Beacon Engine Company No. 1 Firehouse - Lewis Tompkins

Lewis Tompkins

Lewis Tompkins, was born at the family farm near Ashland (Greene County), August 5, 1836. Tompkins was descended from an old English family and related to Daniel D. Tompkins, vice-president of the United States from 1816 to 1820. When he was about seventeen,he began to learn the trade of hat finishing with Strong & Ruggles, of Ashland. In the summer of 1860 he went to Matteawan, where he was employed for with the Seamless Clothing Manufacturing Co.; later he was in business as a clothier at Fishkill-on-the-Hudson. In 1873 he built a large hat factory near the river at Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, and Dutchess Hat Works was put into successful operation. The business grew and a branch was established at Tioronda, a mile away. He became the leading manufacturer of wool hats in the United States, and at his death his fortune amounted to several hundred thousand dollars.

He was greatly interested in local progress and was a member of the board of education at Matteawan, and was at one time president of the village of Fishkill-on-the-Hudson. It was largely through his endeavors that Matteawan and Fishkill-on-the-Hudson secured new school buildings. One feature of his enterprise was the erection of homes for his employees. The building of the hose house of the Lewis Tompkins Hose Co. was chiefly due to him. Highland Hospital was a charity which he supported. The family residence is appropriately named ' Edgewater, " being situated on the bank of the Hudson opposite Newburgh, and commanded a lovely view up and down the river. He died at his home on the 9th day of January, 1894.