Beacon, New York

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Beacon is a city located in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The 2010 census placed the city total population at 15,541. It was named to commemorate the historic beacon fires that blazed forth from the summit of the Fishkill Mountains to alert the Continental Army about British troop movements.

The City of Beacon was originally settled as two communities in 1709 - the villages of Matteawan and Fishkill Landing - two of the first municipalities in the State of New York.

In 1913 they merged to become the City of Beacon, the name of which originated from the prominence of Mt. Beacon as one of the principal signaling points for the patriots coming up the Hudson River during the Revolutionsry War.

During the 1800's, Beacon's use of its waterways prompted its industrial heritage. On the banks of the Hudson River, brickyards became a major source of the region's bricks, including those that went into the constraction of the Empire State Building.

Textile factories used the electro-generative powers of Fishkill Creek and drove the local economy through the 1960's. At its peak, Beacon was known as "The Hat Capital of New York" with nearly 50 hat factories operating over a 100 year period.

In 2006, beacon was selected as home for the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries