Did you know that Quaker Hill isn’t just a name? It’s a twelve-mile-long ridge near the Connecticut border. This land holds a fascinating history. It’s located in Dutchess County New York. Quaker Hill has been a haven for prominent figures.
Quaker Hill’s story starts long ago. In colonial times it separated English settlers from the Dutch. The Oblong Friends Meetinghouse built in 1764 stands as a testament to this history. This very Meetinghouse hosted the first antislavery protest in North America. The Akin Free Library an addition to the Meetinghouse is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lowell Thomas a famous broadcaster bought a 350-acre farm here. He expanded it to 2000 acres. He called it Clover Brook Farm. Thomas made Quaker Hill a retreat for influential people. To protect its rural charm he restricted development. He only allowed individual lots and existing farms to be sold. About one hundred families settled here. Governor Thomas E Dewey Reverend Norman Vincent Peale Edward R Murrow and Casey Hogate the Wall Street Journal publisher all lived here.
Thomas transformed Quaker Hill. He convinced Gene Sarazen and Robert Trent Jones to build a country club and golf course. He added ski slopes and tows. He built a community center called The Barn. Its fireplace has stones from the Great Pyramid the Parthenon St Peter’s Cathedral the Great Wall of China and Mount Vernon. He even turned Akin Hall into a nondenominational chapel. He created over 200 miles of bridle paths. This community has a rich and unique history. Quaker Hill continues to attract those seeking both tranquility and connection to a storied past.