Little Chapel on the River

View of #7 Garrison's Landing, now under renovation, from train platform. Renovations for a new restaurant and cafe are well underway at #7 Garrison’s Landing , home to the former Guinan’s Pub & Country Store, which closed its doors in 2008. A couple of weeks ago, I got a tour inside - stepping back across a threshold into a place so many lucky people once called a second home.  The nonprofit organization leading the reconstruction has rebuilt the pub area in back (no, the floor doesn’t slant anymore but that glorious view of the Hudson River is the same) and generally kept the building’s overall architectural shape in tact. The old green phone booth still stands outside (it might become a library book trading outpost, I’m told), the stone fireplace is there (couldn’t see if the gold shamrock was still embedded on the hearth as it was covered with new windows about to be installed.)   [ UPDATE : Breaking news...the shamrock has been located and while it is not...

UPDATE: 1/29/2011 - Spoke to a couple of people directly involved in the renovations who say the pub structure will remain in place, though it will require some renovations, shoring up, etc. That's great news. Hope this plan remains in place. Heard today that the owners of #7 Garrison's Landing may be planning to dismantle what for many was the heart of Guinan's - the green pub in back - when they renovate the building into office space. Don't know if it's true, but if so, this breaks my heart. Surely there are alternatives that could respect the history of this institution, and the people who loved and cared for it, while still making needed structural changes?

As the Garrison Station Plaza group, which owns the old Guinan's building, makes preparations to convert it into primarily office space, Garrison resident Mary Ellen Yannitelli has sent a letter to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation requesting they reject the project on the grounds that such a conversion will have a substantial impact on the environment and character of the surrounding area. Mary Ellen asks that anyone supporting the effort to keep Guinan's old building as a pub, cafe, restaurant or other public gathering spot also email or mail NYDEC by Dec. 24th and says her letter may be used as a template . Here's who to direct it to: Joseph R Murray NYSDEC Region 3 Headquarters 21 South Putt Corners Rd New Paltz, NY 12561 (845)256-3054 r3dep@gw.dec.state.ny.us In her letter, Mary Ellen calls into question specific "no" answers provided by Garrison Station Plaza in its application to change the building's purpose: 19. Will Prop...

This is a recent email and photo, reprinted with permission from Jim Donnery , one of Guinan's regular parishioners and the man who inspired the name of the book: "Little Chapel on the River." The shot here is where the old bar and Coca-Cola beer cooler once stood. The proposal to create a new restaurant and store in the spot where Guinan's once operated was turned down by the board of the Garrison Station Plaza based on what it said was inadequate financing for the project. The board is planning to move ahead with renovations to include office space. From Jim Donnery: "I had been home this past weekend to attend a funeral for a family member and had some time for goofing off before a dinner engagement in Cold Spring, so I bought a few beers and went down to sit on the rocks by the Boat Club to admire the sun setting on "the river that flows both ways". Old memories brought me over to the Chapel entrance and I peeked inside the front door past the plyw...

Mary Ellen Yannitelli's efforts to create a new public venue in the old Guinan's location at #7 Garrison's Landing has landed her a nomination to receive Cold Spring Area Chamber of Commerce’s Innovation in Business Award. The award recognizes the entrepreneurial contribution of a member of our community. The winner is determined by an online vote of the community, and there is no residency requirement for voting. Go to www.coldspringchamber.com to see all nominations and cast your vote. Voting concludes at 12PM on March 23rd. The winner will be announced at the Chamber’s Annual Awards Dinner, which will be held at the Chalet on the Hudson on March 25th.

Pledges from 16 different states have come in to support the history - and the future of #7 Garrison's Landing - better known as the former "Guinan's" building. That's a huge sign of support - thanks to all of you who have pitched in! The new fundraising deadline is Feb. 17th to keep a cafe/pub in the old Guinan's spot. If you are able to pledge, please email your tax-deductible pledge to Mary Ellen Yannitelli at landingcommunity@gmail.com. No monies will be collected unless the final goal amount is met - but these are serious pledges of intent. For more on the history of this effort, click here. Photo by Gwendolyn Bounds. All rights reserved. Please do not redistribute without permission.

UPDATE: $50,005 = NEW TOTAL Nearly $40,000 raised in just two days. This is incredibly generous. On Thursday, January 21, the Philipstown Planning Board will hold a meeting at the VFW Hall, Kemble Avenue, Cold Spring, NY @ 7:30 p.m. The Garrison Station Plaza board is scheduled to ask for site plan approval for offices in the old Guinan's space. So time is short to raise funds to help establish a new pub/cafe. Thanks for all you've done to spread the word, and all you can do.

Many of you have emailed asking what will become of the building that formerly housed Guinan's. You've graciously asked whether there's anything you can do to help keep its longtime history as a public gathering spot alive. First, thank you for caring and for your patience waiting for answers. Second, yes, now there is a way to help. For several months, a small group has met with the owners of the building - Garrison Station Plaza - to determine if a new cafe and/or pub would be possible. The Station Plaza agreed to accept proposals for such a business, and one was submitted by Fresh Company , a local well-established Garrison catering company, and tentatively accepted. Fresh Company's vision, in essence, is to operate a new cafe, restaurant and pub in the old Guinan's space. The last hurdle is money: there's a shortfall of about $300,000 in funds needed to renovate the space, originally built in the mid-1800s, so it can be brought up to current building codes ...

Two interesting pieces in this week's Putnam County News & Recorder neatly capture the tenor of the ongoing push to have a public gathering space in the old Guinan's building. One, written by Michael Turton , does a nice job painting the scene of last week's lively Philipstown Planning Board meeting while a second by Joe Lindsley Jr. titled " A Brief History of the 'Little Chapel ,'" describes the long, rich tenure of this particular gathering spot along the Hudson. (You need a subscription to view these pieces in full.) Lindsley cites my book saying that Jim Guinan was determined to keep the place going even though the operation was losing money. It's true that at various points in time in its nearly 50-year history Guinan's struggled -- early on when Jim and his late wife Peg were launching the business, after Peg's death. However, as my book also notes, according to the family the store also was profitable during its long history, i...

At last night's Philipstown Planning Board meeting, a public hearing was held, which included discussion on the new site plan approval for the old Guinan's building at #7 Garrison's Landing. The architect for the Garrison Station Plaza, which owns the building, presented his drawings and elaborated a bit more on last month's proposal , adding that the GSP was considering investing in an energy efficient geothermal heating and cooling system for the property. (This technology uses heat generated from the earth versus fossil fuels.) Currently the plans are to convert the space into residences and an office. However, there was a robust appeal from the public at the meeting to include some sort of a public space (ie, cafe) in the new plans. The question also was raised about whether the Guinan's building qualifies as a "historic property," which could affect rules around its change of use and structural alterations. There was also discussion about whether th...

Two letters in support of preserving a portion of the old Guinan's store building as a public gathering spot, such as a cafe, appeared in our local paper the Putnam County News and Recorder this week. One letter from resident Mary Ellen Yannitelli , who made her own bid to open a cafe in the space, included the following: "Garrison Station Plaza Inc. has decided the ultimate use for the building at #7 Garrison's Landing, and it appears that they have disregarded the Town of Philipstown's goals in the Comprehensive Plan, and were uninfluenced by public pressure (we submitted a petition in support of a store with over 1,000 signatures.) Over 75% of the GSP corporate stock is owned by their not-for-profit sister company, the Garrison Landing Association. As a 501c3 company they receive public funds from both individuals and State and foundation grants. It is possible that if their decision about the use of the building at #7 Garrison's Landing favors what the majori...

Host: Town of Philipstown Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009 Time: 7:30pm - 10:30pm Location: VFW Hall Street: Kemble Ave. City/Town: Cold Spring, NY Facebook Event Link The Garrison Station Plaza Inc.(building owners) submitted plans to the town to change the use of #7 Garrison's Landing from a store and residence to offices and a residence. Is this a good use for this historic property? Should/could the building accomodate a small gathering spot for the public as well as offices and a residence? This event is a public hearing where you can share your thoughts. View Larger Map

There are some interesting comments , on both sides of the issue, attached to Sunday's Journal-News story on the new use of the Guinan's building, including one speculating that one new tenant may be another not-for-profit. The comments are mostly anonymous, however, so sourcing is far from firm.

February 22, 2009 Guinan's site slated to become office space Barbara Livingston Nackman The Journal News GARRISON - The former Guinan's Country Store and Pub is all but gone from its Garrison Landing location. The nearly 4,000-square-foot space, tucked into a ledge at the Hudson River shoreline just steps from Metro-North tracks, has been gutted. It is ready for new tenants - two local businesses and a resident. Garrison Station Plaza, the owner of the property at 7 Garrison Landing, presented plans Thursday to the Philipstown Planning Board showing how it wants to reconfigure the structure. It is more than 100 years old and is in dire need of renovations, which include a septic system and new electrical wiring. Guinan's operated as a local gathering spot for morning coffee and newspapers and for evening beers and Irish music for nearly 50 years before Jim Guinan, its patriarch and owner, retired in January 2008. Guinan's customers, many of whom think of themselves as ...

Owners reject new café at former Guinan's Barbara Livingston Nackman 746 words 23 September 2008 The Journal News (White Plains, NY) GWP-Westchester and Putnam 1A English (c) Copyright 2008, The Journal News. All Rights Reserved. GARRISON - Visions of a new café-bar at the former Guinan's Country Store and Pub were dashed this weekend when a property-owner group said it wants offices and housing instead. Garrison Station Plaza expects to replace the former Guinan's with something totally different. Mary Ellen Yannitelli, 42, a lifelong Garrison resident who knew and helped the Guinans run their family enterprise, had submitted plans for a café selling homestyle foods, drinks and convenience items at 7 Garrison Landing overlooking the Hudson River. Her plan was rejected, with the Station Plaza board citing liability concerns as the reason. Instead, board members are considering proposals from two "well-established local businesses" for offices and a rental apartmen...

The deadline has passed for proposals to start a new store/public venue at the old Guinan's spot. Many of you around the country who read Little Chapel have emailed asking about the status of Mary Ellen Yannitelli's bid to reopen a cafe in this historic space. Thanks for your continued interest. She says she has turned in her business plan and is hopeful the board of directors of Garrison Station Plaza will be receptive. (She's calling it Lou-Lou's Café after the chapel's most loyal 4-legged parishioner, pictured above.) Here are a few snippets: "...My café is in keeping with the Garrison’s Landing Association’s founder’s original mission of '…making Garrison a better place to live.' The cafe increases our community’s self-reliance, local empowerment and a continuation of the Landing’s original use as Garrison’s traditional commercial district, therefore the most visible indicator of our community pride, along with its economic and social health. It wil...

Congratulations and thank you to all signers. We've just reached 1,000 names supporting a new store at #7 Garrison's Landing. Please continue to forward the link to your friends and family. Remember, your voices have been heard .

Your enthusiasm for and commitment toward seeing a new store at #7 Garrison's Landing is contagious. We're approaching 1,000 names on the petition now , and the wonderful comments keep coming. Here's to passing the thousand-name milestone today. Please encourage people in the area and who know about what Guinan's represented to this town and greater public good to read the mission statement and sign in support. Again, thank you for all who've already done so. Everyone has busy days, and we're extremely appreciative that you spared a few minutes for this.

Below, a letter from a U.S. officer recently wounded in Iraq: Dear Station Plaza Board Members, I would like you to consider Mary Ellen Yanitelli's proposal for the Guinan's Country Store and Pub. There is a great opportunity to keep "a warm and special place" in Garrison. I am a career military officer stationed at West Point and have been attending the Irish nights at Guinan's since 1995. I just recently returned from two years in Iraq after being critically wounded. I was more hurt by the news that Guinan's was closed than I was with my physical wounds. One of the "things" I clung to during my recovery were memories of Garrison and Guinan's. You can not imagine how important this was to my recovery. I believe there is something so very special about this community. This is an opportunity to keep the community together.... God Bless, LTC Kenny McDonald Deputy Commander US Army Corps of Engineers New York District Photo by Gwendolyn Boun...

This ad was published in this week's Putnam Country News & Recorder soliciting proposals for new businesses to operate at #7 Garrison's Landing. As the ad notes, "many people have expressed hope that at least some portion of that building ... will continue to be leased to a tenant whose business contributes to community interaction and convenience." Thank you to all who have signed the petition backing a new general store or similar venue in this spot. We're closing in on 1,000 signatures. Please continue to encourage new signers and throw your support behind those who might have a viable plan to serve our community in this space.