The Winne family has long been woven into the agricultural and commercial fabric of the Hudson Valley. Since their arrival from the Netherlands in 1652, the Winnes established themselves as innovative farmers and traders, utilizing the fertile lands along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers to launch one of the earliest family-run agrarian enterprises in the region. Their story is deeply tied to the waterways that defined early American commerce and settlement.
As early as the 17th century, Pieter Winne—who settled near the Vlomankill in 1677—recognized the potential of the river valleys not just for farming, but for powering industry and connecting goods to distant markets. By the 1800s, Barent Winne Sr. carried this legacy forward, transforming the family’s agricultural strength into a thriving commercial operation. Situated at Cedar Hill, Winne’s Dock became a hub for regional trade, where Bethlehem farmers brought cash crops such as oats, hay, and apples. These goods were loaded onto barges bound for Albany and New York City, long before the convenience of railroads.
The dock wasn’t just a shipping point—it was the center of a bustling riverside economy. Barent Winne built large warehouses and a general store near his elegant brick home, where everything from coal and lumber to furniture and farm supplies passed through. Winne’s Dock even earned the nickname “Hudson River Landing,” serving not just as a freight depot but also a marketplace for farmers to purchase tools, food, and essentials. The creek nearby, the Vlomankill, helped power mills and facilitated even more industrial activity in the area.
As the community around Bethlehem grew, so did the importance of Winne’s Dock. Farmers and townspeople alike depended on it as their primary artery to the wider world, a critical link in the chain that connected remote farmland to urban markets. Even after the rise of railroads and the decline of river commerce, the legacy of Winne’s Dock lived on. Remnants of the wharf, iron fittings, and cement foundations are still visible near today’s Henry Hudson Park, echoing the past presence of commerce and innovation along the shoreline.
Barent Winne Jr., although childless, remained a steady presence at the homestead well into the late 19th century, known for watching the boats glide down the river from his front porch. His life—rooted in land, water, and community—symbolizes the enduring spirit of the Hudson Valley’s early farming families.
The Winne family’s expansion didn’t stop at Cedar Hill. Eventually, their agricultural endeavors spread into the Catskills, where they established farms along the Esopus River, continuing their tradition of cultivating rich lands and distributing goods using New York’s vast natural waterways. Their story is not just one of farming—it’s a narrative of foresight, resilience, and the foundational role of family-run operations in shaping regional commerce in early America.
Today, while only fragments of Winne’s Dock remain, the influence of the Winne family continues to ripple across the Hudson Valley, carried forward by those who still work the land and honor the legacy of those who first saw the river not as a barrier—but as a lifeline.