Red Hook, New York, sits on slightly
more than one square mile in northern Dutchess County and was named, so it’s
said, from the red foliage that characterizes the area in the fall.
Located near the Hudson River, the
walkable town has its own school district and contains the villages of Red Hook
and Tivoli. Rich in history, Red Hook's earliest
natives were Mohican, Munsee and Lenape tribes who traded fur with Europeans. Albany's
first Mayor bought land from the region’s natives; cattle, horses and sheep
were brought to the area by the Europeans.
There’s more. The town’s Red Hook Society for the Apprehension and Detention of
Horse Thieves is one of the oldest organizations in New York State and still
holds annual meetings. As well, the Elmendorf Inn
dates back to 1760 when it was an old stagecoach stop on the Albany Post Road. Now
a community center, the inn has one of the country's few extant working historic
hearths, including a rare "beehive" oven and accommodates meetings, family
celebrations, exhibits, programs and get-togethers. Another interesting point
is that patriots residing in Red Hook were part of the country’s Continental
Army during the Revolutionary War, with historical markers at some nearby
stately homes.
Today, many people visit the town’s
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome that founded in 1958 to learn about aviation and see
air shows and vintage aircraft. Families and visitors also enjoy Poet’s Walk’s two
miles stretch that was named for literary giants like Washington Irving who
traversed there in the past. There’s also Greig Farm, a fun place for young and
old to pick produce and take advantage of breakfast and lunch meals. And, for seasonal
fun, every year Theater On The Road brings
A Christmas Carol to Murray's, a church that has been converted to a
performance space and café.
For more than 200 years Red Hook
with its inns has been providing hospitality to the region.