The Evolution of HoH's Official Seal (No, Not the Animal)

by Natalie Barry

Several months ago, our new mayor Niki Armacost was asked to speak to the 3rd/4th and 5th graders at Hillside and Farragut Middle School, respectively. During the Q&A segment, one child asked whether our village has an official animal. That got Mayor Armacost thinking about the eagle on the Hastings-on-Hudson village seal. She posed the question to the Historical Society: Why do we have an eagle on the seal? And what do the stars, arrows and leaves mean?

At the cottage, we started digging around and came up with some insights. While we may not have answered every one of Mayor Armacost's questions, we think you might be interested in what we discovered. This is almost verbatim what our response was to Mayor Armacost's inquiry.

The U.S. Great Seal

Eagles have been used on American seals since the early days of our Republic and many municipalities use aspects of the national seal in their insignia. The bald eagle was chosen on June 20, 1782 as the emblem of the United States of America, because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent.  The Great Seal of the United States (shown below) was also introduced publicly in 1782; it appeared on the reverse side of the one-dollar bill in 1935. In the U.S. Great Seal, the eagle's wings are outstretched (or displayed). S/he is facing left, towards the olives branches in its talon on that side, symbolizing a preference for peace. There are 13 arrows, representing the 13 original states, in its other talon. Above its head is a "glory," again with 13 stars.

We're not sure when the village of HoH started using a seal with an eagle. The earliest eagle in public view we could find is displayed at the top of the World War I memorial at the foot of Fulton Park, shown below:

The Society enlisted the help of Village Clerk Joe Cerretani, whose office has a number of seals in their possession. Clerk Cerretani looked through binders of old Village Board meetings from 1879 to 1904, also 1926 through 1929. None had any seals on them. It's possible that the village adopted an eagle seal early on, although we couldn't find any use of it before 1929.   

Official Hastings-on-Hudson Village Seal

According to Clerk Cerretani, the "official" village seal, which is on file at the New York Department of State, looks like the image below. This particular image was in the Society's files, on the cover of a November 18, 1929 program inaugurating the Municipal Building.

The Village Clerk's office has a heavy cast iron press, which imprints this same official seal on documents. This press looks like it is decades old, possibly from the 1930s or earlier. Its imprint is the same as what is shown above. In terms of what the leaves and arrows mean, we have no specific information on that. The leaves could be olive branches, like the ones on the U.S. seal, although they could be referring to another type of foliage. The significance of the three arrows is unclear (the three hills in Hastings? a reference to the village, town and county? these are just guesses). In this earlier version of the seal, there are no stars above the eagle's head.

Menconi's Eagle

Keep in mind that 1929 was when the Municipal Building was constructed and dedicated. Hastings resident and famous sculptor Raffaele Menconi created a majestic bronze eagle, which was placed on top of the building, seen below circa 1940:

Sometime in the 1940s, the eagle was removed from the roof and placed into storage. Over the years, the eagle statue became buried in sand in the basement of the Municipal Building and was only uncovered when the police firing range was enlarged in 1979. The statue was placed on a new pedestal in 1979, to commemorate the centennial of our village's incorporation, and now resides outside on the right portico of the Municipal Building. Here is the sculpture in a recent photo:

So it's possible that we had a seal prior to 1929 and the eagle statue was created independently -- or it may be that the statue and our village seal were both inaugurated in 1929, when our Municipal Building was dedicated. Note, however, that the eagles are facing different directions in our official seal and Menconi's statue.

Modern Village Seal

A newer, more modern version of the village seal features prominently on the first floor entrance hall area of the Municipal Building. In this updated version, the eagle's head is now facing right and s/he is all black. Three stars have appeared over the eagle's head. The arrows and leaves have also changed sides, which is intriguing. The eagle's head is still turned to the side holding the leaves, which would be in keeping with the foliage being olive branches. The photo below shows the seal on the hall floor:

According to records donated to the Historical Society by architect Peter Gisolfi, this new seal was placed into the hallway during the 1999 renovation of the Municipal Building. According to discussions with several officials who held village positions during that time, then-Village Manager Neil Hess and his associate Raf Zaratzian were in favor of updating the village seal and took the opportunity to do so when the building was being remodeled. Various versions of this new seal currently appear on village letterhead, envelopes, business cards, and on this seal that sits at the front counter of the Village Clerk's office, shown below. (Note that this paperweight seal does not have three triangles between the "V" of Village and the "N" of Hudson, which appear in the seal on the floor.)

In these various (new) versions being used today, sometimes the eagle's head is black and sometimes it is white, but it is always facing right. The wings differ a bit in the various newer versions. In Clerk Cerretani's opinion, some of this variation may simply come down to what eagle images the printer who is replicating the stationary has on hand.

We were disappointed we couldn't pinpoint exactly when the Hastings seal was introduced, although we suspect it was inaugurated in 1929. We believe the leaves are likely olive branches, mimicking the U.S. seal. The stars may be purely decorative -- or perhaps another nod to the Great Seal. The question of what the three arrows means remains a mystery. If any of you reading this can shed any light on any of these questions, please email the Historical Society at hhscottage@gmail.com. We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Hillside Students as Urban Planners - Visions of Downtown and the Waterfront

By Natalie Barry

This past January, Hillside teacher Dianna Clarke invited me to speak to the 2nd grade about Hastings history. I had a great time talking about early industry in the ravine, our waterfront factories, plus sharing “then and now” photos of important buildings from Hastings’ past. 

As I was walking out of Ms. Clarke’s classroom, I came upon some wonderfully creative dioramas of downtown Hastings, which were displayed in the hallway. I was so struck by these projects, I immediately pulled out my cell phone and took some photos. When I emailed Ms. Clarke to ask what they were all about, she explained:

We’ve been learning about different types of communities, including our own, and what goods and services are available in our community. Students were asked to pick a business on Main Street or Warburton Avenue to create and then present to the class the goods or services the business provides.  Students were so excited to share what they had learned!  Their projects looked fantastic when we put them all together to recreate some of the streets in Hastings. 

With the permission of Amy Cazes, the principal of Hillside, I’m happy to share my photos of the diorama projects put together by Ms. Clarke’s class. If you look closely, you can see that the kids included some incredible details, including conversations going on within an establishment (see Sakura Garden) and others that show goods in the window (e.g., Hastings Own Bagel). And we have a very realistic depiction of the Village Balloon and Flower Shop, which closed its doors a few weeks ago. 

                  

Ms. Clarke also told me about the final segment of the 2nd graders’ studies concerning Hastings history. Here’s what was involved:

Lastly, the students studied the Hastings waterfront. They looked at the past land use of the waterfront and were asked to create a plan for the current empty space. Students were very thoughtful in their planning, thinking of a plan that would benefit many in the community. There were so many fabulous ideas, including an amphitheater to hear bands and performances, a hotel for visiting family and friends, an aquarium that highlights the Hudson River, and the first In-N-Out Burger on the East Coast. Students learned a lot about their community and are invested in the future of the waterfront.  

The following are some of the drawings done by Ms. Clarke’s students, which depict what they envisioned on the waterfront. I hope you’ll agree that they did a terrific job of imagining what could be possible for the future of village!

Telephone Booths and Numbers

Telephone Booths and Numbers 

In “On This Day in History,” featured in The New York Times, it mentioned that on January 7, 1951, the minimum price of a coin-box telephone call rose to 10 cents from 5 cents in the state of New York.  

This made me think about those coin-box telephone booths that were located around Hastings.  There was one located outside the auditorium in the High School that was often used to call home for a ride back from an event at the school. And there was one outside the Center Restaurant, or was there just a phone inside?  I’ve forgotten.  That was used if you were in the middle of the village and needed a lift or had to check in with your parents.  I’m sure there was one near the train station and I remember some near service stations.  And now, they’re gone.  Cell phones are much easier.  It’s no longer necessary to fish through in your pockets or purse for that much needed dime.  But there was something special about pulling the door of that booth closed to have a private conversation.

by Judy Chamberlain (née Wemer)

____________________

A recently unearthed piece of ephemera included a set of very important numbers. At least important to a teenager in Hastings in the 80s. 

The numbers to various pay phones throughout the village: the A&P, just before the Gulf station on Warburton and the two in the alley outside of the Center Restaurant. Of course they were nothing like using the one wooden phone booth. In my twenties and thirties, I used the one at The Hastings House in the back beyond the dining room and John's Bar & Grill – creaking shut the door and dialing the rotary phone.

by Lindsey Taylor

____________________

In 1961, The Hastings News kept us informed about the new and emerging area code: 914. 

____________________

This was perhaps the last payphone in Hastings-on-Hudson, in the now defunct Tony's Steak & Seafood’s foyer. Photographed by Jeff S Alterman.  Posted to Facebook December 18, 2015. 

  

Immigration to and Emigration from Schwäbisch Hall

One of Hastings' early shopkeepers, Frederick Breyer, was included in a book recently published by the city archive of Schwäbisch Hall in Germany. The translated title of the book is "Immigration to and Emigration from Schwäbisch Hall: 1600-1914." For those of you who speak German, we now have a copy of the book in the Historical Society library. Here is an online version. Some of the following material is from our files and some is information translated directly from the book. The photos included in this post are the same ones provided to the authors of the book.

Friedrich Breyer (known as Frederick Breyer in the U.S.), was the son of a railway linesman from Uttenhofen. Friedrich was born in Heilbronn, Germany in 1869 and raised in Schwäbisch Hall. In 1884, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 15 with his 22-year old half-sister Catharina (his mother’s illegitimate daughter). His younger brother Christian Breyer (born in 1872) followed his siblings to New York in 1889, but vanished without a trace in August of 1890. 

Proprietor Fred Breyer behind the counter of his meat market, Breyer's Prospect Market Choice Meats, at 3 Spring Street, c. 1910

Frederick settled in Hastings-on-Hudson in 1899, where he married a native-born American and opened a butcher shop on Spring Street. Named "Breyer's Prospect Market," the shop was a mainstay of the village's commercial district for several decades.

Fred Breyer is in the center behind the dog, his son Fred, Jr. is seated on the barrel, and Anna Rohrbach is standing on the far right, c. 1910. This location today is the home of Giordano Beauty.

Frederick's business must have flourished, because he was able to purchase a Ford Model T truck for his establishment in the 1910s. 

Prospect Market truck, likely in the late 1910s

Prospect Market truck, overlay Google Map.

In 1920 Breyer sold his business and retired; he died in 1925. His obituary called him one of the most remarkable men of Hastings, because he continued with his trade -- without any obvious impairment -- despite ultimately losing his eyesight completely. 

Fred Breyer, Jr. on the Warburton Avenue Bridge with Demmler children, one of whom is probably Charles Demmler. Photo is c. 1905-1910.

Saving the Community Gardens

by Mary Wallis Gutmann (was Whiting in 1968)

 I’m not very Web-savvy, but every now and then someone who is calls to say, “Mary, listen to what I read on Facebook. . ."  This time it was my son, Paul, reporting that Wendy Waczek was writing about the [Zinsser] gardens.  So thank you, Wendy – your post made me remember with pleasure all your 4-H kids and working to save the Zinsser Gardens. -Mary Wallis Gutmann

Arthur Langmuir's 1933 photo showing  the site of 

World War I and II Victory Gardens.

Owned by Colonel Frederick Zinsser.

We [The Whiting Family] moved to an apartment in Hastings in 1968 and got to know the village. Paul and I were walking on the Old Croton Aqueduct and paused to look down into a low-gardened area. We were puzzled. Who owns this space? I thought. Along came another walker, who introduced himself as Charlie Callison. He was, I learned later, Vice President of the Audubon Society and an expert at saving land. “Are those community gardens?” I asked him. 

“Sort of,” Charlie said. “That garden belonged to the Zinsser family. The village bought it and the land next to it,” pointing above at a larger area along the Aqueduct. “The gardens have been here since the Zinsser Chemical Company decided to give their workers garden plots years ago. During the war they were Victory Gardens. Hastings had many Russian escapees [refugees]. They mostly grew cabbages, onions and tomatoes. Some still do,” he said, pointing out rows of neatly lined up plantings with onion tops tramped over in classic fashion.

 “What about the gardens now?” I asked. They seemed only partly used.

“The gardens now may be lost, ploughed under a grassy lawn,” Charlie answered. I winced.

“You’d better join our group. We call ourselves, the Nature Program Committee."

“What programs do you do?” I asked.

Charlie said, “Come to the next meeting and see.” A neighbor, Carol Ettlinger, was also a member of the group. The members were all concerned about the possible loss of the gardens. 

Charlie announced: “Here’s what we need to do. We’ll keep this low-key. First, we need a name. 'Zinsser Gardens' is one the Historical Society likes and it has been used for a long time. Next, we have to get more gardeners. Unfortunately it’s barely used: I’d say 20% tilled is a generous number; the rest is left to weeds and marsh. Mr. Ruggero has had a garden down there for years and we could get Pat Dugan, Director of Parks and Recreation, to assign him more space – Mrs. Ravinsky and other gardeners, too. We need a 4-H Club. Carol and Mary, you’ve got young kids, how about it?”

We had no choice but to nod.

“Now we need more activities there. Mary, how about if you do a watercolor rendering of the area?” Charlie spread his arms wide to indicate the size. His ideas were beginning to sound like work. “Pretend you’re in a helicopter. Your drawing should show the Aqueduct and all the way out to Broadway, including the parking lot. Now, sketch in garden spots. You’ll have to make them up, of course. Pretend there are about 20. Include the grassy area between the gardens and the parking lot, the space with the two magnificent oaks. Sketch in a bocce court and a climbing play place made of logs for the kids.”

“But who will play bocce?” someone said. I had never heard of bocce.

“We’re not making either of those, it just shows that we could. No promises – we’re creating interest and possible uses, and a story in the local newspaper,” Charlie smiled broadly at everyone.

We went to the next Village Board meeting armed with the sketch. I discovered that Mayor Sheldon Wagner [Mayor of Hastings-on-Hudson from 1961–75] had long ago dubbed us ‘the Nature Nuts.’ We could tell the Board was counting heads. We were more than 15 voters, joined by others who had come with different petitions or just because Sheldon’s meetings were often entertaining. Everyone sided with us. Since the board remembered an election where the Mayor had won by 29 votes, they took our numbers seriously. So did Sheldon.

Charlie made a little speech in which he called the gardens “a long tradition in Hastings” and said how the children would benefit from the educational aspects of the 4-H program (he didn’t mention that it did not yet exist). He went on to talk about the expert, long-term gardeners who worked there – Mr. Ruggero and Mrs. Ravinsky, for example – and the benefit gardening was to families and all ages learning together. By the time he finished, he had Board members calling the garden a tradition and we could see we’d won.

4-H Club:

Dawn Taylor tending her garden c.1974

We never put in the bocce court, but somebody assembled logs for a sort-of playground that is probably now humus. Carol and I liked the idea of a 4-H Club. Both our daughters were more or less enthusiastic and both sons not wild about it, but they all did some work every now and then. At the end of the first summer, we piled the kids in Carol’s big station wagon to take part in the Yorktown Heights Grange Fair. Our kids won prizes; Wendy Waczek remembers hers with delight and Paul won for the biggest tomato. 

Another of Charlie’s promotional ideas for the garden was to have our own 'Country Fair.' Pat Dugan liked the idea. He and I worked with different groups to set up a day at Zinsser Park with a pony ride in the upper field, a baby pig from the Andrus Children’s Home on display, and produce from the gardens. There was a cake, pie, bread baking, and corn-husking contest, and tables of fund-raising items for the local non-profits. The piglet got away, creating some delighted excitement.

Six women examining the preserve table a the Country Fair on September 15,1979. The fair was part of Hastings Centennial, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the village. From the Left: 2nd is Mary Callas, the former Village Clerk, Polly Carpenter, Carolyn Armour, Emmy Crosby, flatly on the right, Blanche Marchetti, the original owner  of Food for Thought.

After it was over, I said to Pat, “I am exhausted. How can we manage that again next year?” 

He said, “We won’t. We’ll hold it every other year.”

“Every other year? But they’ll be hounding us, some told me they’re already planning their part in next year’s.” 

Pat grinned, “We’ll tell them, when they ask what happened to the fair, that they missed it. They won’t know the difference.” 

No one caught on. We had six or seven fairs over 12 or 14 years. (to read more on the fairs hastingshistoricalsociety.blogspot.com) Pat really understood people; that’s how he survived in a demanding little village. He used to say under his breath, no matter how mad they were at him for something he would or wouldn’t do, “Keep those cards and letters coming. . .” And they did.

Three girls, one in a Girl Scout uniform, 
standing in front of the sheep pen at the Country Fair. 

One of the events of fair was a sheep shearing exhibition. 

Do you recognize any of the girls? Let us know!

We all played a part in saving the gardens: Charlie Callison, Carol Ettlinger, Pat Dugan, Betty Waczek, other committee members, and me. One of the things I loved was the slightly ragged look of the area. This remained as more gardeners moved in. Some fenced their garden with chicken wire that sagged in places; others with cast-off pickets found at the dump. Mrs. Ravinsky had wooden boxes to hold her tillers and her planted rows were perfectly straight, while other gardeners gave up after spring harvest, and let their spot go to weeds and wildflowers.  It was a good place to hang out when the kids were playing ball in the upper field and to talk with other gardeners. 

Mrs. Ravinsky showing her garden to her great grandson Patrick. c.1975

Everyone loved to pass on seeds and advice, and whatever kind of garden keeper you were didn’t matter – a bit seedy or pristine, all were okay. I hear all the garden plots are fully tilled now and that’s great.

________

Other write-ups on the Zinsser Gardens: 

County's Landless Farmers Cultivate Community Gardens

By ELSA BRENNER

Published: July 22, 1990

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/22/nyregion/county-s-landless-farmers-cultivate-community-gardens.html

A New Garden Pest: Pilferers in the Produce

By DONNA CORNACHIO

July 26, 1992

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/26/nyregion/a-new-garden-pest-pilferers-in-the-produce.html

In Community Plots, the Gardening Is Organic

By ELSA BRENNER

August 16, 1992

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/16/nyregion/in-community-plots-the-gardening-is-organic.html

Hastings Shortcuts

Paths and staircases offer direct routes through the Village

By Corinne McSpedon

Hastings is crisscrossed by many footpaths and staircases that connect one street or neighborhood to the next. Some—such as the paths into and through the Burke Estate, Hillside Park, and Zinsser Park—are well known and easily identified on the Hastings Trailways map, which is available at the Recreation Department or via this link.

Others require a bit more searching. There are many strips of land tucked between private property as well as several staircases throughout the Village. When many of these were built—about 100 years ago—pedestrians were navigating early 20th century Hastings roads, some of which were private and all of which had a tendency to meander as they followed the contours of the hills. The paths helped commuters and students save time and avoid walking on private streets. 

For the most part, these shortcuts are open to the public but tend to be hidden from view. Fred Hubbard detailed many of these in his 2006 publication, Recreational Areas of Hastings-on-Hudson (available at the library), in which he documents 40 “outdoor areas” in the Village.

Frequently only nearby or long-time residents know about the shortcuts in a given neighborhood. To follow are descriptions of some of the paths and staircases still in use today. A map, which can be viewed in greater detail, is included at the bottom of this post.

Hudson Heights 

A century ago, the developer of the Hudson Heights neighborhood, Hudson P. Rose, built steps, paths, and sidewalks into the hill to provide waterfront workers, students, and commuters with direct access to the center of town and the two rail lines servicing the area at the time: the Hudson Line of the Metro-North Railroad and the Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad— “the Old Put”—which carried passengers and freight from the Bronx to Brewster and stopped in Hastings at Mount Hope Station, near the Saw Mill River. (The Old Put rail line is now defunct, although hikers on the South County Trailway can follow its path as it meanders along the Saw Mill Parkway.)

The Kent Staircase, located at the intersection of Kent and Fairmont Avenues

Today, some paths and staircases are used more than others. At the intersection of Kent and Fairmont Avenues, for instance, is the top of a long set of steps that blends into its surroundings so well it’s easily mistaken as a neighbor’s walkway. The Kent Staircase, which is missing steps and covered by vegetation in places, leads to the corner of Fairmont and Clinton Avenues and does not appear to have been used much in recent years.

Near the top entrance to these steps, just west on Fairmont Avenue, is the entrance to a trail that bisects Lefurgy Park, a portion of public land that extends between the backyards of houses on Southgate and Fairmont Avenues and Overlook Road. The Lefurgy Park Trail runs through this parkland, stretching from Fairmont Avenue to the south side of Mount Hope Blvd.

Entrance to the Lefurgy Park Trail on the south side of Mount Hope Boulevard, between Overlook Road and Southgate Avenue

Across the street from this entrance to the Lefurgy Park Trail are the remnants of a sidewalk that ran along the north side of Mount Hope Boulevard, providing commuters with a path to the Old Put. Although only small sections of this sidewalk remain between Lefurgy Avenue and Overlook Road, in recent years neighboring homeowners have cleared vegetation from the remaining and mostly intact sidewalk from Overlook Road to Cliff Street.

Sidewalk along the north side of Mount Hope Boulevard, between Overlook Road and Cliff Street

Descending the other side of the Hudson Heights neighborhood is a staircase linking Jefferson to Hamilton Avenues, offering a secluded if a steep alternative to Mount Hope Boulevard. Newspaper articles dating back to 1940 refer to this as the Mount Hope Staircase. Fred Hubbard called them the Jefferson Steps in his publication. Neighbors often refer to them as the Hundred Steps.

The Hundred Steps, between Jefferson and Hamilton Avenues

Staircase from Hamilton Avenue to Prescott Place

At the bottom of these steps and across Hamilton Avenue is a smaller staircase that provides access to Prescott Place and, ultimately, Rosedale Avenue.

Further north on Rosedale Avenue, on the east side of the street, is the bottom of another staircase. These well-used steps stretch from Rosedale Avenue to Wilson Place.

Interestingly, a path that still exists in the Hudson Heights neighborhood, linking Lincoln and Lefurgy Avenues, appears to have been one of a couple of parallel paths that existed on adjacent streets: from Lefurgy to Cochrane Avenues and from Cochrane to Jefferson Avenues. The trails on these streets are no longer in existence, but it seems they may have once formed a continuous path from at least Lincoln Avenue to the top of the Hundred Steps.

Farragut

The Farragut Trail connects Rosedale Avenue to Farragut Avenue and could be a further extension of the path from the Hudson Heights neighborhood to the Village. A few houses south of the Rosedale Avenue and Prescott Place intersection, on the west side of Rosedale, this path runs between neighboring properties to Farragut Avenue, ending a few houses down and across the street from the dirt road entrance to the Burke Estate.

Riverview Manor 

High up in the Riverview Manor neighborhood are the Summit Steps, which offer views of the Hudson River. This staircase leads from Summit Drive to the intersection of Calumet Avenue, Buena Vista Drive, and Pleasant Avenue.

The Summit Steps, leading to Pleasant Avenue

Pinecrest

On the other side of town, a set of steps and path connect Pinecrest Parkway to the Aqueduct, near where it intersects Pinecrest Drive, providing residents with an essential link to the Village.

Steps and path from Pinecrest Parkway to the Aqueduct

At the bottom of Pinecrest Drive and across Warburton Avenue is another staircase—steep and made of metal—leading to the waterfront and Rowley’s Bridge Trail.

Staircase from Warburton Avenue to Rowley's Bridge Trail

In the Village

Unlike many of the steps found in the other neighborhoods, the staircase leading from West Main Street and the Steinschneider Parking Lot to Southside Avenue and the train station—one of the most well-used shortcuts—was constructed around the middle of the last century by the Village.

Stairs from West Main Street to Southside Avenue

Ownership and Upkeep

In 1940, the state of disrepair of the Mount Hope Boulevard Staircase, as described in a Herald Statesmen article published on October 31 of that year, led the Village to barricade the steps, which incited outrage among residents. According to the article, an investigation revealed that Hudson P. Rose deeded the staircase to the Village around the time it was built, in 1910. The steps were ultimately reopened, but it's not clear if they were repaired at that time.

Ownership and maintenance of other paths and staircases, such as the Summit Steps and the Wilson Place staircase to Rosedale Avenue, can be equally unclear. Some of these cross through private, state, or Town of Greenburgh land. In addition, Hastings homeowners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks bordering their property. It seems that the Village and neighboring homeowners have, at various times during the past century, maintained certain paths and staircases. Others, however, have simply been left alone.

Occasionally, nature has reclaimed—or neighboring property owners have purchased—some of this land. The Hastings Trailways Committee and the Adopt-a-Trail program in the early to mid-2000s organized efforts among residents to clean and maintain some of the remaining public passages. Currently, the Village’s Recreation Department maintains the paths identified on the Hastings Trailways map.

In general, the staircases tend to be in worse condition these days than the trails, which are at least minimally maintained as long as people use them. Many of the staircases have broken or missing steps and are washed out or overgrown in places. Despite their condition, however, these staircases and footpaths are still used regularly—by commuters and students, walkers and joggers. More than 100 years later, they continue to be vital pathways for anyone navigating the hills and neighborhoods of Hastings.

 

click on map to enlarge

Map was adapted from the Hastings Department of Parks and Recreation’s Trailways Map, design by Adam Hart, by Lindsey Taylor June 2016

Photos by Corinne McSpedon