Page 22 of Hudson Valley Region - County Scenic & Historic Drive Tours by Dutchess County Tourism

tour 3 15 salt point a transportation center for grains and cattle two traditions account for the name the first holds that indians and early settlers set out salt licks to attract deer the second recalls a cattle drover s trick of fattening herds on the way to market by feeding cattle salt before their final fording increasing sale weight by adding water today farms are devoted to horse cattle and sheep breeding drive 3.1 miles on rt 44 west to albrecht s dairy 17 albrecht s dairy r main house ca 1797 an early structure on approach to the village drive 0.2 mile to st paul s episcopal church 18 st paul s episcopal church l located across the highway from albrecht s is little changed since it was built in 1842 drive 1.7 miles past taconic parkway entrance continue on salt point tnpk 0.7 mile 16 creek meeting house l in the late 1700s quakers settled in the area and began construction of the building now occupied by the upton lake grange l completed in 1782 the fieldstone creek meeting house l home of the clinton historical society is identified as a quaker site by separate entrances for women and men and by the adjacent burial ground one of the oldest in the county exhibits call 845/266-5494 for drive 0.2 mile to wappinger creek and bridge 19 village of pleasant valley quakers and presbyterians from new england and long island first settled here in the 1740s where the wappinger creek was easily forded late 18th c maps refer to a great bridge and open bridge near the fording site south of the present structure a covered bridge built over the creek was replaced in 1841 and 1911 this area is the site of former textile mills continue 0.2 mile to pleasant valley presbyterian church 20 pleasant valley presbyterian church and burial ground l the congregation formed 1765 constructed its first church in 1770 the present brick greek revival structure was built in 1848 the adjacent burial ground contains many early stones turn right at light on cr 71 west rd drive 1.0 miles to west road school 21 west road school l in former years pleasant valley was a farm and railroad center and a summer vacation retreat sawmill plaza was the site of the railroad station for the poughkeepsie and eastern rr 1870 the station was removed in 1990 to the school grounds creek meeting house turn around and drive 0.7 mile back to enter taconic parkway south drive 3.6 miles and turn right at poughkeepsie/millbrook exit on rt 44 west the name taconic is said to come from an indian root word and may be translated as forest or forest clearing rt 44 one of the oldest roads in the county originated as a footpath the 18th c saw the beginnings of a county road system private companies built roads as investments and were repaid by tolls early roads often constructed of log planks provided a dry surface for carriage wheels and riders rt 44 first know as filkintown road became the dutchess turnpike a toll road in 1806 tollkeepers and their families living in houses next to the road operated toll gates and collected fees 22 drive 0.3 mile turn left on rt 115 salt pt trpk along salt point turnpike farmhouses and farm buildings reclaim the landscape and cattle graze nearby railroad station at west road school

[close]