On October 27, 2024 Hudson River Maritime Museum will host a gala to celebrate all board members who served throughout 2010-2020 during the exponential growth of the HRMM, our programs, and our campus. We look forward to reminiscing on the past with you, but are most excited to share a taste of our future plans for the HRMM. We are incredibly lucky to have such a supportive and kind community, and are honored to share an evening with you all!
The evening will include happy hour cocktails, a seated dinner, a live auction of program support, and the celebration of the board members and community who have enabled the HRMM campus to become what it is today.
We would be honored if you joined us!
Staff and Board of Trustees, Hudson River Maritime Museum
Unable to attend? Consider making a donation to support our mission & programs.
Wooden Boat School Programs: The Wooden Boat School was founded by the Hudson River Maritime Museum in 2015 to preserve the maritime craft traditions of the Hudson Valley and to teach a hands-on interpretation of the living history of the Hudson River. We offer diverse curriculum and opportunities which inspire skills in woodworking, boat building, and maritime craft. The school offers adult and youth courses in woodworking, boatbuilding, and hand crafts. We are constantly adding new classes and working to meet the interests of the community while maintaining a focus on the crafts and traditions of the Hudson Valley.
Youth Sailing Program: The Hudson River Maritime Museum, in partnership with the Kingston Sailing Club, founded the Sailing School in 2017. Featuring youth and adult sailing classes, and occasional US Sailing instructor certification classes, the Sailing School seeks to get a new generation of enthusiasts out on the water. The sailing school would not be able to survive without our generous supporters. Help us keep up with the ever growing costs of maintenance, training, and new equipment that we need to be able to continue to share this amazing sport.
HRMM Education & Museum Programs: The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s mission is dedicated to teaching the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related industries. We do this through our immersive tours, hands on workshops, boat tours, and in-school presentations.
History
This year's fundraising gala will be held at OLE SAVANNAH located on the Historic Rondout at 100 Rondout Landing. The building is part of the former Cornell Steamboat Company shops. The Cornell Steamboat Company was the dominating towing company on the Hudson from 1880 to the 1930’s. The building was a “boiler shop”. Boilers for the ships were both built and repaired at this sight, which is located directly on Rondout Creek.
The Cornell Steamboat Company was started in 1847 by Thomas Cornell. Thomas Cornell operated his business from Rondout where he repaired and maintained a fleet of 62 tugboats which towed brages of materials including coal to New York City and other ports. Thomas Cornell built repair shops along the creek to provide full service to the boats, and fixed rail locomotives as well. Thomas Cornell was an astute business man, who used his increasing power to expand his control over the river traffic. Eventually Cornell had a virtual monopoly of towing on the Hudson River and employed over 450 employees on their boats and in their workshops along the Rondout Creek. At one time, he owned the largest fleet of towboats in the country.
Ultimately, Cornell Steamboat shut it’s doors in 1963. The Rondout-West Strand Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The present day Rondout West Strand Historic District is an interesting mix of historic residential, commercial and religious architecture