Located in Ulster County, N.Y., Cragsmoor first came into existence in the early 1870's when Edward Lamson Henry, William H. Beard, J.G. Brown, Mrs. Eliza Pratt Greatorex and her two artist daughters, Kathleen Honora Greatorex and Eleanor Gretorex, discovered the enchantments held by the plateau in the Shawangunk Mountains. E.L. Henry was the first artist to build a summer home here, and Mrs. Henry christened the house NA-PEE-NIA, a name from the Lenape Indians. Word quickly spread to other artists about Cragsmoor and its wonders, though the colony did not attract the traditional struggling artist with little or no recognition. On the contrary, artists of note who were already prosperous sought to make their homes among the splendor.
The sweeping vistas painted by the Hudson River school were not as popular at the time as settings where people were more predominant. Cragsmoor's artists specialized in the latter. Their mountain getaway was a wonderful source of scenic beauty and local characters. For example, the September 1, 1912 edition of the local paper, the Journal, noted, "Peter Brown died….a great loss to Mr. [E.L.] Henry, for he had utilized him as a model in some of his most striking pictures." Mr. Henry also used a local carpenter, Joseph E. Mance, for some of his paintings while Frederick Dellenbaugh often captured "Grandpa" Coddington (a local farmer) in his works. Of course, the painters used themselves and each other as subjects as well.
Eliza Hartshorn, a wealthy lady from Newport, was a primary figure in the development of Cragsmoor. She was related to both Mrs. E.L. Henry and Mrs. Frederick Dellenbaugh. During her first visit to the Henrys in 1886, she immediately purchased some land in the colony. Houses, barns, public buildings and roads were constructed at her impetus, with Frederick Dellenbaugh as the architect.
Although Dellenbaugh was a man of many interests and accomplishments, he never had formal architectural training. As a result, his houses were unique, innovative and eccentric. Closets would be placed in what would otherwise be wasted space, but he seemed to care very little for the dimensions of stairs. Very few of his staircases allowed for the passage of large furniture and some were even rebuilt so they could be utilized for that purpose. A Dellenbaugh house often had no two windows alike, for he enjoyed salvaging windows from houses scheduled for demolition in the city and working them into his designs on the mountain. (Note: The Barnacle is a Dellenbaugh house)
Dellenbaugh also gave Cragsmoor its name, despite stiff competition from Mrs. Henry. When the residents petitioned for a post office, Dellenbaugh offered "Winahdin", but was rejected on the grounds that it sounded too much like another upstate New York community, Windham. He then created "Cragsmoor." Mrs. Henry suggested the name "Baim-Wa-Wa" for the community. She maintained that it was the Lanape name for "passing thunder" and secretly circulated a petition against the adoption of "Cragsmoor." Dellenbaugh found out about Mrs. Henry's endeavors accidentally, and declared that he would leave rather than live in a community with such a silly name. He then got together with the local postmaster and wrote a letter to the Post Office Department, wherein he claimed that the bulk of the citizens favored his invention over Mrs. Henry's. Since the Post Office Department desired brevity, the name was immediately accepted.
During the summers at Cragsmoor, the Journal reported the presence of a number of musicians and music teachers. The best known was Maud Powell (1868-1920), the greatest female violinist of her day and a close friend of the Henrys. Theater people were attracted by Barnstormers Theater, an outgrowth of the readings, amateur theatricals and tableaux that were popular at Cragsmoor from its earliest days as a summer colony. It is rumored that Thornton Wilder wrote "The Skin of Our Teeth" while staying with Jessica Bruce in Cragsmoor.
Cragsmoor's summer residents were very civic minded. The Cragsmoor Free Library was first established in the Pines Casino, built by Eliza Hartshorn in 1899 for use by the young people. Around 1912 a library was inaugurated for both summer and permanent residents and was housed at various locations until 1923. In 1923, the trustees built a permanent library designed by Dellenbaugh and constructed on land he donated.
The summer denizens also ensured their spiritual needs were met. In 1895 and 1896, Dellenbaugh designed and constructed the Episcopalian Chapel of the Holy Name with money supplied by Eliza Hartshorn. The Federated Church was built in 1903, a venture heavily funded by the Innesses. Charles Curran served as deacon.
Describing the Cragsmoor summer colony in 1906, the Journal found "a harmonious community… active-minded and deeply interested in the best art, literature, drama and music: so that mingled with the atmosphere of relaxation is also one of pleasant mental activity. These people have seen the world far and wide, yet they find the charms of Cragsmoor undimmed by comparison." In spite of the fact that six years later the same paper complained that life on the mountain was becoming "too formal" very little changed there during the war years and beyond.
However, by 1928 Edward Gay, Eliza Greatorex, E.L. Henry and Arthur Keller were dead. Carroll Brown and Dellenbaugh only survived them by a few years. By the time Charles Curran died in 1942, the glory days of the art colony had long been over. Gone are the days when Mrs. Hartshorn was thrown from her buggy while going down the gully road. No one walks past Curran's house, singing, "steer clear of that man, for to get you to pose is his plan" anymore. However, the magic still prevails, and the views are just as inspiring.