History Saved After Fire at Rosendale, NY Widow Jane Mine
An Ulster County museum is thanking local first responders for their quick action and for saving a piece of Hudson Valley history.
A Brief Widow Jane Mine History Lesson
The Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale, New York has been around since the 1800s. Back then dolomite limestone was discovered in the mine and was a main ingredient in making Rosendale cement. According to Atlas Obscura, Rosendale Cement was used to make iconic national monuments such as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Washington Monument, the base of the Statue of Liberty, and the wings of the U.S. Capitol.
Now, The Widow Jane Mine is used for many events like small concerts, and historical tours and even is used as a mushroom farm.
Pretty cool right?
Fire at the Snyder Estate in Rosendale, NY
Also on the property is The Century House Historical Society. There they present and preserve history and information about the "Cement industry, the related D&H Canal and railroads, local history, business documents, photographs, geological information, and much more."
The Widow Jane Mine official Facebook page shared that a fire broke out the property. It seems as though the fire avoided the mines, but burned in the historic Snyder Estate carriage houses. The Widow Jane Mine staff explained further writing:
Heartfelt thanks for saving our history! On May 31st in the early afternoon, a fire of undetermined origin broke out at the Snyder Estate property. No thanks can ever be enough for the brave Firemen who came to the aid of the property and fortunately prevented any damage to the Historical Resources in the Carriage Barns.
The museum went on to thank every single fire department and first responding agency that showed up to put out the blaze. Those agencies are:
Rosendale Fire Department
Rosendale Police Department
Rifton Fire Department
Bloomington fire department
Tillson Volunteer Fire Department
High Falls Fire & Rescue High Falls Fire Department
Town of Esopus Volunteer Ambulance Squad
Bloomington Fire Department
Ulster County Batallion Fire Coordinator.
They ask if they missed any person or department to reach out to them through social media adding "We wanted to express our gratitude as quickly and sincerely as possible for your hard work...saving our shared history."