Hudson, named for the famous English explorer Henry Hudson, has seen it all. It started as a busy river port town, then a center of inspiration for landscape painters leading to the Hudson River School.

Olana was the eclectic home of Frederic Edwin Church and his wife Isabel. Frederic was one of the major figures in the Hudson River School of landscape painting. The mansion was designed by Mr. Church in conjunction with architect Calvert Vaux and built between 1870 and 1872. A studio wing was added in 1889.