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The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area does not own or operate any of the sites listed below. They are owned and managed by the organizations listed in the site descriptions. Please call ahead for special accommodation needs or with any questions about their sites.
Opus 40
Landscapes & Gardens
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50 Fite Road
Saugerties, NY - 845-246-3400
- Ulster County
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- Tours Thursday-Mondays
- Handicap Accessible
Sculptor Harvey Fite began work on Opus 40 on the site of an abandoned bluestone quarry in 1939. Using only hand-powered quarryman’s tools—and no mortar or cement—he fitted together hundreds of thousands of stones to create an interlocking series of terraces, ramps, and steps that were intended to serve as a showcase for his figural sculptures. Over time, he came to realize that what had begun as the setting had become a sculpture in its own right; the original sculptures were placed in the surrounding woods and fields. Opus 40 (the name refers to the number of years Fite expected the work’s completion to take) curves around trees and shrubs, and incorporates pools and fountains fed by quarry springs. Atop it stands a nine-ton monolith. As visitors walk through the work, along cool subterranean passageways and up gentle inclines, its majesty and complexity varies from every new perspective. Fite died while working on Opus 40 in 1976—three years shy of its completion.
Amenities: Passport Stamp (not onsite, please call for location)
Nearby Destinations
- Woodstock Playhouse4.2 miles
- Saugerties Lighthouse5 miles
- Clermont State Historic Site 6.5 miles
- Montgomery Place at Bard College6.8 miles
- Poets' Walk Park 6.9 miles