Beattie-Powers Place is a historic home & public park in the Hudson Valley village of Catskill, NY. In 1990, Mary Dean Beattie bequested the property to the village. Since 2005, the all-volunteer Friends of Beattie-Powers Place has been dedicated to the site's upkeep and public programming.
The park is open on a daily basis, from sunrise to sunset. Due to the pandemic, our in-person programming is currently in streamed & recorded format. As the weather warms up, we will have distanced events outside. Please join our mailing list or check back for more!
"For the benefit of the community"
-Mary Deane Beattie
High on a bluff above the Hudson River, Beattie-Powers Place has been a singular presence in the Village of Catskill, NY for nearly two centuries. In 1990, the house and six-acre park were bequeathed to the village by Mary Dean Beattie for the "benefit of the community." Since 2005, the all-volunteer organization Friends of Beattie-Powers Place has been dedicated to opening the site to the public, while preserving and protecting it for future generations.
~NOW through March 7th ~ Free screening of 'Viva El Vedado,' a documentary about the history & architecture of an important Havana neighborhood. Event page & streaming here.
Beattie-Powers Place was originally the home of James Powers, born in Columbia County, NY in 1785. Powers, a noted lawyer and New York State senator, was a prominent figure in the Catskills & Hudson Valley of the 19th century. He loved the area and was involved in its early promotion. His farming interests lead to cultivation of celebrated fruit trees and even vineyards for winemaking, despite the region's cold climate. By 1839, on this tract of land with stunning views of the Hudson River, Powers had his home built from a pattern by Minard Lafever, one of the finest American architects of his time. Today, it is a rare surviving example of its kind in the Hudson Valley.
An extraordinary circa 1830s
Greek Revival house
Concerts & lectures
in a unique setting
Spring through fall, the house's intimate parlors host live events open to the public. Fans of chamber music, jazz and bluegrass can enjoy first-rate concerts by renowned artists and brilliant students. Ideas are on the calendar, too, with talks by experts on topics such as landscape design, preservation law and baseball history. We are working to keep providing our programming safely to the public via online and distanced events, so please stay tuned! Please click here for recordings of recent outdoor concerts on our YouTube channel.
Since 2005, the Friends of Beattie-Powers Place has transformed what had become a neglected site into an inviting oasis. Walk, picnic, enjoy the well-tended gardens and winter sledding. Choose a bench and take in the changing seasons, the Hudson River, and Rip Van Winkle Bridge. Looking East across the river, you will see a magnificent view of Olana, home of Hudson River School painter Frederic Church. Open dawn to dusk, the park is open to all, year-round.
We hope to see you soon!
