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is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was reported to be 10,408 during the 2000 census. The name is supposedly derived by the red foliage on trees on a small strip of land in the river. The town contains two villages, one also named Red Hook and another one named Tivoli. The town is in the northwest part of Dutchess County. US 9 passes through the town.
Bard College is in the hamlet of Annandale-on-Hudson within the town of Red Hook. The Unification Theological Seminary is in the hamlet of Barrytown, also within the town of Red Hook.
The region was settled in the late 1600s under the Schuyler Patent. The land was stolen from local natives who could not read the Dutch written deed. Prior to 1812, Red Hook was part of the Town of Rhinebeck. Because Rhinebeck, as well other towns, had populations over 5,000 residents, the Albany Legislature authorized the separation of these two precincts on June 12 to accommodate and encourage public attendance at town meetings via horseback or carriage. The first documented Town of Red Hook meeting was on April 6, 1813 in a local inn and held yearly afterwards as required by law. Wealthy landowning farmers oversaw the maintenance of their assigned roads with the help of their farm workers and neighbors. The Red Hook Society for the Apprehension and Detention of Horse Thieves is thought to be one of the oldest formal organizations in the state and still holds an annual meeting.