Liz Montgomery reports for Porcupine Soup that on Nov. 15 the Thomas Cole National Historic Site on Spring Street in Catskill. broke ground on a new visitor center. The Cole Center, a 1,800 square foot visitor center, will include a gift shop, café, and a public patio, and will host events and other activities. “The Thomas Cole historic site is not only an essential component of our economy, but also serves as an important reminder that the beauty of our countryside is awe-inspiring, and its preservation is vital to the well-being of our environment,” Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado said at the groundbreaking. Officials estimate that the Thomas Cole Site adds $2.5 million to the local economy each year. Thomas Cole lived from 1801 to 1848, and founded the first major art movement of the United States, now known as the Hudson River School of landscape painting, with many paintings of the Catskill mountains. The story does not say when construction of the new visitors center will be complete. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.