CRAGSMOOR
CONSULTANTS
Cragsmoor
Consultants was founded by Wendy Harris and Arnold Pickman in 2001 to
conduct archaeological and historical research in Ulster County and
the Hudson Valley, as well as the New York City area.
"SLAVERY" VIDEO
Most recently we have collaborated with the Cragsmoor Historical Society to create the documentary video Where Slavery Died Hard: The Forgotten History of Ulster County and the Shawangunk Mountain Region. Two years in the making, the video delves deeply into the hidden history of southern Ulster County’s rural hinterlands, documenting the experiences of both enslaved and enslavers as well as the present-day landscape that still holds visual evidence of their lives and labors. The information presented draws upon primary documents, archaeological fieldwork, surveys of local historic architecture, as well as the insights of contemporary scholars and researchers. The video has received the Greater Hudson Heritage Network’s 2018 Award for Excellence and the Museum Association of New York’s 2019 Award of Merit for Innovation in Collection Access. It has won both the Greater Hudson Heritage Network Award for Excellence and the Museum Association of New York Award for Merit for Innovation in Collection Access. The video and an accompanying bibliography are available on the Society's Website and Can be Viewed by Clicking This Link.
2. Early Cragsmoor: The Mentz and Terwilliger Families
3. Early Cragsmoor: The Goldsmith and Coddington Families
4. Early Cragsmoor: The Stephen Evans and James Walker Families,
5. Additional List of Sources for Third and Fourth Articles
We also have conducted a number of archaeological investigations in Cragsmoor, including the site of the home of Peter Brown, one of the mid-nineteenth- century settlers who became a favorite subject of the American genre painter Edward Lamson Henry. Brown's farmhouse was subsequently occupied by members of the famed Cragsmoor Arts Colony, including one of its founders, Frederick Dellenbaugh. A document-based study of the house's history and an archaeological excavation were sponsored by the Cragsmoor Conservancy. A summary of our report on the history and the excavations can be viewed HERE. An illustrated monograph based on the report has been published by the Cragsmoor Conservancy. It is entitled The Peter P. Brown House Site, Cragsmoor, New York, Historical and Archaeological Findings. In addition to the archaeological findings, the monograph also contains newly discovered information on the history of Cragsmoor and its arts colony. It can be purchased through the Conservancy's website by clicking here. All proceeds from its sale go to the Cragsmoor Conservancy.
Wawarsing Stone House Survey
In
2015, at the request of the Town of
Wawarsing/Village of Ellenville Historic Preservation Commission
(HPC), we conducted
a survey of eighteenth and early nineteenth century stone houses
in the Town. Our
survey updated and expanded upon one completed in 1967. The report on the
results of our survey can be accessed by clicking HERE.
Hudson River Landscape and Iconography
Hudson River Ice Harvesting
We have also published a several papers investigating the nineteenth and early twentieth century Hudson River Ice Harvesting Industry. Two of these can be viewed by clicking on the Links Below:
Our Article "Towards an Archaeology of the Hudson River Ice Harvesting Industry" was published in the Journal Northeast Historical Archaeology (Vol 29, 2000). It can be downloaded through the Journal's website.