Little Chapel on the River

Last October, an email popped into my inbox from James J. Ferris High School English teacher, Michael Ferrara in N.J. At the beginning of the school year, he'd read his honors class a chapter of Little Chapel on the River. (How cool is that?) The class decided to study the rest of the book and so HarperCollins donated copies to Michael's class. (Thank you HC). The class finished up in February and Michael sent me a collection of poems the students wrote. And they rock. For privacy reasons, students initials are used. They are a mix of freshmen and sophomores, ranging in age from 14 to 16. Poem #1: Within Movement by GB (from the perspective of the bar itself) I stand in the same spot (But) I always feel like I am moving within myself The sense of peace, love, and joy Explains what I stand for Stand for the silent movement But still be known as a presence I am one with them And although we speak no words The greeting is natural

The last time many of us in Philipstown saw Jim Guinan alive, was St. Patrick's Day 2009 at Whistling Willies in Cold Spring, N.Y. Jim had a cold, but he was feeling up, telling stories, singing with his friends. During a lull in the action, he relayed to me an encounter he'd had at lunch with his daughter Margaret. They'd been dining at one of his favorite haunts, T he Depot in Cold Spring when a pair of strangers approached clutching a library copy of "Little Chapel on the River" and asked Jim to sign it. Turns out, this couple had driven to Garrison from New Jersey on the High Holy Day to share the celebration at Guinan's, only to find it closed. Disappointed, they made their way to The Depot and relayed their tale to the waiter, who then nodded over to where Jim and Margaret were dining. A chance encounter, it was, since Jim was up visiting from Florida where he lived with his youngest daughter, Christine . The delighted couple told Jim how one of ...

View Larger Map This email recently was sent to savegarrisonslandingstore(at)yahoo.com: "I might be too late for this email to matter, as I've just found the news about Guinan's closing just a few minutes ago. I think it is essential that a similar store is retained on that site as without such an establishment, the little Village of Garrison's Landing will simply fade.... I can appreciate the need to service commuters, tourists and the like; but the spirit of community that a place such as Guinan's represents is irreplacable and should not be allowed to go the way of so many small, quirky places that used to be so much a part of the Hudson River Valley. Guinan's was a very important part of my life and my mother's life for over 30 years. We used to drive up from Bergen County, New Jersey, either together, individually or with friends, to drop by for a cup of coffee and a chance to relax either out the front of the store or in the bar. Guinan's, alo...

Tom Brennan of Garrison wrote this week to say he and his wife Ann had been hiking in Bear Mountain Park this fall when they stopped on Garrison's Landing to see the now-gutted Guinan's. Says Tom: "I tried to visualize the bar in the back and where Mr. Guinan sat in his chair in the living room. The thought came to me that I was in a cemetery. But then I also thought that at least in cemeteries they have grave markers and memorials." Tom suggests a memorial of some sort to be placed near the walkway to the store near the train station ramp and has offered to make a contribution toward that. The Garrison Station Plaza, which owns the building that was Guinan's, has said it plans to put a plaque there commemorating the store. Here's Tom's idea for a memorial: Guinan’s Store 1959 – 2008 Also Known As The Little Chapel on the River Where On the Rising of the Moon Strangers who gathered Were only friends Who never met.

..."It is with much regret that I learn of Guinan's closing. I'm sorry I never made the short trip tovisit. Your words paint a clear picture of a magical place and a wonderful group of souls. I'm a West Point Classmate of COL Tom, joining him and almost 1500 other new cadets in the summer of '76 at West Point. I've known of Tom's trip across the river for years, it was, and is, one of the enduring legends of our Class lore. I haven't spoken to Tom in years but reading of him, and the special bond that existed between him and Jim, and with the Chapel moved me, and reminded me of similar ties we all formed during those intense, packed years as cadets. Like I said, I never made the short trip to Garrison. I was part of the"Head to Newburgh" crowd to escape the 20 kilometer no drinking rule as a cadet. On my second trip there I would up at a party in a dorm at Mt. St. Mary College and met the young woman who I married almost 28 yearsago and whom...

One of Philipstown's great treasures is Boscobel , a federalist period house museum with sweeping views of the Hudson River and U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Boscobel is home to the critically-acclaimed Hudson Valley Shakespeare festival . You've never seen The Bard's work performed quiet like this -- and never in a setting like this. Here's a Wall Street Journal review of last summer's "As You Like It." Meantime, I recently received a note from Rick Soedler, who oversees Boscobel's immaculate buildings and grounds , about his Guinan's memories. Here are excerpts: "My wife and I met in 1996 and stated dating in 1998. We met aboard the Sloop Clearwater which at the time frequently docked at Garrison Landing. Guinan's was a favorite stop for the crew. When my wife and I started to date one of our first nights out was the Rising of the Moon which we frequented from 1998-2000. Marriage, moving further north, and children have unfortunat...

Here is the third and final installment of Joe Jamison's story about his journey to Guinan's. He captures a lot of what's good and right about places like Guinan's in this world. It's a good read. I've borrowed two of the photos Joe took while at the chapel from his blog and am posting them here. Thanks to Joe for taking time to make the trip and for chronicling what it meant to him.

The following are excerpts from Eric Gulley's "Guinan's Story": "My Guinan’s story is a childhood memory story. My folks bought a small summer place in Garrison in 1960, the year after Guinan’s opened. I was three years old at the time, so as far as I was concerned Guinan’s was always in existence.... What I remember most was a hulking freestanding wooden retail case with a glass front that resided about two-thirds of the way to the back of the store. It had rows for candy bars on top, which as I recall took a number of years for me to be able to reach, but it didn’t matter because kids were allowed to walk around to the back and make selections from inside the case, then bring the goods up to the counter to pay. Thinking back, the products I found so enticing were awful stuff, mostly.......candy dots on strips of paper, boxes of Cracker Jax and Good & Plenty, baseball playing cards packaged with cardboard-like chewing gum, and of course, candy cigarettes -- ...

In honor of Valentine's Day, here's a love song by Hank Beukema. It was inspired by a romance stoked at Guinan's. I've posted in the past about Hank , and published links to his work. Here's to keeping close the people and places we love: THE GUINAN'S WALTZ It's been quite awhile, my darlin Since we first took those long river walks Past the shops down in Garrison When I first heard the ways your eyes talked I think it was the start of the romance When you put your mouth close to my ear You whispered Forever, it's only forever I've waited for you to appear Are they still serving beers down at Guinan's? Do the ladies still dance Irish nite? Do you think we can waltz by the fire Do you mind if I turn down the lights? La da da, da da da, la da da dee La da da, da da da, la da da doo La da da, da da da, la da da day La da da, da da da, la doo.... We push and we strain, we run thru the rain Trying to find the right one There's no way to name it, n...

This is a poem written by Raymund Reddington about the last night of Shannon's Tavern in Jersey City, a joint also frequented by Fitz. (See page 46 of Little Chapel on the River.) What Was That Place? February 22, 2002 was the wintry date The for sale sign had been up for years Patrons were not surprised, it was fate Yet, the closing of the doors brought tears. Danny worked his last night behind the bar His eyes twinkled brighter than stars I asked, “Will you cry and be sensitive? He responded, “That’s a negative.” It was a place to catch a game Though the gamblers’ talk got heated You entered the place, you got greeted Everyone did know your name. Like lost children, the ex-patrons now roam Every so often by chance they do meet It’s here, there, or passing in the street Sometimes it’s in a bar, but it’s just not the same As that place named Shannon’s, we called home. By Raymond Reddington April 15, 2004

Here is the second installment of Joe Jamison's recent journey to Guinan's. Joe lives in Bucks County, Pa. and was inspired to make a road trip to Guinan's. He hit the deck just before the store closed and describes his impression of what he found. Read more about Joe and get a link to Part One . One clarification to Joe's tale. Margaret Guinan makes that famous chili he references.

Cathy Seeber , who grew up in Garrison, N.Y., took this photo on a trip home in 2005. The image is of a sign Ed Preusser hand-crafted in his basement to help folks find the chapel. He made two; one was stolen. He reclaimed the other on closing day . Meantime, Cathy, who now lives in Fall City, Wash. , shared these memories of Guinan's: Guinans…Where I bought clandestine cigarettes in my teens; Where my dad got the paper every morning before jumping on the train. Where my brothers had their first beers. Where Lucien Hold probably bought a soda the day he sailed out alone and was dragged under by a tug-line, not to be found for over a year. Where all the kids went to get an ice cream bar and then go sit on the dock for the afternoon. Where we all got snacks when building sets for the Garrison Depot Theatre which my mom and dad founded. Where my sister Mindy and I played guitar in the gazebo pretending we were Joan Baez.

Russ Cusick of In Focus Designs adds this video to the growing body of tributes to the Guinan store legacy. (Click on the "video" tab on the right side of this page to see others.) What I like best about this one "Closing Time" -- a collage of images from Guinan's last day in business -- is the repetition of shots and how his camera canvases each nook and cranny of the pub and store as well as the faces there. The style is one of preservation, and that's what the spirit of all these creative efforts is about.

Jack McAndrew wrote a short thank you essay about his time at Guinan's Irish Night music sessions. You can still get copies of recordings of some of the last Irish Nights; details are posted here . Meantime, a CD called "Long Time Coming" featuring Jim Guinan is out with five songs and it's fantastic. The folks behind this venture are making another run of the CDs, and I'll post here with details on how to buy when they are ready. Photo by Christine Ashburn.

A week and a half ago, I received an email from Joe Jamison of Bucks County, Pa. He'd read about Guinan's closing and was inspired to make a road trip to the pub. Joe is Music & Arts Contributing Editor for the Newtown Ourburbs Community Web site . He's chronicling his trip on one of his blogs, Life in the Key of Joe. You can read Joe's first installment, "Where the Hudson Meets the Heart" Part I here ; I'll update with his second chapter when it's posted. He also helps write another interesting blog called Memeticians . For those curious, here's Wikipedia's definition of a "meme."

Joe Foster shot this video during Guinan's last night in business. The good-bye ran for many until after midnight, for some until 3 a.m., and for a diehard few, until the first morning commuter train pulled into Garrison station. Joe does a nice job piecing together still shots with moving video and captures a lot of the regulars in this footage. The words in the beginning are borrowed from Peter Applebome's New York Times column last Sunday .

A poet from Nyack/Pomona, Hank Beukema , wrote this song dedicated to the Hudson River and Guinan's. If you want to hear Hank reading his poem, you can through this Web site . Hank has visited Guinan’s with Rebecca "Becka" Rogers (pictured above) from Alabama; I'll be posting about Becka's "chapel" down there soon. Hank, meantime, maintains a MySpace page where he penned a nice tribute to Guinan’s. Read more of his writings at this Web site. Thanks for sharing this poem Hank. THE HUDSON IS A RIVER The Hudson is a river The natives used to say That runs in both directions Evry mile along its way From the mountains to the city She's cut her winding course and There's a piece of her in all of us Who grew up on her shores Was at Guinan's on the Landing We fell in love that day But then the current caught us And we turned the other way Somewhere south of West Point And north of the Tappan Zee I let the river turn me To a man that could not see T...

Beth Montgomery Coursen , Supervisor Town of Pawling, N.Y. , recently recalled her "chapel lessons." When she's not helping run the town, or hold peace in the bar, you can find her in the middle of a roller hockey match... * * * Buying the Sunday paper after mass in the 60's. Regular lunches of Peggy's grilled cheese sandwiches. Having a pint and hot peppers with the John Guinan and fellow grounds crew members after work in the 70's. Years later dancing to Irish Music at The Rising. Finding out while trading stories there with another "Irish Night" regular that reason I find him interesting could be that we share relatives in Dylan, Ireland. Guinan's has long been a constant in my life. Had it not been for the lessons taught over 4 decades, like others I would be feeling the loss at Guinan's closing. Even if you have only been there a time or two, you were given a lesson. Each lesson will unravel in a different way to each ear that he...

For those who know Ed Preusser, one of two brothers who regularly frequent Guinan's, you might recall how in Little Chapel he talked about never bringing his girlfriends to the pub. "They wouldn't understand it," he said. "The woman I bring to Guinan's, is the woman I'll marry." Well, he did one better than that. He's marrying a Guinan -- Kelly Guinan, John Guinan's daughter, to be exact. They got engaged Christmas Eve after dating since early fall of 2005. Their wedding will be held in Garrison on August 16, 2008. Appropriately, it'll be a full moon. Congratulations to them both. As one era ends with Guinan's, another one begins. Photo Credit: Christine Ashburn

Andy Revkin is not only a star New York Times columnist with a well-received new blog called Dot Earth , he's also a Guinan's regular and songwriter with his band, Uncle Wade . Andy and his crew wrote this tribute to Guinan's. It's called "Between the River and the Rails." As soon as there's a digital recording available, I'll post it here. Meantime, the lyrics go like this: Sometimes when I’m so low that road-kill looks lucky, This happens more times that you might like to hear. There’s one destination that makes me feel better. Down where the tide flows by just like the beer. Between the river and the rails, In the room behind the store, Fireplace roaring, Guinness is pouring. How could you ask for anything more? Cops and stockbrokers, writers and loafers All flock when that shamrock of neon does glow. Toss all your worries, slow down there’s no hurry. C ome down to Guinan’s, some peace you will know. Between the river and the rails, In the room be...