Then & Now
by Highlands Historian Stella Bailey
The Cozzens name in the Village of Highland Falls has always been directly associated with the famous Cozzens Hotel.
Located on the former Ladycliff College grounds, now the West Point Visitor’s Center and Museum, the hotel was the mecca meeting place for the wealthy and the many visitors to West Point. Guests often arrived by boat at Cozzens Dock and were driven by carriage to the hotel. The overflow of guests were often brought to nearby homes and smaller hotels in Buttermilk Falls, the original name of Highland Falls (changed in 1866).
The Cozzens family originally came from Newport, Rhode Island. Although a very prominent name, it was often confusing as to who was who. According to a West Point publication, in 1825 a William L. Cozzens was hired by West Point Superintendent Sylvanus Thayer to manage the mess hall. Then Cozzens became the manager of the West Point Hotel. The two names have often caused confusion in the written text. Another article states that Theodore Cozzens’ son became the manager of the West Point hotel in 1869 and continued until 1874. At least the last name remains the same.
William B. Cozzens acquired a great deal of property in the Highland Falls area and by 1849 he opened the original Cozzens Hotel on some of his property. In 1861 the hotel caught on fire and cadets were sent to help with the fire. It burnt down, and a new hotel was built in the spring. In the New York Times in 1876 it was written that a Mrs. Osborn was to buy the hotel to be used as a convalescent hospital, but this never happened due to some faulty defects in the legal paperwork. The rest is history: Cranston’s Hotel, Ladycliff Academy, etc.
With all the recent talks regarding the remainder of lands available in Highland Falls and possible development of same, we must go back to the William B. Cozzens property in Highland Falls. The Historical Society acquired a copy of the Cozzens property map of 1871, from records held in the Newburgh City Engineers Office. It clearly shows the extent of the ownership of a great deal of land. It consisted of many acres of prime real estate and at a time when land and housing was a premium.
It contained all the land that the Methodist, Catholic and Episcopal churches now reside on; in addition it was squared off into over 83 divided building lots consisting of some larger plots of one to three acres each. This was indeed a very large area in the entire Highland Falls community. One can only imagine the potential of this property if it was bought up for only imagined use. It could have changed the entire history of the village as in the case of what happened when West Point acquired much of village land, Instead, it provided individual land for community homes and a boost to village population.
William B. Cozzens, the most prominent family member, died in 1864. He and family members are buried on the grounds of the Holy Innocents Church.
