Hudson, NY – The Olana Partnership is pleased to announce that it was awarded a $14,400 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund’s Park and Trail Partnership Grants program administered by Parks & Trails New York. The grant will fund the design of the trailhead for pedestrians entering Olana State Historic Site from the Hudson River Skywalk from State Route 23.
Constructed in 1869, North Road served as Olana’s main entrance from the City of Hudson until the site became a state Historic Site in 1966. Olana’s nationally-recognized Strategic Landscape Design Plan completed in 2015 included establishing a trailhead here, and the opening of the Hudson River Skywalk in 2019 made it the pedestrian entry point. The trailhead design will create a more visible, accessible and attractive entrance and integrate the Hudson River Skywalk with Olana's historic carriage road network. The Olana Partnership will manage this design project in collaboration with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation.
“The Olana Partnership greatly appreciates this grant from the Park and Trail Partnership Grant program that will allow us to reimagine and reactivate Olana’s historic North Road entrance for visitors from the Hudson River Skywalk,” said Sean Sawyer, Washburn & Susan Oberwager President of The Olana Partnership.
“In its first year, the Hudson River Skywalk has become a popular pedestrian gateway," said Amy Hausmann, Director of the Olana State Historic Site. "We are very grateful that the Park and Trail Partnership Grant will help us to create a welcoming entrance at the historic entry point for visitors to Olana."
The grant is one of 29 awards totaling $900,000 for organizations dedicated to the stewardship and promotion of New York’s state parks and historic sites, trails and public lands. The grants will be matched by over $300,000 in private and local funding and will support projects to strengthen Friends groups and enhance public access and recreational opportunities.
Friends groups are nonprofit organizations and are essential to the stewardship and promotion of our state park system. These dedicated groups raise private funds for capital projects, perform maintenance tasks, provide educational programming, and promote public use through hosting special events.
The Park and Trail Partnership Grants are administered by Parks & Trail New York, a statewide non-profit organization, in partnership with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. More information on Park and Trail Partnership Grants can be found at www.ptny.org or by calling 518-434-1583.
Parks & trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin said, “It’s inspiring to see the transformational effect of the Park and Trail Partnership Grants and how they are enhancing the ability of Friends groups to make an even greater contribution to the stewardship of New York’s great outdoor spaces. These grant funds will enable groups to leverage more private and federal funding, marshal more volunteer power, and augment the state’s historic investment in parks, trails and other public outdoor places.”
The Olana Partnership looks forward to completing the design and move into implementation to better serve the nearly 100,000 visitors expected to enter Olana through the Hudson River Skywalk.
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OLANA STATE HISTORIC SITE AND THE OLANA PARTNERSHIP: A National Historic Landmark, Olana is the master work of Frederic Church (1826-1900), the preeminent American artist of the mid-19th century, and the most intact artist’s home and studio in the United States. Church designed Olana as a holistic environment integrating his advanced ideas about art, architecture, landscape design, and environmental conservation. Olana’s 250-acre artist-designed landscape with five miles of carriage roads and a Persian-inspired house at its summit embraces unrivaled panoramic views of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains and welcomes more than 170,000 visitors annually. The Olana Partnership, a private not-for-profit educational organization, operates Olana State Historic Site in a cooperative agreement with New York State Parks.
Media Contact:
Melanie Hasbrook, Director of Advancement & Marketing
518-828-1872 x 103
PO Box 199 Hudson, NY 12534-0199
518-828-1872 www.OLANA.org
Photo: View of the Main House at Olana from the Summer House Location photo by Beth Schneck Photography bschneckphoto.com