"Rose Hill: Tivoli estate was once the site of Catholic Worker Farm" The Poughkeepsie Journal - Jan 12, 2011
Frank Cordaro
January 12, 2011
Rose Hill: Tivoli estate was once the site of Catholic Worker Farm
by Anthony P. Musso
In the midst of the turbulent 1960s, an era defined by war protests
and domestic unrest, a 25-acre estate in Tivoli served as the
epicenter of a major peace movement. Called Rose Hill, the property,
which overlooks the Hudson River, boasts a mansion built in 1864 by
Gen. John Watts de Peyster.
Dorothy Day, a journalist, pacifist, social activist and co-founder of
the Catholic Worker, learned about Rose Hill and purchased it in 1964
from the Yonkers-based Leake and Watts Orphanage.
"The Catholic Worker was founded in Staten Island and as that area
continued to grow, Dorothy Day was looking for a place away from the
city," Tivoli Mayor Tom Cordier said. "She found the property in
Tivoli and moved here."
The organization was dedicated to peace and helping the poor, and
Day's intent was to transform the estate into a farming commune open
to all. Printing presses for the Catholic Worker newspaper were
transported to the estate from New York City and in 1965 an additional
62 acres adjacent to Rose Hill was purchased.
The site hosted retreats, peace conferences, lectures and housing for
those in need, whose only obligation was a willingness to work on what
became known as Catholic Worker Farm. In 1966, 200 people visited Rose
Hill to attend the "Peace Beyond Vatican II" conference, many sleeping
in tents.
"At its height, 400 to 500 people lived at the estate," Cordier said.
"But Tivoli's residents and law officials never experienced any
problems with the large gathering."
In 1967, a migrant day-care program was established when Day voiced
her concern about the welfare of children of apple pickers in the
region. Funded by the state Department of Agriculture, the program
provided children schooling and three meals daily.
Day began traveling extensively, sharing her views on what she called
a nonviolent revolution at speaking stops at major colleges and
universities nationwide, using the farm in Tivoli as her base.
Over the course of a decade, the absence of organizational structure,
increasing challenges in maintaining the structures on the site and
the farm encountering more and more "residents" with little or no
interest in the objectives or theories of the Catholic Worker
organization, led to the commune's closure.
In 1980, Day died in New York City at 83 and the Tivoli property was sold.
In addition to the mansion, two outbuildings on the estate served the
Catholic Worker Farm. One, an old carriage house, was converted into
an art studio for the current owner.
"The studio has very high ceilings, which allows an artist to work on
large-scale paintings," Tivoli resident Rosalie Rossi said. "It's
beautifully restored."
Dorothy Day is under consideration for canonization by the Roman
Catholic Church.