Historic Fishkill Building

Written by Anthony P. Musso For the Poughkeepsie Journal. For more check out the papers website at www.poughkeepsiejournal.com or subscribe to it as I do. The large two-story red-brick building at the corner of Main (Route 52) and Bedford streets in the Village of Fishkill has had an interesting history since its construction in 1853. Through the years the building has served as a private residence, a dry-goods store, a bank, headquarters for the Veterans of Foreign War, a courthouse and, for 44 years, Fishkill’s Town Hall. Four years after it was built, its first floor became the base of operation for the National Bank of Fishkill. A second smaller bank, the Fishkill Saving Institute, also rented a portion of the building during that time. The building features 18-inch thick walls and has a mansard roof that was added during the 1870s. While the National Bank of Fishkill would suffer the effects of the post-Civil War depression and go out of business in 1870, the Fishkill Saving Institute prospered, eventually moving a few doors east of its original location and changing its name to Fishkill Savings Bank. Through the years its name would change again to Mid-Hudson Savings and it is now a branch of Wells Fargo. Following the failure of the National Bank the ownership of the building passed to the Dean family in whose possession it remained for many years. Herman Dean, the editor of the Fishkill Weekly Times also operated a dry goods store on the building’s first floor. Dean, whose father was Fishkill’s first postmaster, rented out an apartment on the second floor. “Herman Dean was a familiar sight in the village often navigating its streets peddling a high-wheel bicycle,” said village historian Willa Skinner. “On Sunday afternoons he could be observed riding the bicycle along Albany Post Road (Route 9) with a box of candy under his arm on his way to court a local lady who lived on a farm where the Holiday Inn is located today.” The second-floor apartment was eventually remodeled and used as headquarters for the Veterans of Foreign War . In 1945, the Town of Fishkill purchased the building and it became Town Hall through 1989 when the municipality moved to a new location farther west on Route 52. When the village moved its operation out, Kenneth Davies bought the property and remodeled the interior of the building for his real estate business . The building, now owned by Jordan Leigh, is occupied by Piano Piano, a wine bar and new business opened by Rich and Anne Corbo. “This building just has so much character,” Anne Corbo said. “We built our bar on the spot that the original bank vault once stood.” On April 27, the Fishkill Historical Society will kick off its 50th anniversary with a celebration in the building. On May 19, it will be one of several historic buildings in Fishkill to participate in an open house event. The original iron shutters that date to the building’s use as National Bank of Fishkill still adorn the historic structure, which is located at 1064 Main Street. “Dateline” appears Wednesdays. To suggest a topic, call 845-437-4834. Anthony Musso: railcommute @aol.com. http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20120425/NEWS01/304250017/Dateline-Fishkill-building-home-businesses