For over a century, billions of bricks from Kingston were loaded onto barges and floated downriver to Manhattan and beyond. The Hutton Brickyards, founded in 1865, helped build the Cloisters and the Empire State Building and Yankee Stadium; look around in any Hudson River city, the largest of them included, and you’ll see the classy red oblongs everywhere.
Hutton Brickyards is still a work in progress—but one that’s abuzz with love and fun.
Hutton Brickyards shut down in 1980, and for some years, no one quite knew what to do with the sprawling industrial complex. At one point, hundreds of condominiums were proposed, but environmentalists made a lot of noise—the modern environmental movement was birthed in this valley, meaning the river’s viewsheds have a lot of battle-hardened warriors looking after them—and the project never got off the drawing board.
Now, in the hands of Karl Slovin of MWest Holdings, Hutton Brickyards is still a work in progress—but one that’s abuzz with love and fun. “This is an overnight success that was 20 years in the making and it’s wonderful to be part of it,” Slovin told us back in 2020. “The city has been tremendously supportive—they really get what we’re trying to do. We didn’t come in with a master plan; it was more like, ‘Let’s see what happens, let’s experiment and see how people react. It’s been nice to slowly, organically build in response to organic demand, a joyful experience. We’re working with local talent—designers, craftspeople, architects—and everyone that joins our team falls in love and gets so invested, the ideas just come pouring out.”
Four years later, the sleek, luxe cabins and vast pavilions crafted from industrial space regularly fill up with guests celebrating weddings and milestones, and the Brickyards has added a four-season showplace: Edgewood Mansion, an 1873 beauty that was once home to a prosperous Hutton partner, has been redone to add 12 lovely rooms and suites in which modern comforts are accented by antique pieces, intricately carved and inlaid and vividly upholstered. There’s an intimate restaurant serving fine local fare, a stunning oak bar for craft cocktails, a welcoming sunroom and a gazebo sited for gorgeous river views.
Down by the river, on the 100-acre former brickyard, you can stay in a clean-lined modern cabin whose interior is a cozy luxury hotel room with superbly comfy beds, tiled baths, and all the trimmings. Riverfront King and Queen options have lots of glass facing the water; others have private decks, and guests get complimentary robes to lounge in. An Airstream trailer has been transformed into a commissary of sorts, featuring souvenirs, body care items, and goodies curated by popular uptown shop Exit 19, plus s’mores kits to relish round the firepit. Nearby, but not intrusively close, the outdoor River Pavilion serves up wood-fired pizza and farm-to-fork delicacies amid splendid water views. The covered spaces can accommodate 3,500, making the Brickyards a perfect venue for big parties, from weddings and retreats to the Field + Supply market weekends and star-studded concerts. (Bob Dylan came here in 2017, and last June the site hosted Michael Franti & Spearhead with Stephen Marley.)
“What we hope to keep doing is engaging with city folks and locals alike.”
– Guest Experience and Marketing Manager Lucy De Urquiza
"We keep things lively with events, happy hour specials, holiday promotions, and even dance parties! It attracts a wide range of guests seeking unique experiences," said Lucy De Urquiza, Guest Experience & Marketing Manager. "Our riverside location is also perfect for weddings. The accommodations are exceptional, and the space is so flexible.
We have pavilions available, which alleviates the stress of having to decide whether to tent or not in the event of rain." Yoga and meditation sessions happen in a glorious riverfront space. Bikers and hikers have access to the neighboring Sojourner Truth State Park and the Empire State Trail; on premises, there are archery, lawn, and board games.
The ideas keep flowing. “We’ve added a Trailways stop for car-free travelers, and we’d love to offer guests a boat ride from the train station,” says De Urquiza, “so you can hop off the train and arrive by water. We have two spa treatment rooms and two cedar wood barrel saunas with panoramic views. The saunas are fantastic in winter; you can steam out all your worries gazing out at the water. We also offer seasonal kayaking and boat rentals from our ideal location for the outdoors enthusiast.”
“What we hope to keep doing is engaging with city folks and locals alike. We work closely with the O+ festival and the Queer Conspiracy. I think there may have been a misperception at some point that we were making some exclusive place here that wouldn’t be very connected to the local community.
So come over, book a massage at the spa, take a Saturday yoga class, come for a drink or a meal at the Pavilion, take a walk and soak up the history. Our estimate is, there are around two billion bricks on this property—there’s a layer of brick under everything.”
hutton brickyards
200 North Street, Kingston
845-514-4853
huttonbrickyards.com
