Peekskill NY

Peekskill, NY at a Glance

Resting along the eastern side of the Hudson River across from Jones Point, Peekskill, New York was once occupied by Native Americans known as Sachoes. Jan Peeck, a Dutchman from New Amsterdam, was the first European to hold intercourse with the native peoples, who by contract and transaction exchanges transferred the land through Ryck's Patent Agreement in 1686. In 1816 the town was officially incorporated, "Peekskill" being a hybridization of the name Peeck with the Dutch word 'Kil' meaning 'stream.'

Before the Hudson Valley Command transplanted to West Point during the Revolutionary War, Peekskill was the original headquarters of the Continental Army. While its vigorous rivers and industrious mills were of strategic value to the military, the same assets doubled as vulnerabilities, and battered Continental forces cleared out after two attacks by the British.

Peekskill and its residents have figured prominently in the abolitionist and civil rights movements. During the Civil War era, the city was a stop for refugees along the Underground Railroad, where African-American landowner Hawley Green, Reverend Beecher, members of the AME Zion Church, and sympathetic Quakers helped to usher escaped slaves to Canada and freedom.

Peekskill, NY at a Glance

A historic conflict arose in 1949, when it was announced that musician and political activist Paul Robeson would perform a concert just north of Peekskill, to benefit the Civil Rights Congress.

In addition to his strident criticism of the Klu Klux Klan, Jim Crow legislation in the south and colonialism in Africa, Robeson was a vocal proponent of peace with the U.S.S.R. This and some inaccurate media reports of remarks he'd made in Paris in 1949 lead to his casting as an anti-American and a communist.

Though public response was fraught Robeson moved forward with the performance, the result being the famous anti-communist, anti-black, and anti-Semitic riots at Cortlandt Manor that left some 140 people injured. In 1999, Westchester County held a commemorative ceremony to make amends for injustices following in the wake of the violence, with Robeson as a key speaker.

Today, Peekskill is known for its flourishing artists' district. In the 1990's the city's Common Council spied an opportunity in its dwindling downtown area and decided to build a cluster of galleries and studios for artist-residents. The district has succeeded in luring a lively community of artists and now offers affordable co-op lofts in the Peekskill Art Lofts.

Vibrant arts organizations and facilities have also sprung up over the past couple decades, including the Paramount Center for the Arts, Studio 9 Galleries and Workshops, a recently renovated 1930's cinema, the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, and the Peekskill Coffee House, which serves as a venue for performance art. The multi-city Art Along the Hudson monthly events series also counts Peekskill among its participants, holding visual arts exhibitions, concerts, tours, and awards presentations. Headed by the Peekskill Arts Council, the Historic Artists District also puts on Open Studio tours each year at which connoisseurs commingle with artists, collectors and community members.

With its numerous rivers and parks, Peekskill Parks & Recreation has much to offer local residents and visitors in the way of outdoor amusement and leisure. For sports players, there is a state-of-the-art baseball stadium located on Louisa Street and basketball courts at Franklin Park and Lenore Park. The Veteran's Memorial Pool along with a picturesque picnic pavilion are located at Depew Park, and Riverfront Green Park along the Hudson Highlands offers a venue for kayakers and swimmers, holding numerous community events throughout the year.

With Peekskill Celebration drawing some 20,000 attendees from all across the region during the first week of August, Peekskill is the site of the largest festival held in the Hudson Valley. It is an exhibition of local maritime culture and heritage replete with fireworks displays, dragon boat races, and food stands.

Other annual events to look forward to include the Annual Jazz and Blues Festival, an outdoor concert featuring local musicians at which celebrants dance in the streets, and the Peekskill Italian Festival, where traditional Italian foods are sold. Italian Festival events in the past have included the eccentric "Tomato Sauce Wars," a meatball eating contest, art exhibitions, and an Italian marionette theatre. An annual Irish Fest has also been inaugurated recently, held on the Riverfront Green.