Nyack Sketch Log: Thirsty for Local History?

by Bill Batson

Are you thirsty for history? Have a person on your holiday gift list with an appetite for art and culture? Nyack Sketch Log has produced a second local history mug that celebrates iconic buildings in Rockland County.

Every sketch log image that adorns a hat, shirt or mug originally illustrated a column the explores the history of our village and our county.  The drawings on my recent mug originally helped tell the stories of four structures:

• a building in Haverstraw that inspired both Edward Hopper and Alfred Hitchcock,
• a train station in Piermont that now houses a museum,
• a South Nyack mansion once owned by a colleague of Thomas Edison,
• a barn in Pomona operated by the oldest family run business in New York State.

If you’d like to share some Nyack Sketch Log-inspired gear with friends and family this holiday season, you can find me at the Nyack Farmer’s Market this Thursday, December 19, our last outdoor session from 8a – 2p, or Sat., Dec. 21 , noon – 7p at Casa del Sol, 104 Main St. Or visit nyackgift.com!

Here are the Nyack Sketch Log entries where the images on my Rockland Mug first appeared:

Nyack Sketch Log: Edward Hopper Mania
February 7, 2012

The building in Haverstraw that was the subject of Edward Hopper’s 1925 painting “House by the Railroad” still stands proud. The haunting depiction of the three story house by Hopper came to the attention of the cast and crew of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie classic, Psycho. Hopper’s painting inspired not only the design of the Bates Mansion in the 1960 production, but the mood of the film as well. “Psycho might be the most Hopperesque of Hitchcock’s films,” says Joel Gunz from AlfredHitchcockGeek.com. From Nyack to Haverstraw to Hollywood, Hoppermania is contagious.

Nyack Sketch Log: Will The History of Piermont Leave This Station?
April 14, 2014

According to Piermont Historical Society President Richard Esnard, the exhibition train has not left this historic railroad station. “Village of Piermont Trustees want to lease the interior of the station for commercial or residential use,” Esnard said. On May 1, the Piermont Historical Society is holding a benefit to secure the funds to derail the plan to rent the station. Esnard believes that with community support, the future of this local history resource will stay on track.

Nyack Sketch Log: The Ross-Hand Mansion
August 14, 2018

Since the 1850s, only four families have called 122 South Franklin Street home. The first two families built and expanded what is in many ways a monument to American architectural and scientific innovation. A third and fourth family, who sought to restore and preserve this significant piece of local and national history had shorter tenures

Nyack Sketch Log: The Orchards Of Concklin
July 17, 2012

When you buy your fresh fruit and baked goods from one of the booths at the Nyack Farmer’s Market, you are rubbing shoulders with American history. Within the span of 300 years of family farming in Rockland County, the Concklins have witnessed the birth of this nation and its darkest hour.  During the Revolutionary War, the family produced dairy products in the path of advancing armies. On 9/11 a Concklin was setting up for the farmer’s market at the World Trade Center when the Twin Towers were destroyed.  The Concklins’ story speaks volumes about the resilience of a family and the depth of the community support they enjoy.

You can find me at the Nyack Farmer’s Market on this Thursday, December 19, our last outdoor session from 8a – 2p, or Sat., Dec. 21 , noon – 7p at Casa del Sol, 104 Main St.
Nyack Sketch Log Vol. 1&2
Tote Bags
Long Sleeve Tees
Hats
Baseball Caps
Mugs
Magnetic Decals
Blank Note Cards

Local orders on nyackgift.com before midnight December 22 will be delivered by December 23rd.

Read also:

Nyack People & Places: Bill Batson, Artist & Columnist

Mug photo and info-graphic by Luis Bruno

An activist, artist and writer, Bill Batson lives in Nyack, NY. Nyack Sketch Log: “A Cup of History” © 2019 Bill Batson. Visit billbatsonarts.com to see more.