In recognition of Martin and Irene Ginsburg’s significant contributions to the economic development, environmental protection, and cultural vitality of Westchester County, Historic Hudson Valley honored the couple at a dinner on June 23 at Abeyton Lodge, in Pocantico Hills, New York. Martin Ginsburg is the founder and principal of Ginsburg Development Companies, which has its headquarters in Valhalla and operates throughout the Hudson Valley region.
More than 150 guests, including New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins; Mark F. Rockefeller, Chair, Executive Committee of Historic Hudson Valley; Wilson S. Neely, Chairman of Historic Hudson Valley; and Kimberly J. Huchro, Vice-Chair of Historic Hudson Valley and Founding Committee Chair, gathered to celebrate the Ginsburgs’ many achievements, including the restoration and transformation of a 19th-century convent in Peekskill into the Abbey Inn & Spa. Since opening in 2020, the Abbey Inn & Spa has been profiled in the New York Times, named one of the best new hotels by USA Today, and has become one of the Hudson Valley’s premier tourist destinations.
Sen. Stewart-Cousins, who recently secured $1 million in the New York State budget to support arts programs in the region, spoke at the dinner. The senator has been involved with HHV’s Women’s History Institute initiatives in the past, including an appearance at the popular event, “Vote Like a Girl,” a summer festival at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside. “I’m pleased to support Historic Hudson Valley’s Women’s History Institute, which tells the stories of the women — both free and enslaved — who contributed so much to the economy and culture of the Hudson Valley,” Sen. Stewart-Cousins said. “My heartiest congratulations go out to Martin and Irene Ginsburg who were honored for their restoration and transformation of a historic Peekskill convent into a world-class destination.”
Messrs. Rockefeller and Neely presented the Ginsburgs with an award recognizing their decades of work and their dedication to the area.
“As one of the most prominent real estate developers in the region, Martin and Irene Ginsburg have long been champions of the Hudson Valley as a world-class destination because of its natural beauty, historic significance, and extraordinary cultural institutions,” said Waddell Stillman, president of Historic Hudson Valley. “With HHV’s focus on preserving and contributing to this unique regional landscape, it is only fitting that we honor the Ginsburgs and their extraordinary adaptation of the former home of the Community of St. Mary, the oldest Episcopalian religious order in the United States.”
The Women’s History Institute, which was founded in 2016, illuminates the contributions of women in the Hudson Valley through critical research, popular events, and digital programs, such as “Invisible Women,” a virtual field trip under development featuring the little-known stories of the free and enslaved women of Philipsburg and Van Cortlandt Manors. “Invisible Women” was supported by a prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Previous Women’s History Institute honorees include Valerie Rockefeller, Chair of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund; and Dawn Fitzpatrick, Chief Investment Officer of Soros Fund Management.
Proceeds from the dinner support the programs of the Women’s History Institute, including Summer Research Fellowships, educational resources for local students, and digital and virtual experiences for a global audience.
