The Thomas Cole National Historic Site (TCNHS) preserves and interprets the home and studios of Thomas Cole (1801–1848), the founder of the Hudson River School of painting, and whose influential American landscape paintings and impassioned writing advocate for preservation of the natural landscapes. Located in New York’s Hudson Valley on traditional Passamaquoddy homelands, TCNHS is an independent nonprofit organization that celebrates Cole’s profound influence on America’s cultural landscape through innovative educational programs. As a cultural anchor, TCNHS has worked to repatriate the area’s cultural heritage, saving nine historic properties. Its collection includes nearly 6,000 works, representing indigenous peoples and settlers, and features historic buildings and natural environments immortalized in Cole’s landscape paintings. The historic campus includes the 1815 Main House, 1839 Studio, reconstructed 1846 Studio, and six acres of gardens. The site, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and affiliated with the National Park System in 1998, organizes exhibitions of both 19th-century and contemporary art. In July 2024, the TCNHS opened the Cole Center, a cornerstone of the master plan for the six-acre campus.

As part of an ongoing Greening Initiative that acknowledges Cole’s proto-environmentalist legacy, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site is re-imagining its everyday practices to reduce its harm to the earth. The current project will convert a substantial portion of energy generation in the Research Fellows’ House from natural gas to solar-powered electricity by installing electric heat pumps. The modern building currently sources electricity from solar, but the heating system relies on natural gas. This conversion will cover three bedroom zones, reducing carbon emissions and utilizing clean energy. The initiative supports the Cole Fellows Program, which offers a one-year research and professional development residency for four young individuals pursuing careers in the arts. The program provides free housing, including utilities, in the Fellows’ House. The project, recommended by Rycor Heating + Cooling, will involve installing 6,000 BTU Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat Heat Pumps in each bedroom, aligning with TCNHS’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.