I was in the abandoned building many times and it was gorgeous – a sin it was torn down.
Katz Mansion was torn down in the early 1960’s by the PIPC. A popular tourist spot (I live here now). The Archer’s are the same who lived and founded Brookgreen Gardens in Pawleys Island, SC. They lived there for about 9 years in the ’30’s then moved to CT. Archer, who owned Low Tor, was part of the property of the old Katz Mansion (Katz a movie mongul of the ’20’s) who sold it to Archer and his wife, Anna, a sculptor. Private property on the Path but it did show up on maps of the Appalahian Trail and growing up we met many hikers coming up our driveway. At the top, turn left to High Tor – turn right to Low Tor. The area at the top is defined by a dip at the ridge. Growing up in Haverstraw on Hillside Ave, directly behind our house was the “Pitchin Path” (known as the Pidgeon Path) where trees were pitched down the mountain years ago. Among them Maxwell Anderson, whose well-known 1937 play, High Tor, is the basis of a 1956 movie with Bing Cosby and Julie Andrews. One of Rockland County’s most beautiful sites, it had inspired countless poets, artists, and even playwrights. While Van Orden always refused to sell, his death in 1942 revived fears that High Tor might end up defaced by quarrying. On numerous occasions, quarry operators sought to buy the property from its owner, Elmer Van Orden. Like Tallman or Hook Mountain, this chunk of South Mountain was, by virtue of its trap rock composition, faced with the threat of destruction by quarrying.
During the Revolutionary War, beacons were placed on the summit to alert the Colonists of approaching British troops. It was also used as an air raid watch during World War II. At 832 feet above sea level, High Tor is the highest point on the Hudson Palisades. One of Rockland County’s best-known landmarks, High Tor offers outstanding views of the Hudson River and the town of Haverstraw below. The mountainous ridge within High Tor State Park is part of the Palisades escarpment, which ends at New York State Route 45. Trailhead parking: Haverstraw Rd, New City, NY 10956 (roadside parking) Max elevation: 832 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 793 ft.
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