Fishkill Overlook Falls
Location: In the city of Beacon; Dutchess County; Hudson Valley Region; New York.
Maps: Google Map; Topographic; Interactive map.
GPS Coordinates: N 41.50343 / W 73.96202
Directions: Take NY-9D into Beacon, then north on Tioronda Ave to Main St. Turn right/east on Main St. The falls will be visible from E. Main St on the right.
Parking: There’s roadside parking along Main St near where the E Main St bridge and falls are. Additional parking can be found in a large lot just to the south off of Churchill St, or a lot off of Van Nydeck Ave. If you cross over the bridge and then swing a left into the roundhouse hotel complex, there is some roadside parking, but I’m not sure if this is open to the public.
Weather
Information / Accessibility / Accommodations
Number of falls: 1 man-made dam and 1 natural waterfall.
Size/Types: The dam is L-shaped with a straight 8 ft drop, constructed of stone. It is illuminated at night. Downstream from the dam is a natural cascade, shallow in gradation, that bends around the Roundhouse restaurant and hotel. It’s estimated at about 25 ft in height.
Best time to visit: Year-round. The falls becomes a significant torrent during late winter and early spring.
Waterway: Fishkill Creek. It originates in the town of Union Vale, fed by several tributaries in the upper Clove Valley. It flows generally southwest, culminating in a small estuary on the Hudson River just south of Beacon. The total length of its path is 33.5 miles. Its 193-square-mile (500 km²) watershed extends partially into Putnam County to the south. The watershed has become heavily developed in the last decade, and while the creek is not used in any municipal water supply, conservation efforts are ramping up to protect the water quality, which will, in turn, increase the health of the Hudson.
Time: Just a few minutes to see the falls from one spot. 30 minutes or more to see if from all 3 spots.
Seasons/Hours: Year-round, day and night. The dam is illuminated at night. The natural falls is not.
Admission: Free.
Handicap Accessibility: A chair-accessible paved walkway crosses the Sauers (E Main St) Bridge and extends up the east side of the creek to an observation platform.
Pets: Pets are not allowed on the east side of the falls, which is Roundhouse Hotel property. They are allowed elsewhere and need to be on a leash.
Swimming: None.
Accommodations: The Roundhouse restaurant and hotel is onsite. Along Main St there are several shops and eateries. Melzingah Tap House is recommended for good eats. There are no public restrooms.
Description
AKA: Beacon Falls; Braendly Fishkill Dam
Fishkill Overlook Falls, located in the heart of a former manufacturing center within the city of Beacon, is an interesting blend of natural beauty and historical significance. There are actually two falls here. The first, predominantly associated with the name Fishkill Overlook Falls, is an L-shaped man-made dam about 8 feet tall. Illuminated in the evening, this stone dam is situated directly across from The Roundhouse Restaurant’s dining room. It was originally constructed as part of the water power system that drove the massive Matteawan Manufacturing Company facility downstream. The company was one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of wool hats, and ended up dominating the neighborhood here with annexes, capable of churning out tens of thousands of hats per week, utilizing the power Fishkill Creek provided.
From the Sauers Bridge, where East Main St crosses Fishkill Creek, one can not only see the dam, but also a large natural cascade over an irregular rock face. This falls runs the length of the bend in the creek around the Roundhouse, ending just below the bridge.
The surrounding neighborhood, a former industrial district, is scattered with old factory buildings that once utilized the creek for power. In late winter through early spring, when snowmelt feeds the creek, it can become quite an impressive torrent. This powerful flow engulfs this stretch of Main Street with its roar, making it apparent how the city was able to sustain so many factories throughout the 1800s. Today, this area has been revitalized and transformed into a vibrant neighborhood filled with restaurants and art galleries, making the falls a pleasant stop for those passing through the Hudson Valley.
History
Prior to white settlers, this land was home to the Wappinger tribe of Native Americans. Merchant-fur traders, Francis Rombout and Gulian Verplanck purchased the land, that would eventually become the city, from the Wappinger tribe in 1683. Two white settlements rose up over the next 50 years: the villages of Matteawan (which is now the uplands of the city) and Fishkill Landing (which was a port settlement along the Hudson, west of Matteawan). With FishKill Creek running through it, water-powered manufacturing became big business in Matteawan in the 1700s. During the Revolutionary War, a significant number of factories in the village produced goods to support the war effort, while Fishkill Village quartered soldiers and docked military ships. The city gets its name from Beacon Mountain, located southeast of the city, which was used to alert American Revolutionary forces (particularly General George Washington and his forces across the river in Newburgh) with warning fires, or beacons, about the movements of British troops. A monument now stands atop the mountain where the beacon signals were once lit.
During the 1800s, Beacon emerged as a bustling factory town, earning the title “The Hat Making Capital of the US.” At its peak, the city was home to nearly 50 hat factories. The first major hat production facility in the area was the Matteawan Manufacturing Company, which employed 500 workers. Following its success, numerous other factories sprang up, including Dutchess Hat Works, which by 1900 was producing 450 dozen hats daily and even had its own showroom in Manhattan.
The Roundhouse Restaurant is located in what was a part of the Matteawan Manufacturing Company, which was established in 1864. The building was constructed by the Swift Machine Shop, who built it in an oval shape. The purpose of the circular setup was to create a central airflow in the building for surrounding metalworkers. After repairing an early lawnmower that was imported from the UK, Swift began producing them on their own, becoming one of the first hand-pushed lawnmower manufacturers in the United States. At one point they produced a line of horse-drawn lawnmowers. During the Civil War, they produced weapons for the Union Army. The business flourished into the 1940s and was eventually sold off several times and eventually became a part of the Toro Company, leaving NY State altogether. After Swift left, the building was used by Mase Hat Factory, then Braendly Dye Works, which shut down in the 1970s. The building remained vacant until the restaurant opened in 2011.
The east side of the falls, now a part of the Roundhouse’s hotel, was home to a large complex owned by the Matteawan Manufacturing Company, which once had 8 buildings on that plot of land.
Other businesses that operated on Fishkill Creek in the 1800s:
- Dutchess Tool Company manufactured baker’s ovens that were used around the world. They still manufacture out of Superior, Wisconsin.
- Genuine Panama Hat Company produced straw hats during the Panama Hat fad in the first half of the 20th century.
- Green Fuel Economizer Company was producing innovative energy products as early as 1892. They manufactured heat recapture devices that created a new class of efficient boilers. They also manufactured energy efficient fan systems for industry.
- Groveville Mills, a carpet manufacturer owned by Alexander Turney Stewart, one of the richest men in American history.
- National Felt Company took over the Seamless factory complex. They made felt hats and skirts.
- New York Rubber Company manufactured toys. After the Civil War, they began manufacturing rubber hands and feet for maimed soldiers.
- Rothery File Works produced high quality hand-made steel files.
- Seamless Clothing Manufacturing Company, who made along with hats; glove linings, wool garments, and is mostly known for skirts.
The two villages merged in 1913 and incorporated into a city, which was to be called Melzingah, after the native people who once inhabited the area. Locals decided on the name Beacon in honor of its role in the Revolutionary War.
Industry began leaving the city after the Great Depression, with most having exited by the 1950s. By the 1970s the city was in a severe economic slump. One of the factories that remained, was a box factory owned by Nabisco, where it produced the well-known “Barnum’s” animal cracker box that had a string handle (it’s now all cardboard).The factory changed hands to Federal Paper Board Company in 1985, and they continued box manufacturing until it closed in 1990. The building re-opened in 2003 as the Dia Beacon, an art gallery by the Dia Art Foundation. The gallery opening sparked a rebirth for the city’s economy, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists, and leading to the establishment of new businesses and additional galleries to cater to them.
Hiking / Walking Trails
Difficulty: Easy. Viewpoints of the falls can be accessed from sidewalks and paved paths. There are no steps or gradients.
Markings: Street signs.
Distance: A few hundred feet at most.
Description: Depending on where you park and how many angles you want to see the falls from, the path can be different. Check the walking path on the map below. The best vantage point to see the natural falls from is the Sauers Bridge (East Main St). On the east side of the falls is the Roundhouse Hotel complex. There is a nice park with a paved path that leads to an observation platform next to the dam. On the west side of the creek, the abandoned railroad tracks pass by a few openings in the trees that allow for views of the dam. From there, a small path leads down to the creek bed below the dam.
Map: Interactive.
Fishkill Overlook Falls Interactive Map
Interesting Stuff
Madam Brett Homestead
Located at 50 Van Nydeck Avenue, In 1709, Roger and Catheryna Brett (Daughter of Beacon founder, Francis Rombout), along with their children and enslaved individuals, moved from New York to Dutchess County and commissioned a Long Island architect to construct a Dutch-style house. This house remained within the Brett family for seven generations until 1954. Today, the Madam Brett Homestead stands as the oldest house in Dutchess County and is preserved by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Architectural highlights include original scalloped shingles, Dutch doors, and sloping dormers. The interior features original Georgian, Empire, and Victorian furniture, a collection of 18th-century Chinese porcelain, silver tea sets, early doll collections, textiles, tools, a punch bowl gifted by Lafayette, and items belonging to Catheryna Brett.
The property also includes five remaining acres (of her original inherited 28,000) with a perennial garden, a brook, and one of largest trees in the state, speculated to have been planted during Catheryna’s time.
Photography Tips
Silky Water Effect
- To get that smooth cotton-candy look to the falls, you need to use a Neutral Density (ND) filter on your lens. The ND filter will block some of the light from entering the lens without altering the color, and thus allows your shutter to stay open longer. This blurs the water and creates a soft white gloss to the foamy areas of the falls. Check out the article for all of the details.
More tips
- See the Articles for more photography tips.
Who to Contact
The Roundhouse Restaurant
Dining reservations: 845-765-8369
Book online
