_William Cullen Bryant._
* * *
=Kingston to Catskill.=
=Rhinecliff=, with its historic Beekman stone house, is on the east
bank of the river opposite Kingston. The old mansion, on the hillside,
above the landing, was built before 1700 by William Beekman, first
patroon of this section. It was used as a church and as a fort during
the Indian struggles and still preserves the scar of a cannon ball
from a British ship.
=Ferncliff=, a mile north of the Beekman House, is the home of John
Jacob Astor, formerly the property of William Astor, and above this
=Clifton Point=, once known as the Garretson place, the noted
Methodist preacher whose wife was sister of Chancellor Livingston, and
above this Douglas Merritt's home known as "Leacote." Flatbush landing
lies on the west bank opposite Ferncliff.
One might almost imagine from the names of places and individuals here
grouped on both banks of the river, that this reach of the Hudson
was a bit of old Scotland: Montgomery Place and Annandale with its
Livingstons, Donaldsons and Kidds on the east side, and Glenerie,
Glasgo and Lake Katrine on the west.
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