Historic District, Houses at 37–47 North Fifth Street, Hudson Almshouse, Hudson Historic District, Hudson/Athens Lighthouse, Rossman-Prospect Avenue Historic District, United States Post Office
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...
, William Henry Ludlow House, Elisha Williams House, Oliver Wiswall House, and Van Salsbergen House.
Image:FishermenInAthensLookingTowardHudsonWaterfrontNoDate.jpg, Artist's rendering of fishermen on the Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
side of the Hudson, with view of City of Hudson waterfront (date unknown)
Image:EngravedViewOfCityOfHudsonDateUnknown.jpg, Engraved view of the city (date, artist unknown)
Image:WHBartlettSouthEasternViewOfHudsonCityNY1837.jpg, ''South Western View of Hudson City N.Y. from Academy Hill, or Prospect Hill'' (1837) by W.H. Bartlett
Image: William_Henry_Ludlow_house,_Claverack,_Columbia_County,_NY,_USA.jpg, The 1786 William Henry Ludlow house
Notable people
*Marina Abramović
Marina Abramović ( sr-Cyrl, Марина Абрамовић, ; born November 30, 1946) is a Serbian conceptual and performance artist. Her work explores body art, endurance art, the relationship between the performer and audience, the limit ...
, performance artist
* Robert Adams, American sailor and explorer
*John Ashbery
John Lawrence Ashbery (July 28, 1927 – September 3, 2017) was an American poet and art critic.
Ashbery is considered the most influential American poet of his time. Oxford University literary critic John Bayley wrote that Ashbery "sounded, in ...
, New York State poet laureate
*Melissa Auf der Maur
Melissa Gaboriau Auf der Maur (; born March 17, 1972) is a Canadian musician.
Auf der Maur began performing in 1993 after forming the indie rock band Tinker (band), Tinker while she was a student at Concordia University. She was recruited ...
, musician (The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The ...
, Hole
A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid Body (physics), body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in m ...
) and owner of Basilica Hudson
Basilica Hudson is an arts and performance venue in Hudson, New York, US. It was established in 2010 out of a 19th-century factory located near the city's "South Bay" riverfront along the Hudson River.
Basilica Hudson schedules its programming b ...
, an arts and performance venue
* Rashad Barksdale, New York Giants cornerback
*Jonah Bokaer
Jonah Bokaer (born October 1, 1981) is an American choreographer and media artist. He works on live performances in the United States and elsewhere, including choreography, digital media, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and social enterprise.
...
, choreographer, media artist
* J. D. Cannon, actor
*Nicolas Carone
Nicolas Carone (June 4, 1917 – July 15, 2010) belonged to the early generation of New York School Abstract Expressionist artists. Their artistic innovation by the 1950s had been recognized internationally, including in London and Paris. New ...
, artist
* Dave Cole, Sculptor
* Rich Conaty (1954–2016), radio disc jockey
* John Corapi
John Anthony Corapi (born May 20, 1947), formerly known as Fr. John Corapi, is an inactive Catholic priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (S.O.L.T.) in the United States. He was popular in the early 2000s for his regular appe ...
, Catholic priest and whistleblower, born and grew up in Hudson
* Lynn Davis, photographer
* Tom Davis, comedian
* Alice Mary Dowd (1855–1943), educator, author
*Sarah Stoddard Eddy
Sarah Stoddard Eddy (February 24, 1831 – February 24, 1904) was an American social reformer and clubwoman.
Early life and education
Sarah Stoddard was born in Hudson, New York, February 24, 1831. Her grandfather, Ashbel Stoddard, was among the ...
(1831–1904), reformer and clubwoman
* George C. Ewing, politician, and founder of Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,247. Loca ...
* Joel Flaum, Judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals
*Nancy Fuller
Nancy Fuller (also known as Nancy Fuller Ginsberg or Nancy Ginsberg; born March 27, 1949) is an American chef and businesswoman from Claverack, New York. She is the co-owner of Ginsberg's Foods, and the host of the Food Network television series ...
, host of Food Network's ''Farmhouse Rules''
* Kevin Geary (born 1952), English portrait and abstract artist
*Sanford Robinson Gifford
Sanford Robinson Gifford (July 10, 1823 – August 29, 1880) was an American landscape painter and a leading member of the second generation of Hudson River School artists. A highly-regarded practitioner of Luminism (American art style), Luminis ...
, artist of the Hudson River School
The Hudson River School was a mid-19th-century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by Romanticism. Early on, the paintings typically depicted the Hudson River Valley and the sur ...
of landscape painters, born and raised in Hudson.
*Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York since 2009 ...
, politician, lawyer, and member of the United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
*Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Timothy Gladwell (born 3 September 1963) is a Canadian journalist, author, and public speaker. He has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorker'' since 1996. He has published eight books. He is also the host of the podcast ''Revisionist ...
, author, essayist, journalist, storyteller, podcast host
*Robert J. Gorlin
Robert James Gorlin (January 11, 1923 – August 29, 2006) was an American oral pathologist, human geneticist and academic at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry.
Biography
Robert Gorlin was born on January 11, 1923, in Hudson, New ...
(1923–2006), oral pathologist and clinical geneticist, was born in Hudson
*Bibbe Hansen
Bibbe Hansen is an American performance artist, musician and actress.
Family
Hansen's parents were Bohemian Jewish poet Audrey Ostlin Hansen and Fluxus artist Al Hansen, a participant in the Andy Warhol Factory. Her stepfather was Jimmy Shapiro ...
, performance artist, actress, musician
* Gaby Hofmann, actress
* Hezekiah Lord Hosmer, first chief justice of the Montana Territory
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana.
Original boundaries
...
Supreme Court
* Joshua Lee, US congressman
* John B. Longley (1830–1892), lawyer and politician
* Tyler Lydon, basketball player, first-round selection in 2017 NBA draft
The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players.
...
* Harold Macy, microbiologist
*Sam J. Miller
Sam J. Miller (born February 7, 1979) is an American science fiction, fantasy and horror short fiction author. His stories have appeared in publications such as ''Clarkesworld'', ''Asimov's Science Fiction'', and '' Lightspeed'', along with o ...
, science fiction author
*Meshell Ndegeocello
Meshell Ndegeocello ( ; born Michelle Lynn Johnson on August 29, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her mid-career work. ...
, musician
*Benjamin Moore Norman
Benjamin Moore Norman (December 22, 1809 – February 1, 1860) was an American book dealer and writer who benefited from the success of John Lloyd Stephens's book, ''Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatán''. He was a benefi ...
, author and book dealer
*Almerin C. O'Hara
Almerin C. O'Hara (November 10, 1910 – July 5, 1987) was a career officer in the United States Army. A longtime member of the New York Army National Guard, he attained the rank of Major general (United States), major general and served as comman ...
, US Army major general
*Elvis Perkins
Elvis Brooke Perkins (born February 9, 1976) is an American folk-rock musician. He released his debut studio album, ''Ash Wednesday'', in 2007. He subsequently toured in support of the album with his band Elvis Perkins in Dearland, composed of ...
, musician
* Bert Geer Phillips, artist, born in Hudson
* Cornelia Holroyd Bradley Richards, author
* Dawn Langley Simmons, intersex
Intersex people are those born with any of several sex characteristics, including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binar ...
author
*Tommy Stinson
Thomas Eugene Stinson (born October 6, 1966) is an American rock musician. He came to prominence in the 1980s as the bass guitarist for The Replacements, one of the definitive American alternative rock groups. After their breakup in 1991, Stins ...
, musician
* Bob Trowbridge, former Major League Baseball pitcher
*Chris Urbanowicz
Editors are an English rock band, formed in 2002 in Birmingham. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band currently consists of Tom Smith (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Russell Leetch (bass guitar, synthesizer, backing voca ...
, musician
*Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren ( ; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was the eighth president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as Attorney General o ...
, US president, set up his first law office in Hudson
*William Jenkins Worth
William Jenkins Worth (March 1, 1794 – May 7, 1849) was an American officer during the War of 1812, the Second Seminole War, and the Mexican–American War.
Early military career
Worth was commissioned as a first lieutenant in March 1813, s ...
, army officer, born and raised in Hudson.
*Rupert Wyatt
Rupert Wyatt (born 26 October 1972) is an English filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the 2008 film '' The Escapist'', which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His second film was the 2011 blockbuster ''Rise of the Planet of the ...
, filmmaker
In popular culture
*Several movies have been filmed in Hudson:
**''Odds Against Tomorrow
''Odds Against Tomorrow'' is a 1959 American film noir produced and directed by Robert Wise and starring Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan and Ed Begley. Belafonte selected Abraham Polonsky to write the script, which is based on a novel of the sam ...
'' (1959), starring Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...
and Robert Ryan
Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...
**'' Ironweed'' (1987), starring Jack Nicholson
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...
and Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...
**'' Nobody's Fool'' (1994), starring Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...
.
**''A Bread Factory
''A Bread Factory'' is a 2018 American two-part indie comedy drama film written and directed by Patrick Wang. It features an ensemble cast and depicts a fictional community arts center in a small upstate New York town that struggles under econ ...
'' (2018), directed by Patrick Wang
* The PBS documentary ''Two Square Miles'', directed by Barbara Ettinger, is about Hudson.
*''Our Town: Hudson'' (2011), WHMT Aired: 2011
* Hudson is referenced throughout the series ''Gossip Girl
''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series created and developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and based on the series of novels of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. It follows a group of students on Manhattan's ...
'' as the home of Alison Humphrey and later Jenny Humphrey
Jennifer Tallulah Humphrey is one of the characters in both the ''Gossip Girl (novel series), Gossip Girl'' and ''The It Girl (book series), The It Girl'' series of novels by Cecily von Ziegesar. She is portrayed by Taylor Momsen in the Gossip Gi ...
* ''Creative-Exposure/Portraits of Hudson, NY'' (2024) is a book authored by Chad Weckler that highlights some of those that have contributed their creativity to Hudson's community.
* Hudson is the town in which author Lionel Shriver
Lionel Shriver (born Margaret Ann Shriver; May 18, 1957) is an American author and journalist. Her novel '' We Need to Talk About Kevin'' won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2005.
Early life and education
Shriver was born Margaret Ann Shriver, ...
set her 2020 novel ''The Motion of the Body Through Space''.
* Hudson is the town in which author Jen Beagin set her 2023 novel '' Big Swiss''.
See also
*
References
External links
City of Hudson official website
Our Town: Hudson
Documentary produced by WMHT (TV)
WMHT (channel 17) is a television station licensed to Schenectady, New York, United States, serving the Capital District as a member of PBS. It is owned by WMHT Educational Telecommunications alongside NPR member WMHT-FM (89.1). The two statio ...
*
{{Authority control
Artist colonies
Cities in New York (state)
County seats in New York (state)
Gay villages in New York (state)
Cities in Columbia County, New York
New York (state) populated places on the Hudson River
Gay villages in the United States