by Shannon Butler For many hard working folks, it’s pretty common to dream of a piece of land to work with and a house to call your own. Many of us want something that we can build upon and improve with our creative visions and perhaps even pass it down to future generations. For most of us, this means a modest little house on a manageable piece of land with maybe a small garden. The days of grand landscapes and large mansions along the Hudson are mostly a thing of the past, but we are fortunate enough to benefit from some of those left behind. As we saw in our recent documentary on landscapes and gardens, there are plenty of places you can stop and admire. In my eagerness to showcase some of our old gardens and landscapes, I somehow neglected to mention one of the most historic landscapes located right here in Poughkeepsie, Springside. Matthew Vassar had been a pretty hard working guy most of his life. He made his way across the river when he was about 14 years old in search of some gainful employment. He worked for a merchant just north of Newburgh for a while before [...]