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KINDERHOOK
HERITAGE
TOWN of KINDERHOOK
Village of Kinderhook
Village of Valatie
Hamlet of Niverville
The Town of Kinderhook is located in northern Columbia County in New York State, approximately 20 miles southeast of the capital city of Albany and approximately 125 miles north of New York City. Kinderhook, known for its rural countryside, also includes two villages: Valatie and Kinderhook, and the Hamlet of Niverville. The Town is steeped in historical significance.
Kinderhook is said to have received its name from the famous Dutch explorer Hendrick Hudson. As Hudson traveled up the river, he observed Mahican (Native American) children playing on the riverbank, and Kinderhook (Kinder hoek), Dutch for "Children's Corner," received its name. The Dutch were the first western Europeans to settle in the area and their influence is prominent today.
From its start in the 1660s, Kinderhook was a different place. Sandwiched between the feudal manors of the Van Rensselaers and Livingstons, it was the land of opportunity for freeholders interested in creating estates to pass on to their children. The Van Schaacks, Schermerhorns, Van Alens, and Van Alstynes, among others, created large farms and their children populated them with houses, which now form the Village of Kinderhook.
Cornelis Schermerhorn's home likely dates from the time of his marriage in 1713. At first it was a small structure of a room and a side hall and a separate kitchen house. Its great room, like most restored rooms, provides a look into the past as well as at present needs and comforts.
When Lukas Van Alen set out to build his family home, he had the benefit of inheritance and a desire to have a substantial house in the old Netherlands style. He built his home in 1737 and shortly after added a hall and room.
The Van Alen House remained
remarkably unchanged throughout its life. Until it was received by the Columbia
County Historical Society in 1963, no utilities had been installed. Today it is
one of the best surviving examples of this distinctively Dutch brick
parapet-gable house and is an open museum. **
Martin Van Buren, the Country's eight President, was a native of Kinderhook and
his home, Lindenwald, is now a National Historic Landmark maintained by the
National Park Service and attracts many visitors each year.
Van Buren's nickname was "Old Kinderhook," and the colloquial phrase "Okay" is said to have originated with him. While in office in Washington, Van Buren would frequently sign notes to his staff with "O.K," which stood for either "Old Kinderhook" or, in some cases, it meant "Off to Kinderhook." Van Buren served as Governor of New York State and the 8th President of the United States. He is the founder of the Democratic Party.
The Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) Grave Site is located in the Old Dutch Cemetery on Albany Avenue in the Village of Kinderhook.
Near Lindenwald, the Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse is said to be at the site that inspired "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. Irving lived on Merwin Road. Both the Van Alen House and the school are maintained by the Columbia County Historical Society.
The Village of Kinderhook is home to the Benedict Arnold House, where it is believed that the infamous traitor was taken after being wounded at the Battle of Bemis Heights in 1777.
Just down the road is the James Vanderpoel house, a well preserved circa 1820 home of a prominent local attorney. Purchased by the Columbia County Historical Society, this Federal period mansion houses furniture and arts of the period. The house is known today as "The House of History."
General John Burgoyne, as a prisoner of war, was entertained at a stately home on the night of October 27, 1777 while being taken from Saratoga to Boston. The house, a private residence, is known today as the General Burgoyne House.
Located on Albany Avenue, Old Columbia Academy, an early Dutch school was incorporated in March 1797 and became Kinderhook Academy in April of 1824.
The Ellis Home, a Federal style farmstead, represents one of the very few surviving properties in the Township with house, barns and setting still on one property. This home, located on Maple Lane South, is believed to have been one of the local "stations" along the Underground Railroad.
Nathan Wild, a prominent mill owner and Valatie resident built the Wild Home in 1827. Here he entertained Martin Van Buren and other notables of the time. The current owners purchased the house in 2002 and restored it to perfection. Being community conscious they offer classical music concerts, book readings and charity fund raisers in the ballroom.
3011 Main Street, Valatie, currently Ryan's Tavern, is the boyhood home of Martin H. Glynn who was Governor of New York from 1913-1914. He is the former editor, publisher and owner of the "Albany Times Union." He served as Congressman, State Controller and Lieutenant Governor.
Historically, agriculture has played an important role in the regional economy. The agricultural tradition continues in Kinderhook today. In addition to dairy farms, fruit orchards and other "traditional" farming enterprises, the town is also home to many small-scale retail businesses and manufacturers.
Today, KNGG welcomes businesses and commercial enterprises that support the village scale lifestyle and the rural way of the countryside that the residents currently enjoy. KNGG supports development that works in harmony with our natural resources by preserving sensitive environmental areas and significant views. The organization embraces businesses that enable Town residents to live and shop in a community setting.
KNGG has come out in favor of the Routes 9 and 9H Corridor Study and fully supports the expansion of Lindenwald to its former boundaries.
** Roderic
H. Blackburn. Dutch Colonial Homes in America. New York: Rizzoli, 2002
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HISTORIC KINDERHOOK
VISIT THE COLUMBIA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY www.CCHSNY.org
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