Category: Historic Homes of the Hudson River Valley

Ulster County Historical Society 2682 Route 209 Kingston, NY 12401

Ulster County Historical Society 2682 Route 209 Kingston, NY 12401

Ulster County Historical Society

2682 Route 209

Kingston, NY 12401

(845) 377-1040

Open: Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm/Monday-Thursday Closed/Friday-Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm

Admission: Adults $15.00/Seniors and Students $10.00/Members Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g48003-d26612748-r915068372-Ulster_County_Historical_Society-Kingston_Catskill_Region_New_York.html?m=19905

The Ulster County Historical Society at 2683 Route 209

I visited the Ulster County Historical Society in Kingston, New York recently and found it to be a very interesting packed with information on both county and New York State history. The historical Bevier House was set up into different galleries.

In the main gallery which must have served as the family’s living room and parlor room was the “Leaving Bishop Falls” exhibit by artist Kate McGloughlin, who shared the story of how her family either sold out or were forced off their land when New York State used the area as a reservoir for drinking water for New York City. Her art told the story of her family’s love/hate relationship with the situation and how some of the family still deal with the incident. I thought it was interesting that she was a 12th Generation New Yorker.

The Main Gallery

What was once the Dining Room is now the Portrait Room, with many family portraits and of local citizens from the Museum’s collection. This room is also used for lectures.

The Portrait Gallery and lecture space

The Portrait Gallery

The Portrait Gallery has period pieces to them with various tables, armours and pottery and china pieces of the time period. The portraits reflect that time period as well.

The back part of the house is the period Dutch Kitchen which was remodeled from the more modern kitchen it had become over time as the family moved into modern times back to the original kitchen. The fireplace is filled with tea kettles, pots and pans that would have been used for cooking, a bedwarmer and various items that cooks and housewives would have used to make the family meals. There is even a bed in the kitchen which I took as something that was needed in the colder months.

The Dutch Kitchen

The pewter and pottery in the Dutch Kitchen.

A folding bed in the kitchen.

The room to the back displayed farm equipment and materials needed in the Blacksmithing and Blue Stoning industries that were once part of Ulster County. The farm equipment reflects the rural past of the farm land that used to surround the house. This is where the family made their money.

The farm tools display

The Farm tool display

The Blacksmithing Display

The Blue Stoning tools for mine blue stone for homes.

Then to the back of the house are the stone gardens loaded with all sorts of wild flowers and colorful flowering plants. This path leads to the old family barn that is now on private property. The gardens are a nice place to relax and unwind on a sunny afternoon.

The Stone Gardens in the summer months.

The side of the house with the stone gardens.

The gardens on the side of the house.

The home is an example of life on a farm at that time period and the family who put a lot of care in their home for generations. The care that the historical society has brought to this house is reflected in the displays and exhibits. The volunteers do a good job telling this story.

The Special Exhibition at the museum:

LEAVING BISHOP FALLS — AN ASHOKAN STORY
MAY 13 – OCT 29, 2023

The entrance of the exhibition “Leaving Bishop Falls”

Construction of the Ashokan Reservoir, part of New York City’s water system, flooded communities long established in the Esopus Valley. That action reverberates in our community today. 

Artist Kate McGloughlin shares her family’s history in the area.

https://www.katemcgloughlin.com/

The newspaper coverage of the event.

The work of artist Kate McGloughlin, a 12th– generation county resident, captures the sense
of loss her family still carries from the seizure of Bishop Falls. Her kin, and many like them, were forcibly removed from their land at Bishop Falls.

The artist’s descendants

Kate’s painting and printmaking tell the story of her people, acknowledging their loss and finding solace in the beauty of the Ashokan landscape.

The main gallery with her works.

The exhibition asks us to reflect on our own family stories and how they resonate in our lives today.

The works of Kate McGloughlin

Map of the location of the family land and community lands taken away.

The History of the Ulster County Historical Society:

(from the museum’s website)

The Ulster County Historical Society is the oldest historical society in New York State. It was established in 1859, largely through the efforts of State Senator George C. Pratt, Commanding Colonel of the 20th Regiment, New York State Militia (80th NYSV). Col. Pratt was mortally wounded 1862 at the Second Battle of Bull Run. With his death, the Society became dormant until 1898, when an enthusiastic group led by Judge G.V.D. Hasbrouck revived it.

The Bevier House plaque

Throughout the history of the UCHS, the mission has been twofold. The society’s primary responsibility has been to act as curator and collector of significant Hudson Valley artifacts, documents, and cultural items. The donation of the Bevier House as museum space helped the UCHS to achieve this goal, and we currently house several fine collections of artwork, furniture, and culturally significant documents. Additionally, our library within the museum allows for researchers to access documents, land records, maps, town histories, letters, and diaries of interest to this area of the Hudson Valley. Please contact info@ulstercountyhs.org with any research queries.

The Bevier Family tree and patent

The second goal of the UCHS is to educate our community and the public on the very important role that the Hudson Valley, and particularly Ulster County, has played in the formation of our great nation. Through a variety of programs centered around our current exhibits, we encourage participants to engage with and explore their local and personal histories.

A copy of the permit to maintain and run the local highway.

The rate of the tolls on the road that the family collected.

The History of the Van Leuven/Bevier Homestead:

(from the museum website)

The sign that welcomes you.

The Ulster County Historical Society is proud to have the Bevier House as its headquarters. The Bevier Family donated the building in 1935 to serve as a meeting space and to house the collections of local historical artifacts stewarded by the UCHS.

The Bevier House in the summer of 2023.

The home site was first settled in the 1680s and began as a one room structure, constructed by Andries Van Leuven. It may have reflected the Dutch tradition of positioning the gable end toward the street. In 1715, Louis Bevier of the New Paltz Patent purchased the property for his third son Louis and wife Maria Hasbrouck.

The family barn (which is not part of the Historical Society property)

The site remained in the Bevier Family for the next 223 years and provided a successful income from farming. The home grew and was improved with most changes occurring between 1840 and 1890, when much of the U.S. was experiencing rebuilding and reconstruction after many years of turmoil.

The stone garden on the side of the house.

The house gardens and well in the summer of 2023.

The final major change that occurred in the house was the Dutch kitchen remodel in the 1970s, in conjunction with the Bicentennial.

The Dutch kitchen brought back to its original form.

The Ulster County Historical Society is a perfect way to understanding Dutch farming life at that time period in Ulster County, NY.

Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site 84 Liberty Street Newburgh, NY 12551

Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site 84 Liberty Street Newburgh, NY 12551

Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site

84 Liberty Street

Newburgh, NY 12551

(845) 562-1195

https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/17/details.aspx

https://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/sites/Washington-s-Headquarters-State-Historic-Site-/details

Open: Sunday 1:00pm-4:00pm/Monday-Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 11:00am-4:00pm

Admission: Adults $7.00/Senior/Student $5.00/Children 12 and Under Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48254-d1798458-Reviews-Washington_s_Headquarters_State_Historic_Site-Newburgh_New_York.html

The Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site in Newburgh, NY

I spent an afternoon exploring the Beacon/Newburgh area with all its historical sites and homes and my last stop was the Washington’s Headquarters State Historical Site in Newburgh, NY. Surrounded by a quickly gentrifying neighborhood it really showed me the progress this area has made and how the site keeps reinventing itself. It shows this site’s resilience.

The Hasbrouck family farmhouse was General George and his wife, Martha’s home for over sixteen months.

For sixteen and a half months, the site was used by General George Washington, along with his wife Martha, his aides, guards and free and enslaved servants. They used the Hasbrouck family’s Dutch-style farmhouse as their home and headquarters. It was the longest time they spend at any military headquarters beginning in April of 1782 and ending in August of 1783 as the Revolutionary War was drawing to a close (Palisade Interstate Park Commission).

I was able to take the last tour of the day at 4:00pm and our tour guide was excellent. She really knew the history of the site and gave us a comprehensive tour of the home and the time before and after the war. We went room by room in the Hasbrouck family farmhouse and she described how the family had utilized the house and then how General Washington and his wife and staff used the home during the war years.

I started the tour in the Museum Building, which is a Federal style building that was erected in 1910 to house the collection of artifacts from that period. The collection includes the only surviving section of the boom that stretched across the Hudson River at West Point (Palisade Interstate Park Commission).

The main gallery housing equipment and the surviving piece of the boom.

The Boom that protected the Hudson River

The piece of the boom that survived and was dredged from the river in the late 1800’s.

The second gallery had the video history of the site and how Washington’s troops advanced in the area. It also went over the last years of the war and the progress American troops made.

The Video Gallery at the Washington Headquarters site.

The sign of the historic site.

After the tour of the museum on my own, we started the tour of the Hasbrouck family homestead. When we approached the house, you could see where the house was added onto from the original footprint. At the top of the doorway, we could see the cornerstone where the family name and year of the building of the house was built.

The cornerstone to the home with the family name and date.

Jonathan and Tryntje Hasbrouck built this Dutch style farmhouse between 1750 and 1770. They raised their family and ran their business here. The property stretched from the banks of the Hudson River to about two miles inland for a total of almost 200 acres. After his passing in 1780, his wife ran the home and the business successfully for the rest of her life (Palisades Interstate Park Commission).

The outside of the Hasbrouck family home. Notice the addition to the home.

The house itself has none of the original family furnishings but many period pieces including General George Washington’s desk from another location.

George Washington’s desk from another location that was brought here.

We started off the tour in the family kitchen and dining room which was one big room with a walk-in fireplace. The room was broken into sections as the food would be cooked in the giant fireplace and served at the family table off to the side. As more people visited the home, an area off to the side was used for plating and serving.

The Hasbrouck’s and Washington’s Dining Room

The walk-in fireplace for cooking and the dining space.

The plating area of the dining room that would be used by the Washington’s.

We next entered the battle room, where all the enlisted men would be doing all the General’s office work, correspondence and paying bills. Everything was done by hand and if multiple copies needed to be made, it was more work for the men working there.

The War Room where the enlisted men did all their work and corresponded with the troops and other officers.

General Washington’s office was off to the back. This is where all the strategic work of the war was performed and where General Washington worked with his staff.

General Washington’s office during the end of the war.

Once you passed through the front foyer again is where the enlisted men slept, two per bed which the tour guide said was uncomfortable for the men. Only in the summer months when half the staff was on leave could they sleep one per bed.

The enlisted officers sleeping chambers during the war years.

The three rooms on the other side of the house were used as the Parlor, where the Washington’s would entertain visiting dignitaries and guests. This was right off the main kitchen area.

The Parlor where the Washington’s entertained visitors and dignitaries.

The next two rooms were used as the Washington’s bedroom where we all noticed that the bed was so short. The guide informed us that even though George Washington was over six feet, people slept sitting up at that time as they considered it healthier.

The Washington’s bedroom

The next room over was the servant’s room where the free and enslaved servants would sleep and attend to the needs of the Washington’s. It looked to me that Martha contributed more than just entertaining the troops. She must have been the ear that her husband needed at wartime.

The Servant’s room

What I thought was interesting is the stairs going up did not lead to a second floor. The tour guide said that this was in the Dutch tradition of not having a second floor considering the Hasbrouck’s had ten children. She said only later on did families finish the house and construct the upstairs. Once the house tour was over and the tour guide answered all our questions, we were able to tour the grounds for the last hour before the park closed.

The property looking down the Hudson River to Bannerman Castle.

On the property was the Tower of Victory, which President Lincoln’s son built in honor of the Hundredth anniversary of the war. It was closed for touring. The details of the tower were really beautiful with the eagles adorning the sides of the building and the beautiful stonework.

The Tower of Victory sign

The “Tower of Victory”

The views of the Hudson River were breathtaking. On this beautiful sunny afternoon, you can see all the way into Beacon across the river and look as far down river as Bannerman Castle. Everything was so clear and beautiful from this site and you could see all the surrounding area. You could see why they picked this spot as the strategic headquarters for this part of the war.

The Minuteman statue on the property.

Artist Henry Hudson Kitson sculpted this statue and the Minute Man statue on the town green in Lexington, MA. These monuments commemorate the citizen-soldiers whose selfless bravery and sacrifice made this country possible (Palisades Interstate Park Commission).

Artist Henry Hudson Kitson was a British born artist who was educated at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He was known for his military statues (Wiki).

Artist Henry Hudson Kitson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hudson_Kitson

It was so interesting to spend the afternoon at the and realize it’s importance in American history. It is almost a humbling experience.

Fred J. Johnson House/The Friends of Historic Kingston Gallery 63 Main Street Kingston, NY 12402

Fred J. Johnson House/The Friends of Historic Kingston Gallery 63 Main Street Kingston, NY 12402

Fred J. Johnson House/The Friends of Historic Kingston Gallery

63 Main Street

Kingston, NY 12402

(845) 339-0720

The Fred J. Johnston House

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48003-d8546539-Reviews-The_Fred_J_Johnston_Museum-Kingston_Catskill_Region_New_York.html

Admission: $10.00/Members are free

Hours: Sunday-Thursday Closed/Friday-Saturday 11:00am-4:00pm (May-October)

The Fredrick J. Johnson Museum and the Friends of Kingston

About Friends of Historic Kingston

We are a not-for-profit organization founded in 1965 whose members share a common mission: preserving and promoting the local history and landmarks of Kingston, New York.

Our Mission

The Friends of Historic Kingston champions our unique architectural, historical and cultural legacy and shares it with residents of all ages of the Kingston community and with visitors to the Hudson Valley.

What We Do

The exhibition at the Fredrick J. Johnson Museum and at the Friends of Kingston Gallery was “Still Standing”. How the Friends have saved many historical buildings in Kingston, NY from destruction. This contribution from the members of the Friends organization have saved many historical sites in the city that make up the character of the City of Kingston. These contributions have helped developed the historical sections of the city and made them the desirable destination they are today (FOHK website).

“Still Standing”

The Louw-Borgardus Ruins that have been saved and preserved by the Friends that are located on the edge of Downtown Kingston in the Stockade section of the city. This is an example of the Friends efforts to restore these treasures that would have otherwise disappeared.

The rest of the exhibition can be seen in the Friends of Kingston Gallery. The walls were lined with homes and businesses that were served by the conservation efforts of the Friends organization.

The Friends of Kingston Gallery to the right and the Fred Johnson Museum is to the left. These are open seasonally.

House & Gallery

The Friends offers changing exhibits, house tours, guided walk tours of the Stockade and Rondout Historic Districts, special events and publications related to the stories of the city of Kingston (FOHK website).

The “Still Standing” exhibition:

“Still Standing” exhibition: The Sharp Burying Ground

“Still Standing” exhibition: The Office of Simeon and William B. Fitch

“Still Standing” exhibition: The Pieter Cornelise Louw House

After walking through the “Still Standing” exhibit and noting the structures that had been saved.

The Fred J. Johnston House

A Treasury of American Decorative Arts

Fred J. Johnston (1911-1993)
Antiquarian and Preservationist

The Fred J. Johnston House located in the heart of the Stockade District, Kingston, New York is a classic Federal style clapboard house. It was built circa 1812 as the residence for John Sudam (1782-1835) and his family. Sudam was a prominent attorney, New York State Senator and New York State Regent. In the 1880’s, the house was acquired by the Van Leuven family. In 1938, the site was to be sold, the building razed and a gas station constructed. Although the home was in a deteriorated condition, Fred J. Johnston, a local antiques dealer bought the house to save it from demolition.

 The front room gallery of the Fredrick J. Johnson Museum

Johnston devoted the remainder of his life to restoring the property for use as his home and antiques shop. Under his care, the house became a visual landmark of uptown Kingston which was listed on the Stockade National Historic District Register in 1975. When Johnston died in 1993, he left the property to the Friends of Historic Kingston.

The Reception Room of the Johnson Museum

In fulfilling our mission, Friends of Historic Kingston maintains the integrity of the property and continues this unique preservation story by displaying the house and its contents as they were left by Fred J. Johnston. A visit to the Johnston House today is very much like the singular experience his clients enjoyed while shopping for antiques. The tour of the house is an immersion in the taste and connoisseurship of antiquarian Fred J. Johnston who celebrated America’s material past (FOHK Website).

Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Perry who were local residents.

I was lucky enough to get a private tour of the house with a seasoned docent who I toured the house with that afternoon. We went room by room and she told me the story of how the museum came about. Fred Johnson had been an antiques dealer who filled the house with furniture and objects of art for sale and the rooms became his showroom. Both his unmarried sister and his mother moved into the house and helped entertain and run the household. So, the business became a family affair. Both his mother and sister lived with him until they died.

The Johnson Living Room

What I thought was unique about the museum was the whole house was for sale. The docent told me that one day his sister came home and found that her bed had been sold. As we toured the house, I could still see tags on all the furniture. The contents were still marked for sale.

The Johnson family kitchen

The stairs to the upstairs bedrooms

The house still holds much of the Johnson Collection of antiques and upon the death of his sister, the home became a museum to maintain this very unique collection of objects.

Mr. Johnson’s mother’s bedroom

Mr. Johnson’s sister’s bedroom

The Guest Bedroom

Mr. Johnson’s bedroom

After we toured the very tasteful and stylish upstairs, we went back downstairs to tour the outside gardens. The docents did a very nice job with the landscaping of the house and the gardens were beautifully maintained. It was a nice way to get some fresh air and sunshine while admiring the beds.

The back of the Johnson House Museum and the back gardens.

The Johnson Museum Gardens

The back of the Johnson House from the gardens

After the touring the whole house, we were able to take one last look at the first floor and all the beautiful antiques that filled the rooms. The museum gives you the perspective of not just how the Johnson family must have lived but how people had lived in past centuries.

The house is also beautifully decorated and maintained by the staff of docents and members of the Friends and is a wonderful view of the past.

Columbia County Historical Society 5 Albany Avenue Kinderhook, NY 12106

Columbia County Historical Society 5 Albany Avenue Kinderhook, NY 12106

Columbia County Historical Society

5 Albany Avenue

Kinderhook, NY 12106

(518) 758-9265

Columbia County Historical Society

Open: Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm/Monday-Friday Closed/Saturday 11:00am-4:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60899-d12000596-Reviews-Columbia_County_Historical_Society_Museum_Library-Kinderhook_New_York.html

The Columbia County Historical Society Museum

The main building of the Historical Society contains an exhibition on farming. It also contains the society’s library and genealogy center.

The James Vanderpoel House Museum

The afternoon I visited the society, the Vanderpoel House was the only building open but it was interesting to visit. I saw the early American portraits.

History of the House:

One of the finest examples of Federal architecture in Columbia County, the James Vanderpoel House was constructed circa 1819–1820 for prominent Kinderhook lawyer and judge James Vanderpoel. 

Trimmed with marble and built with local brick, the side-gabled structure has two stories, five bays, and rests on a fieldstone foundation. Symmetry and graceful architectural details are found throughout the home. Purchased by the Columbia County Historical Society in 1925, the property is now preserved as an exhibition space showcasing paintings and decorative arts from the CCHS permanent collection and is home to the CCHS Museum Store & Bookshop (CCHS website).

There are two exhibitions going on right now:

New York Portraits from the permanent collection:

Columbia County’s painted portraiture legacy spans more than three centuries of historically significant or artistically important works by self-taught, naïve and itinerant painters, as well as important artists of the time, and including some of the earliest works in America.

In the Portraits of the Permanent Collection shows us how the middle to upper middle class in the early years before photography was created to be remembered. Portraits were the best way to show the families wealth and prestige in the community plus keep families legacies alive. Today many of these families descendants don’t know what to do with them. This is our benefit that we can enjoy these private works of art.

Portraits from the Permanent Collection sign

The Gallery

The Gallery

The New York portraits in the collection

The New York Portrait Collection exhibition

The Portrait Collection-Children’s Portrait

Part of the Portrait and Federal Style exhibitions

Early Hand Tools & Farm Implements: the permanent collection

In the main building, there is also a permanent collection of farming equipment and the development of family farms in New York State. It shows how the agricultural profession has changed from doing everything by hand when farms catered solely to the family to the commercial farms that developed after the Civil War that found new markets for their products. Automation grew the industry but its start with equipment shows how much the process really hasn’t changed that much. It is a very thought provoking exhibit on how industries progress.

The “Early Hand Tools & Farm Implements” exhibitions

The farming equipment galleries

The farming equipment galleries

The farm equipment at the turn of last century that has not changed much to today.

The new exhibition “Dirt Road Life: Images of Rural Community” again shows how life has progressed in this country.

The description of the exhibition and collection of the artwork:

(From the museum website):

In this exhibit an extensive collection of vintage photographs provided by CCHS and Red Rock Historical Society that document what life was like along these dirt roads a century ago are complemented and contrasted with local high school students’ photos of contemporary winter scenes along Chatham’s unpaved network of roads.   The students’ photographs, curated by nationally celebrated photographer Paul Lange, are drawn from a body of work that is the brainchild of Ichabod Crane art teacher Sandy Dwileski.  Dwileski saw an artistic opportunity—winter road scapes rich in subtle hues, shadow contrasts and complex compositions—and set about organizing an outing with her advanced photography class to follow the system of roads mapped by the Chatham Dirt Road Coalition and photograph the journey.

The new exhibition “Dirt Road Life: Images of Rural Community”

The gallery exhibition on “Dirt Road Life”

Pictures from the exhibition

Pictures from the exhibition

The next special exhibition at the museum was the “A Farm, a Family and a Legacy”:

(from the museum website)

Farms have been the heart of Columbia County’s economy and culture throughout its history. One of these was Birge Hill Farm, established in 1785 by Hosea Birge, a Revolutionary War veteran who settled in Chatham, N.Y., in the early years of the republic.

The write up on the exhibition

The deed to the original farm

Here and on other small farms, families and neighbors worked cheek by jowl to sustain their small, tightly woven communities, until vast changes in technology, industry and society forever altered their rural way of life. 

The Birge Family artifacts in this interesting exhibition of family life on a multi generational farm

The farm is currently for sale

This exhibition presents highlights from the Birge Family Collection, donated to the Columbia County Historical Society by Hosea’s fourth great-grandson, Van Calhoun, and Van’s wife, Susan Senecah. The expansive collection comprises more than 200 objects, preserved by family members with remarkable foresight and care over eight generations. In their stories, we see the evolution of farm and family life in Columbia

The family heirloms

The current farmhouse of the family’s

The exhibition was interesting in that it must be hard for a family giving up a way of life and a home that has been in the family for 200 years. It was nice of the family to let us in and see their life in this exhibition.

Federal Style: Refinement, Grace and Symmetry:

America’s newly founded nation beamed with patriotism following its victory in the Revolutionary War. The original foundations of the United States government and culture immediately following its independence is known as the Federal Era (1780–1830).

George Washington and other American icons looked toward the Classical ages of Greece and Rome in forging an identity for the young American Republic through architecture, furniture, textiles, ceramics and works of art. Neoclassical designs and motifs are distinguished through simple lines, a satisfying balance of symmetry and overall elegance that signals strength and democracy. In celebrating 200 years of the James Vanderpoel House, we present its Federal architectural excellence along with diverse material culture representing characteristics of the Federal Style and era in Columbia County and America (CCHS website).

The other buildings that are part of the Society’s museum:

Signage at the Historical Houses

The Crane Schoolhouse

This authentic, circa-1850 one-room schoolhouse served as a public school for the Town of Kinderhook into the 1940s. It replaced an earlier “log cabin-style” single-room school where a man named Jesse Merwin served as school master. Merwin, who was a longtime friend of the writer Washington Irving, is said to have been the “pattern” for Irving’s character of Ichabod Crane in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

A “Legends & Lore” historic marker, awarded by the New York Folklore Society and William G. Pomeroy Foundation, stands a few yards from the school and commemorates this literary connection. Today, the Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse is a seasonal museum. See exhibitions, period school desks and other objects relating to one-room schoolhouse education in Columbia County.

During the 1950s and ’60s, it was saved from disrepair by a group of local women who retrofitted the space to function as an ad hoc community center. In 1952, former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited the schoolhouse to deliver a radio address praising “the work of women” and recognizing their efforts to preserve the historic school.

In 1974, the schoolhouse was moved 200 yards down the road to the Luykas Van Alen House site. That same decade, it was restored to its 1930s appearance. It remains an excellent and intact example of a rural, one-room schoolhouse with a gable roof, clapboard siding and a single pent-roofed entrance. The interior consists of a large classroom with two adjacent cloakrooms — one for boys and one for girls. The building was never modified to have heat or hot water and still retains its original 1929 wood-burning stove, wood flooring, chalkboards and double-hung sash windows(CCHS website).

Luykas Van Alen House

Built circa 1737 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967, the Luykas Van Alen house is recognized as one of the best examples of fewer than a dozen historically intact Dutch Colonial houses in the Hudson Valley. 

Located on rural land once used by native Mohican peoples for hunting and seasonal camping, the house was the center of a prosperous farm and home to several generations of the Van Alen family. The last Van Alen descendant to live in the house, Maria Van Alen Herrick, died in 1935. The house was purchased in 1938 by William Van Alen, a descendant of Luykas’ brother, Johannes. In 1964, unable to undertake extensive restorations himself, William generously donated the house to Columbia County Historical Society (CCHS website).

The signage by the Van Alen House