The Lawrence-Tonetti Waterfall: From Snedens Landing to the Palisades Interstate Park

Program Type:

In-Person

Age Group:

Adults
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Event Details

A history of the Peanut Leap Cascade from Snedens Landing to Palisades Interstate Park.

Join Francesca Costa (Palisades Interstate Park Public Historian), Jennifer Rothschild (Historical Society of Rockland County Programming Director), and John Ratcliff, grandson of the sculptors Mary Lawrence and Francois Tonetti as they tell the story of "The Waterfall" and how it has become a popular hiking trail within the park.

This slide presentation and panel discussion explores the fascinating history of The Waterfall, a natural feature enhanced by Lawrence and Tonetti in the early 20th century with stream-fed pools, a roman-style pergola, and sculptural fountainheads.  Once part of the larger Lawrence property in Snedens Landing, it became a favorite spot for moonlit gatherings of guests who arrived by boat, including fellow sculptors and painters, as well as the renowned architects Charles McKim and Stanford White, who helped design the pergola.  This magical spot is now contained within the Palisades Interstate Park, where thousands of hikers pass by its ruins as they descend the Shore Trail to the Hudson River.