The Sissman Chronicle: Kendal Neighborhood Names
About a month or two ago, I wrote a short essay for this Website about how we came to be named Kendal. Now I will follow up with some comments on the names of our 4 buildings. They were assigned by Gay Berger, the “leader” of the small group of Westchester seniors who conceived the idea of a CCRC here and worked hard for many years to make it a reality. She chose the names of 4 19th century Hudson River steamboats, perhaps to emphasize the connection of our institution with its local environment. (in fact, all the names at Kendal refer to local places, with the exception of Adirondack).
The most historically important steamship was the Clermont. It was the first steamboat ever constructed. Its inventor and builder was Robert Fulton (1765-1815). The ship was named after the Columbia County estate of the man who financed Fulton’s project, Robert Livingston (1746-1813). Livingston had achieved some widespread recognition as one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, but he retired from politics to become a successful businessman.
The word Clermont can be roughly translated as French for “clear mountain.” When word of Fulton’s intentions circulated, most were highly skeptical that it could be done, and called it “Fulton’s Folly.” These voices were abruptly silenced on August 17, 1807, when the Clermont sailed from New York City to Albany on a 32-hour trip and returned the following day. Thus, the Clermont inaugurated the century-long era of Hudson River Steamboat pleasure cruises.
