D&H CANAL

Inscription

D&H CANAL
DELAWARE & HUDSON CANAL RAN
THROUGH HERE BEGINNING 1827.
CARRIED PASSENGERS & GOODS
INCLUDING PA COAL & ROSENDALE
CEMENT AS LATE AS 1917.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2025

The Delaware & Hudson (D&H) Canal Company was incorporated by an act of the New York State Legislature in 1823 for purposes of operating a canal used for supplying New York City and other parts of the state with anthracite coal transported from Pennsylvania. Constructed from 1825 to 1828, the 108-mile-long canal was used to transport not only Pennsylvania coal, but also passengers and goods, such as Rosendale cement, a natural cement produced from dolomite mined in and around the town of Rosendale in Ulster County, New York.

Beginning in 1827, the portion of the canal between the Delaware and Hudson Rivers was in operation. This included the section through the town of Rosendale. The entire length of the canal opened the following year in October 1828. The D&H canal was a significant feat in the development of transportation. It allowed for the movement of people and goods, fueling the economies of the communities it passed through, including the cement industry in Ulster County, which became a large producer of cement used throughout the United States.

Looking to obtain improved modes of transportation, an 1867 act of the state legislature allowed the D&H Canal Company to construct, own, and maintain railroads in the state. After acquiring various railroad lines, the company received authorization in 1899 to sell their canal and officially drop “canal” from its name. In June 1899, the canal was sold to S.D. Coykendall, who formed the Consolidated Rosendale Cement Company. The northern portion of the canal running through Rosendale continued to be used until as late as 1917.

As of 2025, what remains of the former D&H Canal bed in Rosendale is visible from NY Route 213, which was built on the berm side of the canal, or the side opposite the towpath.