Nature’s New Deal

Franklin Roosevelt and the Hudson

Valley During the Great Depression

Franklin Roosevelt grew up on the banks of the Hudson River, and during the Great Depression his New Deal work programs provided jobs to tens of thousands of New Yorkers. This presentation traces this history – from FDR’s childhood home just north of Irvington to the halls of Washington, D.C.  – to illustrate how Roosevelt’s experiences in the Hudson Valley greatly influenced many of his later New Deal conservation programs. Drawing from his book, Nature’s New Deal, Dr. Maher will focus on Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and its impact on both the natural environment and local communities of the Hudson Valley region.

The Stearns Property
And the Race to Save

The Irvington Woods

For over 130 years, the Stearns Property – the 99-acre estate of open lawns, pastures, and woodlands – extended from North Broadway to Mountain Road through the very middle of Irvington.  Expanded growth in the Village in the 1970s and 1980s, however, put this property at serious risk of development.  In response, a group of dedicated Village residents worked tirelessly to protect and preserve the eastern sections of this
property as part of the Irvington Woods, and today it is the home of the
O’Hara Nature Center, one of the most beautiful spots in Irvington.

The Tiffany/Matthiessen Estate
Gifts to the Village

That Keep Giving

       Between 1863 and 1945, the 62-acre estate just to the north of Historic Downtown Irvington was largely owned by three families, each of which left an indelible imprint on our Village.  These remarkable families – the Tiffanys, the Dunhams and the Matthiessens – lived widely celebrated lives.  Their ties to Irvington were strong, however, and each contributed remarkable gifts to the local community that continue to enrich our Village today. This talk will highlight those individuals, and the legacies they left.

The Founding of Irvington:
Creating A Thriving Village
From Farmland

         In 1849 Justus Dearman and his family made the decision to sell their farm with the hope of creating a completely new Village.  Building on the arrival of the Hudson River Rail Road, in ten short years the rolling pastures of the Dearman Farm became a thriving community of homes, small businesses and industry.  This talk will highlight the individuals who made this possible, and the steps they took to create the foundations of the Village of Irvington as we know it today.