Saving Tallman Mountain and the Palisades: From Controversy to Conservation

The Dennis P. McHugh Piermont Public Library’s Lara Jacobs has accessed and supplemented the library’s Local History Collection to explore the exciting and pivotal role that preservation of the Tallman Mountain area played in the development of the Palisades Interstate Park System. Tallman Mountain and much of the Palisades Sill was once threatened by quarrymen who wanted to crush the “trap rock” for building roads and skyscrapers. Who were the aesthetic-minded preservationists and moneyed moguls who stopped them? Just how far did they go to influence legislation? Do we also have a few good women to thank for the creation of the Palisades Interstate Park? And what were those Standard Oil tanks once doing lurking in Tallman Park?

This exhibit, Saving Tallman Mountain and the Palisades: From Controversy to Conservation, will be on display at the library for the month of March. A reception will be held on Sunday, March 8, 2 – 4 p.m. with a PowerPoint presentation to be shown at 3 p.m. Bring your own “parking” queries, and knowledge. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Lara Jacobs acquired a Bachelor’s in English Literature at Bard College, and a Master’s in Library Science at Pratt Institute. Having grown up in Piermont, Lara loves delving into the history of her native village. She now lives in Brooklyn, and also works at the Union League Club’s library in Manhattan.

The Dennis P. McHugh Piermont Public Library is located at 25 Flywheel Park West, Piermont, NY 10968. Phone number: 845-359-4595. Website: piermontlibrary.org

Image credit: The painting is from Mack, Arthur C. The Palisades of the Hudson: Their Formation, Tradition, Romance, Historical Associations, Natural Wonders and Preservation.

The Palisades Press (Edgewater, NJ, 1909), frontispiece.