THE TOWN OF CORTLANDT. 1 65 



Esq., who married the widow of the late Buckman Verplanck, Esq., is 

 delightfully situated in the midst of the beautiful woodland scenery. 



Verplank's Point has ever been admired for the variety and exquisite 

 beauty of its scenery, and in some places it is thickly covered with luxuriant 

 woods. The line of the Hudson River Railroad passes through the 

 " Deep-Gut," a singular phenomena, which traverses the neck for some 

 distance. 



The village of Verplanck is now laid out in avenues and streets, from 

 Lent's cove on the north to Green's cove on the south, and bounded on 

 the west by the Hudson. Here is a station of the Hudson River Rail- 

 road, a convenient steam-boat landing, post-office, taverns, stores and 

 numerous dwelling houses, one Methodist Episcopal church and one 

 Roman Catholic church, besides nine brick yards, three of which are 

 owned by Mr. Rosalie Blakely, and the others by the Hudson River 

 Brick Manufacturing Company, viz : Daniel J. Haight, John Morton, 

 John Candee and Charles Shultz. These nine yards employ about 400 

 men and manufacture about 375,000 bricks per day, involving an ex- 

 penditure for labor of about $78,000 for the brick making season of 130 

 days. A beautiful lake has been erected within the village through the 

 indefatigable exertions of James A. Whitbeck, Esq. The spot occupied 

 by the lake was formerly an unsightly morass, 97 acres in extent, and was 

 overflowed for the purpose not only of beautifying the surrounding 

 country, but also in order to prevent malaria. It is now owned by the 

 Knickbocker Ice Company of New York, which cuts about 75,000 tons 

 of ice during the season. 



Near the western extremity of the Point is the site of Fort Fayette, 

 which, July 2 2d, 1779, was garrisoned by one thousand British troops, 

 under the command of Gen. Vaughan. "Twenty-third of June, 1779," 

 remarks Gen. Heath, " the British were now in possession of both the 

 points at King's Ferry, and a number of transports had lain in the 

 river for some time. The advanced posts of the Americans at this time, 

 on this side, did not extend lower than Peekskill," &c a " On the 27th," 

 continues the same authority, "a deserter came in from Verplanck's 

 Point, who reported that the British Army, except five or six regiments, 

 were to leave the points, and were then embarking. Soon after upwards 

 of thirty sail of transports were seen standing down the river. The 

 British had a sloop at anchor off Peekskill Landing and a ship off the 

 Dunderberg. Lest the enemy meant a deception, the Americans were 

 ordered to lie on their arms, and a regiment extra was ordered to ad- 

 vanced on the heights. 



a Heath's Mem. 205. 



