A historical exploration along New York’s Hudson River combines leisurely fall foliage viewing with the drama of American independence.
A scenic autumn drive may reveal the remains of an ironclad testament to patriotism, America’s industrial spirit, and the rebellious attitude of a newly emerging nation.
The Continental Army, on orders from General George Washington, established an iron chain across the width of the Hudson River near West Point. Sources say it weighed between 65 and 75 tons.
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The Iron Barrier was designed to prevent the all-powerful Royal Navy from controlling vital waterways and cutting off rebellious New England from the rest of America’s colonies.
“I think this chain was an engineering marvel for its time,” Dan Davis, senior education manager at the American Battlefield Trust in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital.
The preserved version of the Great Chain is located at Trophy Point in West Point, New York. The exhibit consists of 13 links of chain (one in each original condition), one swivel, and one clevis. The reason behind this is the characteristic “S-curve” of the Hudson River, which enhanced West Point’s defensive capabilities. (Public domain)
“Not only was it an engineering marvel, it made West Point a nearly impregnable position.”
Washington assigned a Polish military engineer, Colonel Thaddeus Kosciuszko, to lead a chain gang and hang an iron ring across the river.
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“The giant chain was made of 1,200 wrought iron pieces, spanned 1,700 feet, and took 40 people and a total of four days to install,” according to the Albany Institute of History and Art.
Remains of chains and local iron foundries remain. They’re tucked away in a quaint riverside community that glows around the imposing cliffs and fortress towers of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the natural wonders of the Hudson River, which blazes in the fall. .


People walk in a park next to the Hudson River under trees with changing leaves on October 25, 2020 in Cold Spring, New York. (Gary Hershawn/Getty Images)
The earthwork that housed the western end of the chain can be found at the end of the West Point trail known among cadets as the “Cheating Walk.”
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Suspended in a ring of 13 chains flanked by two Revolutionary War cannons, it is a prominent landmark in West Point, Trophy Point. This location offers dramatic views of the upper Hudson River that have been depicted in American art for centuries.


George Washington’s men suspended a 65-ton chain across the Hudson River to project West Point during the American Revolution. The remains of the chain provide an excuse for a fall drive along the Hudson River. (Stephanie Keith/Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
A ring of similar chain debris forms a landmark in the West Bank community of Newburgh, New York.
A sign marks the eastern end of the chain on Constitution Island in Cold Springs, New York.
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The remains of a 65-ton iron chain suspended over the Hudson River by General George Washington’s troops during the American Revolution are a great place to explore history while peeking through the colorful fall foliage. (New York Historical Society/Getty Images, Kelly J. Byrne/Fox News Digital, Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
A charming colonial riverside village with boutiques, bars, bakeries, and bookstores, highlighting East Bank history with fall foliage viewing and history exploration.
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According to a historical marker in the town center, the town’s name, “Cold Spring,” was coined by Washington himself.
“Just by driving through the area, you can see the topography and topography of the area, the height of the mountains and hills, and why West Point and the chain that protected it were so important,” Davis said.
The terrain and fall foliage are best viewed from the top of Bear Mountain State Park, a hub of outdoor activities and natural wonders just south of West Point on the west bank of the Hudson River.
The rural landscape, idyllic imagery, and small-town charm belie the history surrounding this area.


People riding Jeeps during a parade of military vehicles in Cold Spring, New York A nearby sign marks the eastern end of the Constitution Island chain. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
“From the earliest moments of the Revolutionary War, both sides knew that the key to victory was the Hudson River,” David Levine wrote about the “Great Chain” in Hudson Valley Magazine in 2018.
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“The river separated the Northeast from the rest of the country. If the British took control of the river, the heads would be severed from the bodies, and both sides knew what would happen next,” Levine wrote. .