West Point Foundry Preserve

Historic foundry site that produced the Parrott Rifle.

Visit: 80 Kemble Ave. Cold Spring, NY

The murmur of Foundry Brook will accompany your walk through the preserve — a far cry from the din greeting 19th-century visitors to the ironworks that manufactured some of America’s first steam engines, locomotives, pipes for New York City’s water system and cannons that helped win the Civil War. Trails pass remains of foundry buildings and interpretive features that tell the story of the site’s contribution to the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War, as well as the land’s astonishing ecological renewal. It’s a great place to escape life’s background noise while connecting with the valley’s past and its wildlife.

Established in 1818, the West Point Foundry played a leading role in the production of American metalworks throughout the 19th century. Engines for the nation’s first locomotives and steamboats, water mains for major cities like New York and Chicago, machinery for sugar factories throughout the Northeast, and key Civil War armaments including the widely used Parrott Rifle were produced at the foundry. The foundry attracted immigrants from the British Isles, who settled in Cold Spring and prompted its transformation from a sleepy village into a bustling factory town. Although nature overtook the foundry following its termination in 1911, remnants are still intact and viewable to visitors, who can stroll through its forested remains and learn how the foundry operated. Included in the National Register of Historic Places, the West Point Foundry is a must-see during your visit to Cold Spring.

Free and open year-round, dawn to dusk.

Take a unique audiovisual tour of West Point Foundry Preserve — for optimal enjoyment, bring your headphones to listen when you’re on-site. And for more information about the foundry, visit the Putnam History Museum at 63 Chestnut Street, a short walk from the preserve. A permanent installation about the ironworks features artifacts, documents and art.

Historic photos and text provided by Putnam History Museum & Scenic Hudson.