In August of 1874, J. H. Serviss of Englewood, New Jersey, compiled a map of Palisades, New York, just over the border from New Jersey. The map included Snedens Landing, what was from Colonial days the western terminus of the Dobbs Ferry crossing, and what in Serviss’s day became the site of summer homes for wealthy New York families.
On his map Serviss gave this particular waterfall, just south of Snedens, the name “Peanut Leap Cascade.”
The Historical Society of Rockland County (HSRC) will host “The Lawrence-Tonetti Waterfall: A History of Peanut Leap Cascade from Snedens Landing to Palisades Interstate Park” with Francesca Costa, Palisades Interstate Park Public Historian; HSRC Programming Director Jennifer Rothschild; and John Ratcliff, grandson of the sculptors Mary Lawrence and François Tonetti, who will tell the story of “The Waterfall” and how it has become a popular hiking trail within the park.
This slide presentation and panel discussion explores the fascinating history of The Waterfall, a natural feature enhanced by Lawrence and Tonetti in the early 20th century with stream-fed pools, a Roman-style pergola, and sculptural fountainheads.
Once part of the larger Lawrence property in Snedens Landing, in the Town of Orangetown in Rockland County, it became a favorite spot for moonlit gatherings of guests who arrived by boat, including fellow sculptors and painters, as well as the renowned architects Charles McKim and Stanford White, who helped design the pergola.
This magical spot is now contained within the Palisades Interstate Park, where thousands of hikers pass by its ruins as they descend the Shore Trail to the Hudson River.
Francesca Costa has studied local history since 2019 when she joined the Palisades Interstate Park. She has degrees from Gettysburg College and the University of Edinburgh in Public History and Archeology, though she finds the best education is a long hike in the woods.
This event will take place on January 19, 2025 at 1 pm at the Historical Society of Rockland County, 20 Zukor Road, in New City, NY.
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