A little History behind the Town of Hyde Park

Hyde Park is well known for its glorious connections to the past, home to so many stately mansions that have been built along the banks of the Hudson River, by the Roosevelts, Vanderbelts, the Mills families and others.  

Originally the area was part of the “Great Nine Partners Patent” which was a land grant consisting of some 220 square miles to a group of wealthy businessmen from New York City in 1697 by the then King William III.  Each of the parcels was divided in such a way as to give each access to the Hudson River.

The first settler was Jacobus Stoutenburg, for which the town was originally named, until it was renamed to Hyde Park in 1812.  

The Roosevelt family acquired 640 acres of the original grant in the late 1800’s which in turn expanded into the Springwood Mansion, the Top Cottage, and the Val-Kill residences, and later the FDR Presidential Library and Museum.  

One of the more notable social events in history took place at the Springwood Mansion in the Summer of 1939 when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth came to visit. In contrast to the very formal dinner that had taken place in Washington days before, their distinguished guest enjoyed a luncheon that included beer and hot dogs in a somewhat more casual atmosphere.

Hyde Park was conveniently located as a midpoint for travelers between Albany and New York City, the town saw the construction of large hotels springing up in Hyde Park and surrounding towns like Staatsburg.  The larger of the local hotels became not only places to stay the night, but also places where major social events and early business meetings were held.

Coming full circle, over the past 40 years the Christos family has been proud to be able to offer our facility to host so many memorable events for our friends and business owners from the northern Dutchess County area. 

The relative closeness to our location is just one reason so many of our Hyde Park neighbors have chosen Christos as their favorite venue for Weddings, Life Celebration Parties, and Corporate Events.

Conveniently located just a short 20 minute ride down Route 9, we invite you to check into our facilities, amenities, and the variety of affordable venue packages we offer.