The Ghost Town in the Hudson Valley near Newburgh, New York You Have Never Heard Of
When you first hear the word ghost town, what comes to mind? Lets not get freaked out completely, it could simply suggest a town that was once thriving and now has no one around, haha. My sister took me on an adventure one day throughout the Hudson Valley and did not want to mention the word, ghost town. When we arrived, I asked her where we were, and she said Roseton. She explained how this was once a town with families, businesses, and schools and now it remains lifeless near Newburgh, New York.
Have you ever been to a place like this? Well, Roseton is super cool. This all began with the Rose family in the 1800s. They started a brick manufacturing company and the transportation business. The family resided in this town where they grew their business and built a brickyard in which Rose & Company was later created. They were successful and shipped bricks to New York City which gave the family the idea to name the town Roseton.
This town quickly grew and had their own houses, grocery stores and even a post office. John C. Rose was the man in charge of this great success and community efforts. John Bailey Rose took over after the passing of John C. and continued the achievements of this town.
He built a railway, installed steam shovels, and made it possible for the brickyard to have continued achievements and the workers to have their jobs. “The Rose Brick Company” was established with the creation of clay and gravel on site which was later used in Central Park. John Bailey Rose carried on the success and was elected to the Senate of New York State. He also was involved with President Roosevelt and was on the electoral college. The Rose Brick Company grew and sold bricks worldwide.
If you are wondering, what happened to this town, I was thinking the same upon arriving. After the brickyards were shut down, Central Hudson Electric and Gas Company purchased the site and grounds for future expansion. The homes and community were then simply, demolished.
I was happy to see that one building remained, Our Lady of Mercy Chapel. This church brought together Roman Catholics and those in the community in Roseton. Where did all the people go? This was a question I had that I can't seem to figure out. I would assume that they merged into other towns throughout the Hudson Valley.
I was thankful for my sister’s history lesson and travel guide skills to show me the town of Roseton. Have you ever heard of it or will you visit? Let me know below.
Find out more info, see the pictures from the past and learn additional facts here.