Cornwall

A Town For All Seasons

by Carol Carey and photographs by Julie Platner, March 25, 2010

If the famed artist-illustrator Norman Rockwell, known for his humorous and inspiring depictions of American life, were alive today, he would certainly be drawn to Cornwall, a town of about 15,000 in northeastern Orange County. From the boisterous motorcades through town whenever the Little League team wins a game, to toddlers dancing as parents stamp their feet at village bandshell concerts, to fresh-faced teenagers selling stacks of mums at the annual autumn street fair, the town epitomizes small-town America.

Situated at the foot of Storm King Mountain, the Town of Cornwall meanders for several scenic miles between busy Route 32 and the Hudson River. With its mix of Victorian-style homes, parkland, municipal buildings, businesses, churches, schools, restaurants, and shops, the town is as inviting as any in the Hudson Valley.

And that’s just the walkable part. On the other side of the highway lie the rolling hills, farmland, and hiking trails of the more rural Mountainville area, which is home to the world-renown Storm King Art Center. With approximately 16,000 people, the town includes the fully incorporated Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson (the Village) and covers some 27 square miles.


Agriculture Comes Full Circle
Norman Rockwell couldn’t ask for a better family to put around his famous Thanksgiving table than the Clearwaters, owners of Jones Farm and Country Store on Angola Road. The farm has been in the same family since Doris Clearwater’s great-grandfather John Jones purchased it from Emily Cromwell in 1914.

Originally a working dairy farm, it later went into poultry and egg production. Today it comprises 85 acres, with 10 acres under cultivation for fruit and vegetables. The family operates a farm and country store, bakery, gift shop, and the adjoining Clearwater’s Frame Shop and Gallery. Doris Clearwater and her husband Belding, now in their mid-eighties, still work 70 hours a week here.

Affectionately known as “Grandma,” Doris will graciously sell you some of the farm’s delicious homemade fudge, apple cider donuts, Linzer tarts, snicker doodle cookies, or carrot cake. Outside, visitors can enjoy the horses, chickens, and ducks the family keeps in a small corral.