SKS’ Honors US History students traveled back in time and into Black Rock Forest to learn about the history of an abandoned village that once occupied parts of Storm King Mountain and shared the same name with our school. On Tuesday, October 27, 12 students and their teachers accompanied Black Rock Forest Historian John Brady on a “History Hike” to delve into the past of the settlement called Cornwall Heights.

The group departed campus just before lunchtime to walk under the tunnel and up to Black Rock’s first reservoir where they met Mr. Brady. Three remote students were also sent pictures and videos and helped to prepare questions for Mr. Brady before the hike. During their three-hour trek, the students examined artifacts scattered in the forest that were proof a small, vibrant community existed there before it was forcibly abandoned in the 1930s to make room for what is today’s Route 9W.

 

 

Artifacts left behind included horseshoes, parts of wagon wheels, tools, and a broken cannonball. Mr. Brady explained that this area played an important role in manufacturing metals between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. The group also traveled along an old wagon road that, many years ago, may have taken them to West Point and points beyond and visited an old, overgrown cemetery with weather-worn headstones. “I was surprised that this all used to be farmland. It is hard to picture because there are so many trees here now,” said Cedric Zhao ‘23 of Beijing, China. “I was most impressed by the 128-pound cannonball and learning that it could be shot so far,” commented Luke Ciunga ‘23 of Newburgh, NY.

The students finished the History Hike with an adventurous climb to an abandoned mine before returning to the safety of the campus. “I thought it was interesting that the people mined the rocks and heated them up to 2,300°F to make weaponry,” commented Edward Ianuzzi-Sucich ‘23 from Marlboro, NY. “It was a really good experience,” concluded Hoin Chong ‘23 from Cheonan, South Korea.

 

 

According to History & Social Sciences Department Chair Tim Gillett, learning about the history of the Cornwall Heights settlement supports his department’s goal of teaching SKS students the history of the School and the local area. “The fact that SKS once shared the same name as this abandoned village sparked all of our interests,” commented Mr. Gillett. “We hope to take our other US History classes on a History Hike in the spring, so we will have many more questions ready for Mr. Brady.”

The Storm King School, which borders the Black Rock Forest preserve, was founded as the Cornwall Heights School in 1867 and kept this name until 1912 when it was renamed the Stone School after its third headmaster Dr. Carlos Stone.