From left in front of Van Cortlandt Manor’s newly restored entryway —  Peter Pockriss, chief operating officer, Historic Hudson Valley; Peter Harckham, New York state senator;
Waddell Stillman, president, Historic Hudson Valley;
Brian Pugh, mayor, Croton-on-Hudson;
Brian Healy, village manger, Croton-on-Hudson;
Maria Slippen, trustee, Croton-on-Hudson;
Dana Levenberg, New York state assemblymember;
Luke Powell, Lower Hudson Valley regional representative, New York state Executive Chamber

On Thursday, Sept. 10, Historic Hudson Valley marked completion of the first construction phase of its $5.6 million capital project to revitalize Van Cortlandt Manor, a National Historic Landmark in Croton-on-Hudson, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of its newly restored entryway and more funding news.

New York state Sen. Peter Harckham was on hand to announce the second of two CREST (Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability and Technology) grants that he has secured for the Van Cortlandt Manor project. This $100,000 will enable installation of a new HVAC system for the Tavern, ensuring that it remains comfortable in both hot and cold months for a range of visitors from schoolchildren on field trips to guests enjoying traditional fare, a spokeswoman said. (Since breaking ground in February, work has been moving forward on site stabilization and accessibility enhancements.)

“A top tourist destination and a much-loved historical site in the Hudson Valley, Van Cortlandt Manor has in recent years grown in popularity, and so renovating and modernizing elements of the buildings on the property make sense in terms of long-term sustainability,” Harckham said of the 17th-century estate, part of Historic Hudson Valley, the Tarrytown-based educational nonprofit, along with other properties. “I was proud to support this incredible regional asset with grant funding for a new HVAC system and thank my colleagues in the state Legislature for their support of this project as well.”

New York state Assemblymember Dana Levenberg has also secured key support for improvements at Van Cortlandt Manor.

“It is such a joy to see the progress being made here at Van Cortlandt Manor,” Levenberg said. “I was proud to secure funding to improve accessibility at this site, to make it possible for more people to enjoy events like The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze and learn more about our area’s place in history. I look forward to seeing the next phase of construction and the completed projects.”

Van Cortlandt Manor gets set for The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, a top regional attraction opening Thursday, Sept. 18. Blaze photographs by Tom Nycz for Historic Hudson Valley.

For Historic Hudson Valley President Waddell Stillman, the event was a moment of pride and gratitude, not only for the project funders and partners but for the Patriot Van Cortlandt family that included New York’s first lieutenant governor, Pierre Van Cortlandt:   “….We are so pleased to be able to contribute to the economic health and cultural vibrancy of the region…and we look forward to welcoming a wider audience to Van Cortlandt Manor in the future.”

As part of a broader historic preservation initiative—following recent restorations to the site’s Manor House and several outbuildings—the Van Cortlandt Manor project is upgrading the entrance, enhancing stormwater management, improving visitor safety and accessibility and restoring the historic 800-foot Long Walk brick walkway. While the project is scheduled for completion in summer 2027, the property remains open for select public programming. It recently celebrated America’s 250th anniversary with Tavern gatherings and the village of Croton’s Revolutionary War Reenactment Showcase, in which costumed presenters honored a pioneering regiment of Black soldiers. Van Cortlandt Manor will once again welcome visitors for one of the region’s premier Halloween attractions and a key economic driver, The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, starting Thursday, Sept. 18, through Nov. 8.

The project is designed to help Historic Hudson Valley welcome schoolchildren in a more accessible way as they explore life in the “New Nation” period, when a community that included enslaved Black residents as well as wealthy and working-class Whites experienced the sociopolitical aftershocks of the Revolutionary War. To broaden access to the estate’s history, a new online portal allows the public to encounter more than 4,600 objects and artifacts from the Van Cortlandt Manor collection from anywhere in the world.

The renovation is supported by a coalition of federal and state partners, anchored by a $2.2 million appropriation from the Federal Highway Administration administered through the New York state Department of Transportation. Additional support includes a $600,000 Empire State Development grant, a $750,000 Indian Point Community Fund grant and a total of $325,000 in CREST program funding, spurred by Harckham and Levenberg.

While the project is funded  without the use of village tax dollars, Croton-on-Hudson serves as municipal sponsor.

“Van Cortlandt Manor is a historic treasure that is a source of cultural pride and economic vitality in Croton-on-Hudson,” said Mayor Brian Pugh. “By preserving and improving access to this key resource through the strategic use of state and federal dollars, we are enhancing our heritage while boosting local commerce. The village is proud to partner with Historic Hudson Valley and appreciates the support of Sen. Harckham and Assemblymember Levenberg as we proceed in the next exciting new chapter for our community.”

As Pugh alluded, an essential source of funding is revenue generated by The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, whose sponsors include Amazon Autos, Con Edison, JPMorgan Chase and Phelps Hospital/Northwell Health. Van Cortlandt Manor and the Blaze are the flagship location for Historic Hudson Valley’s suite of nationally renowned Halloween season experiences, which attract tens of thousands of visitors annually from around the country to the lower Hudson Valley. Attendees stay overnight in area hotels, eat in local restaurants, shop in local businesses and visit other attractions. Audience research indicates these visitors contribute $18 million to the regional economy annually.

Washington Irving’s Ichabod Crane rides again for his life in “The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.

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