Trapps Mountain Hamlet Historic District, human settlement in New York, United States of America
Trapps Mountain Hamlet Historic District is an abandoned settlement on the Shawangunk Ridge that was home to residents from the late 1700s to the mid-1900s. Today, stone foundations, six surviving structures including a restored cabin built around 1889, millstone quarry remains, and old burial grounds are visible across the overgrown site.
The settlement was established in the late 1700s by settlers of Dutch and English descent who lived by farming, timber work, and stone quarrying. The community declined in the 1900s due to transportation changes and economic shifts, with the last resident dying in 1956.
The settlement name comes from the rocky terrain where residents built their homes. Visitors can see how people lived closely tied to the land, farming small plots, raising livestock, and gathering forest resources for their livelihood.
The site is located within Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska State Park Preserve, accessible by hiking trails that pass through the wooded ruins. The restored Van Leuven Cabin is sometimes open for visitors, and marked paths lead to buried building remains, burial grounds, and the old millstone quarry.
The last resident, Eli Van Leuven, lived without electricity or running water and stayed in complete isolation until his death in 1956. His small restored cabin from 1889 now stands as a silent testament to a vanished way of life.
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