Coming Soon! Walking Tour of Dwight Street and Hooker Avenue

By Shannon Butler

You’ve been asking for a new walking tour, and it’s in the works! When you open the July-August Rotunda you will find mention of a walking tour on Dwight Street and Hooker Avenue. This is another historic district in the south end of the City of Poughkeepsie, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. In this tour we will look at the homes that were constructed between the 1890’s and the early 20th century.

One of the most common questions we get in the Local History Room is, “can you tell me about the history of my house?” That tends to be easier said than done. In most cases, we can find some basic information, like when the house may have been built. Using directories and old deeds, we can sometimes trace the previous owners of the property; but digging out interesting stories is a bit harder to do unless someone took the time to write down and then save everything. Sometimes we can look up the names of previous owners in the local newspapers to see if they were mentioned, but it definitely helps if the individual was a major player, as in a business owner, political figure, or even a trouble maker.

Another question that comes our way on occasion is, “why this street is named Hooker?” (which can sometimes come with a wink and a giggle). No, the street is not named after the “world’s oldest profession,” nor is it named after the famous General Hooker from the Civil War. It was actually named for a prominent local judge and businessman named James Hooker. Hooker had once owned quite a bit of land in the area and besides his work as a judge, he also served as the president of the Poughkeepsie Whaling Company, and as a director of the Hudson River Railroad Company. He died very suddenly on September 3rd of 1858, from what the papers referred to as a “sudden fit of coughing and oppression upon his lungs.” His grave, which is located at the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery, resembles an old church steeple in the gothic style.

Dwight Street is also named after an important man: Professor William B. Dwight, who taught natural history at Vassar College beginning in 1878. Dwight was originally born in Turkey, and studied geology as a young man before coming to Vassar, where he remained for 26 years. He focused on paleontology, and made some interesting discoveries of fossils here in Dutchess County. He died suddenly while on vacation in 1906 in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. However, the street was not named as a result of his death; on the contrary, he was still very much alive. The street was named in honor of his contributions to the study of natural history.

We will have much more to cover during the course of the walking tour (can’t spill all the beans here), including the many architects who left their mark on the street, and the interesting families who called it home. We’ll even talk about an old girl’s school that once stood nearby, though you’d never know it was there unless I told you! So keep an eye on the next Rotunda for this upcoming historical experience!