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.

Madam Brett Homestead 50 Van Nydeck Avenue Beacon, NY 12508

Madam Brett Homestead 50 Van Nydeck Avenue Beacon, NY 12508

Madam Brett Homestead

50 Van Nydeck Avenue

Beacon, NY 12508

(845) 831-6533

https://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/sites/Madam-Brett-Homestead-/details

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

Admission: Adults $10.00

Open: Sunday-Friday Closed/Saturday (Every Second Saturday) 1:00pm-4:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47291-d263800-Reviews-Madam_Brett_Homestead-Beacon_New_York.html

The Madam Brett Homestead at 50 Van Nydeck Avenue in Beacon, NY.

The Brett Homestead marker

The sign that welcomes visitors

I recently visited the Madam Brett Homestead on a walking tour and discovered that the family had a lot to do with the growth of not just Dutchess County but New York State as well. The house was the homestead for five generations of family members each who added to the home.

The homestead’s historic plaque

Since the family practiced thrift in the home and decor, we get to see the house with period furniture that has been donated back to the house from the family. Also, period pieces have been donated by other members of the community to show the home at different periods of time. It gave us a look into the home life of a prosperous farming and milling family.

The entrance of the Brett Homestead

The tour starts with a short video on the family and how Madam Brett got her inheritance from her father and built on the wealth that he had created. She leased out land with water and mineral rights thus adding to her wealth and had a grist mill that was the only one on the patent, so everyone had to go through her for grain processing.

The china cabinet with family related items.

The homestead was built by Roger Brett and Catherine Rombout Brett on land inherited by her father, which was part of the Rombout Patent (which covered much of lower Dutchess County). The couple had been married in 1703 and had originally moved in with her mother in the family’s manor home in Manhattan. Upon the death of her mother, Catherine inherited the land and the manor house in Manhattan. Land rich and cash poor, she and her husband mortgaged the manor house in Manhattan and built a small home and gristmill. They moved into their Dutch style home on Christmas Day 1709. The house was expanded in 1715. The home was later added on again in the 1800’s to the present house (Brett Homestead Pamphlet).

In the hallway on display is the original Rombout Patent, which everyone on our tour thought was very impressive. It had been found and was given back to the house. It shows the land deal that the settlers made with the Native Americans.

A copy of the Rombout Patent

We next headed to the Dining Room, where the family entertained guests. The room is full of period furniture and silver both family owned and donated to the homestead. The formality of entertaining is shown in the room set up.

The Dining Room at the Brett Homestead

Hannah Brett’s (Madam Brett’s granddaughter) bridesmaid dress was on display as well. This had been worn when she danced the Minuet with Marquis de Lafayette. I thought this was interesting in that she had this altered for the occasion and that it had lasted all these years. She had worn this for the wedding of Cornelia DePeyster, whose wedding dress in the New York Historical Society (Brett Homestead pamphlet). It was donated back to the house by the family descendants for display.

Hannah Brett-Schenck’s bridesmaid dress

Period furniture and decorations adorn the Brett Homestead

The decorative pieces in the Dining Room

The Dining Room fireplace

The kitchen was very interesting because when you walk through it you will see the modern kitchen in the front of the room that was put in around the late 1950’s and early 1960’s compared to the other side of the room which has the original fireplace and kitchen equipment. It shows the contrast in cooking and entertaining over the last two centuries.

The old versus the new in the Brett Homestead kitchen.

The house was constructed in three sections. The original section of the house from 1709, the addition in 1715 and then the grander addition in the 1800’s that gives the house the look it has now. You can see how the house evolved from a small residence to a grand showplace and you can see this in the way it was designed.

The upstairs hallway shows the contrast between the old home and the additions.

Each of the rooms were decorated with period pieces and some of the rooms has themes to them such as one was a Children’s Room, another was the family office and one contained farm equipment. All the items represented a different time in the home’s history.

The Children’s Room with a collection of dolls that creeped visitors out.

The upstairs bedrooms

The period farm equipment display.

The other bedrooms showed guest rooms for visitors to the area, the office where the Brett’s would have conducted business and rooms would have housed many family members.

The Master Bedroom with canopy bed and bedwarmer

The Guest Bedroom

The home office of the family.

The house stayed in the family until the death of Alice Sutcliffe Crary at 85 in 1953. The Melzingah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution purchase the homestead to save it from becoming a supermarket. They have been lovingly restoring and holding events at the homestead as well as contributing to the community at large and promoting Historic Preservation, Education and Patriotism (Madam Brett Homestead pamphlet).

I recently visited the house with a group of people on a tour and we visited the house for Christmas and the local garden club had decorated part of the house for holidays with garland on the bannisters and on some of the mantels. The outside of the house was quite festive.

The house during the holiday season.

The house adorned with wreaths and garland on the holiday tour.

The welcoming entrance to the house during the holiday season.

The docent tours are very interesting and really give you a view of what life was like in the house for the families that lived here. They only take place on the second Saturday of the month so you need to plan ahead.

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.