Hollowville: History Between the Creek and Hydropower

If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Hollowville, the town’s local history may be part of your destination choice. The town brings together its location in a valley, the use of Hollowville Creek as a source of hydropower, a former long-distance route, and a history of names and events. A seasonal offering from Scarecrow Farm in 2018 adds a time-specific glimpse of local produce to this picture.

Valley, Creek, and Hydropower

Hollowville lies in a valley surrounded by considerably high hills. Hollowville Creek ran through the center of Smokey Hollow, now Hollowville. Its water provided hydropower for several mills and factories; Hollowville was also settled because of the available hydropower. The landscape and the town’s development are connected: the creek is both a feature of the town and part of its former industrial history. If you are interested in how natural conditions shape a place’s development, this connection offers an introduction to Hollowville’s past.

A Former Long-Distance Road

Hollowville was located on the Columbia Turnpike, now known as County Route 23. In earlier times, the Turnpike ran eastward through Hollowville and was one of the most important long-distance roads from the east. The time periods should be distinguished: County Route 23 is the current name, while its importance as a major long-distance road belongs to the past. This route adds another dimension to the history of the creek and highlights Hollowville’s former role on a long-distance road.

Place Names and Regional History

Hollowville was formerly known as Smoky Hollow. In 1867, Smokey Hollow was renamed Hollowville. In 1844, before this renaming, Smokey Hollow, now Hollowville, was the site of the Rifenburgh Tragedy, a focal point of the Anti-Rent Wars. The dates put the name change and the event in chronological order: the tragedy belongs to the earlier period, and the renaming came later. For travelers interested in regional history, a specific event and the history of the town’s name meet here.

A Tavern in a Preserved House

An 1878 account relates that Wm. Z. Holsapple once opened a tavern in the lower part of Hollowville. It was located in a house that still stands today and has continued to serve that purpose ever since. This specific reference to a person, a building, and its use adds an individual local story to the broader themes of water power and transportation. If you take historic buildings into account when choosing a destination, this episode offers another perspective on Hollowville’s past.

A Seasonal Offering from 2018

In 2018, Scarecrow Farm in Hollowville’s seasonal offering included vegetables, eggs, honey, fourteen varieties of garlic, farm crafts and gifts, wool and wool products, and preserves. The year and season are integral to this example and provide a clearly time-limited glimpse of what was on offer at the time. Alongside the town histories reaching further back, this offers a specific look at local produce from a particular season. For your destination choice, these different time periods can be kept distinct: the creek, hydropower, and Turnpike put the town’s development in context, while the farm offering refers to 2018.

Discover more destinations: New Lebanon, Ghent, Copake, Hudson, Chatham, East Chatham

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