# Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Dutch Heritage
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New York State has a rich legacy of over 400 years of Dutch culture. The remnants of the built cultural legacy surround us and are worthy of recognition and preservation. These structures and landscapes provide the foundation for complex history that we share with the public, educators, preservationists, scholars, and tourism professionals.

To further illuminate the places and stories that have shaped New York, a survey was undertaken to identify built structures in the Hudson Valley, portions of the Mohawk Valley and New York City, and create a report to provide historical context for the overall impact of the Dutch in the aforementioned regions.

We invite you to read the report, explore the list of properties, and learn more about the role the Dutch played in our shared history.

Step-by step CRIS Navigation

The Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS) is the New York State Division for Historic Preservation's flagship online resource. You can use CRIS to explore the state's Dutch Heritage resources in greater depth. Find instructions here.

### Dutch Heritage Highlights

Van Cortlandt House | Bronx, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1967
The Van Cortlandt House Museum, also known as the Frederick Van Cortlandt House or simply the Van Cortlandt House, is the oldest building in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is located in the southwestern portion of Van Cortlandt Park, accessed via Broadway (U.S. Route 9).
The house's architecture portrays the desire of elite Dutch families to build in the formal Georgian manner and the growing influence of English material culture. The 1748 Georgian-style house was built for Frederick Van Cortlandt (1699-1749) and his family by Africans he enslaved. Van Cortlandt died before its completion and the property was inherited by his son, James Van Cortlandt (1727-1787).

The Vander Ende-Onderdonk House | Queens, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1977
Built in 1709 by the Vander Endes, the Vander Ende-Onderdonk house is the oldest Dutch Colonial stone house in New York City. After a serious fire in 1975, local residents rallied to save the structure from demolition, forming the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

William Dyckman House | Manhattan, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1967
The Dyckman House, now the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance is the oldest remaining farmhouse on Manhattan island, a vestige of New York City's rural past. Among this house's iconic features is its broad gambrel roof, which is projected forward on the front and rear elevations to create covered porches, a characteristic of Lower Hudson Valley and New Jersey Dutch houses.
The Dutch Colonial-style farmhouse was built by William Dyckman, c.1785, and was originally part of over 250 acres of farmland owned by the family. It is now located in a small park at the corner of Broadway and 204th Street in Inwood, Manhattan.

Bronck House & Barns | Coxsackie, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1967
Operated by the Greene County Historical Society, the 1663/1685 Stone House that is part of the Bronck Museum is considered to be the oldest surviving home in Upstate New York and the adjoining 1738 house embodies characteristics of the Dutch Colonial style. This two-section dwelling forms an excellent encapsulation of eighteenth-century New World Dutch architecture in the Hudson Valley, the older section (1663;1685) being of fieldstone construction, the later section (1738) having a New World Dutch timber frame with brick veneer. There are also several historic barns, including a New World Dutch barn that was used by the farm to process and store their wheat crop.

DeWint House | Tappan, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1966
Built in 1700, this early Dutch Colonial stone and brick house is the oldest surviving building in Rockland County. It has strong ties to the American Revolution, since it was owned by patriot Johannes DeWint and served as a site for Commander in Chief George Washington's headquarters at different periods during the War. Notable features include use of both fieldstone and brick, the latter laid in a distinctive cross-bond pattern, and the projection of the roof beyond the front and rear walls to create an overhang i.e. "sprung eave."
It is currently open to the public and includes displays of archaeological and Revolutionary War artifacts.

Historic Huguenot Street | New Paltz, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1966
This collection of seven historic stone-house museums, a reconstructed 1717 French Church, the Huguenot community's original burying ground, and a replica Esopus Munsee wigwam has its roots in an organization intended to preserve what remained of their founders' ancestral French and Dutch heritage. It is a remarkably intact example of early New World Dutch stone houses, which collectively portray the development of this house type and how it developed and evolved. Architecture also indicates French Huguenots as important component of "Dutch" Ulster County.
Now, HHS has an important collection of historic buildings, artifacts, and manuscripts and is focused on promoting stories of Huguenot Street families from 16th century to today. Online resources include an online exhibition "Kasten from Mid-Hudson Valley Collections" and the Historic Huguenot Street Walking Tour App

Luykas Van Alen House | Kinderhook, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1967
Operated by the Columbia County Historical Society " , the 1737 National Historic Landmark (1967) is a restored house museum representing 18th century rural Dutch farm life in New York's Hudson River Valley. This house represents traditional Dutch building practices as embodied by its combination of a structural timber frame with brick veneer, and the lateral expansion of the original two-room plan with an additional room. A short informational video about the house's architecture is available online.

Dutch Stone Houses | Hurley, NY
The Dutch Stone Houses of Hurley are a collection of ten stone houses that stretch along modern day Main Street. These houses were all constructed between 1715 and 1790 by Dutch settlers or their descendants and provide a unique example of an intact 18th century Hudson Valley Dutch settlement. The architectural integrity of these houses has been preserved, providing visitors with the rare opportunity to experience the community in the same way that Dutch settlers would have over 200 years ago. The greater Hurley community is also home to 25 of the oldest private homes in the United States, dating back to the 17th century. Hurley celebrates this rich history on the second Saturday of July each year with their annual Stone House Day, which includes special events and tours of many of the historic homes.

Matthewis Persen House | Kingston, NY
Operated by Ulster County, the Mattewis Persen House Museum and Cultural Heritage Center is a cornerstone of the city's historic Stockade District. It is a notable representation of the New World Dutch stone house type in an urban setting, and one representing a complex series of alteration and expansion.
The earliest portion of the house dates from c. 1661, with five known distinct building phases through to 1922. The House has been the home of doctors, tailors, innkeepers, druggists, grocers, and county government and has survived and adapted itself through fires and wars. Now, the museum hosts changing exhibitions, welcomes community groups to collaborate, and provides online access to Dutch resources for Ulster County.

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site | Yonkers, New York
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1961
The manor house is one of the oldest historic sites in the United States. The house was built for Dutch architect and carpenter Frederick Philipse I in the 1680s, who came to the new world in the 1640s to work for the Dutch West India Company. He amassed a significant fortune and became lord of a 52,500-acre estate. His descendants inherited the house and, after demonstrating strong loyalty to the British crown during the American Revolution, their land and mansion were seized by the New York State Legislature and sold at public auction. The building then served as headquarters for local government entities before being acquired by New York State in 1908.
The house's interior retains any number of notable eighteenth-century Georgian-inspired features and provides a glimpse into the complex structure of a prominent Hudson Valley Dutch manor. Today, Philipse Manor Hall is a museum of history, art and architecture, and hosts community organizations, meetings, education programs, community art gallery, and more.

Senate House State Historic Site | Kingston, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1971
Built as the home of merchant Abraham Van Gaasbeek, the stone house was the 1777 meeting place for the original New York State Senate. The house's architecture is characteristic of the New World Dutch stone house type and was expanded laterally in customary fashion. Today, the site reflects the Dutch way of life in Kingston in the 18th century through interpretation of domestic life and foods, as well as Kingston's role in the creation of New York State government.

48 Hudson | The Van Ostrande-Radliff House | Albany, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 2008
Documented as the oldest building in Albany, New York and now championed by Historic Albany Foundation the 1728 Dutch urban structure is being stabilized to preserve historic fabric, allow continued interpretation of the site, and repair the rest of the space for active use. Although altered subsequently from its early 18th century date of construction, it nevertheless retains any number of important and recognizable features and is an important and rare survival from an early period of Albany's history. HAF shares the history and architecture of 48 Hudson online, and is documenting their current project on their website, including information about stabilization and a virtual tour .

Crailo State Historic Site | Rensselaer, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1961
Crailo is the museum of the colonial Dutch in the Hudson River Valley. Originally a part of the vast landholding called the Manor or Patroonship of Rensselaerswyck, the Crailo farm was named after the Van Rensselaer's estate in the Netherlands, variously spelled Crayloo or Cralo in the 17th century, and meaning "crows' wood" in Dutch.
Restored in the 1930s, the house's architecture forms an outward expression of the prominence of the Van Rensselaer family in regional affairs and offers a strong point of contrast with the simpler dwellings of the manor's tenant farmers and tradespeople.

Historic Cherry Hill | Albany, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1971
The house museum and research center cares for a collection amassed over 176 years across multiple generations of the Van Rensselaer-Rankin family. Architecturally, the house's two-story, center-hall form and broad gambrel roof embody the increased influence of English Georgian architecture in the Albany area among its elite Dutch families.
The Edward Frisbee Center for Collections & Research welcomes researchers and there is a sampling of the collections available to browse online, including an indenture between housewright Isaac Packard and Philip Van Rensselaer in March 1787 for building Cherry Hill.

Knickerbocker Mansion | Schaghticoke, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1972
The late 18th century dwelling, owned and operated by the Knickerbocker Historical Society, is the northernmost Dutch manor in New York State. Designed in the Georgian style with a formal five-bay facade and center entrance, it was nevertheless constructed using a modified New World Dutch timber frame in concert with brick veneer walls.
It has been almost completely restored from a state of semi-ruin and now hosts seasonal tours, public events, and educational programs. The site also includes the Knickerbocker Family Cemetery and the remains of the Witenagemot Oak.

Mabee Farm Historic Site | Schenectady, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1978
Operated by the Schenectady County Historical Society , the Mabee Farm Historic Site is the oldest farm in the Mohawk Valley (1705) and includes an historic Dutch Barn (1760s), historic house, reproduction 18th century bateaux, and more. The combination of stone dwelling, a summer kitchen where enslaved people lived and labored, and a Dutch barn and pastoral setting, collectively provide a strong sense of agrarian life in this Dutch-settled region during the 18th century.
Access to their digital collections , including maps, letters, deeds, and more, is available through New York Heritage.

Fort Klock | St. Johnsville, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1972
Fort Klock is a 1750 fortified homestead and a c. 1790 Dutch barn that is owned and operated by Fort Klock Historic Restoration located in New York's Mohawk Valley. The site chronicles the experiences of the region's Palatine German settlers, who relocated from earlier settlements in the Hudson Valley. The house's stone construction was a matter of necessity in an area rife with conflict in the 18th century.
Fort Klock Historic Restoration has been involved in the restoration of the structures and has led public programming at the site since 1973.

Lutheran Parsonage | Schoharie, NY
National Register of Historic Places Listing: 1972
This story-and-a-half wood-frame building was built in 1743 and is one of the oldest meeting houses in New York State. It stands behind the Lutheran Cemetery and Church in Schoharie and represents the migration of Palatine Germans from their Hudson Valley settlements to the Schoharie Valley in the early 18th century.
The building was one of few to survive the destruction of the Schoharie Valley in 1780, at which time the area's German settlements were decimated by forces loyal to England. The dwelling's New World Dutch timber frame is noteworthy, and evidence suggests the exterior once featured exposed half-timber work in traditional Germanic fashion.

### Dutch Stories

The Story of Tall Mary | Maria Goosens, known as "Tall Mary", emigrated from the Netherlands to New Netherland in 1649. Learn about her struggles to start a new life running a tavern.

The Dutch in New Netherland: The Beginnings of Albany, New York | Explore the motives and establishment of New Netherland through this rich historical overview.

Reviving A Dutch Holiday With African Flavor | Pinkster was a three- to five-day celebration beginning the Monday following Pentecost Sunday held in Dutch Colonial New Netherland and later New York from the 17th century through the late 19th century.

"In the Hudson Valley, a Drive Back in Time" by Russell Shorto in The New York Times June 17, 2019 | Author Russell Shorto explores the remnants of Dutch colonial history "hiding in plain sight" in New York's Hudson Valley. (subscription)

The Schuyler Flatts Burial Ground | Just north of the city of Albany, New York is an area referred to as Schuyler Flatts, named after the Schuyler family who settled there during the Dutch colonial period. In 2005, construction in that area revealed an unmarked burial ground with the remains of fourteen enslaved persons. In 2016, the Schuyler Flatts Burial Ground Project Committee was created to pay tribute to these individuals and provide them with a burial with respect and dignity. WMHT detailed in the project in a series of videos available online.

Separate Vessels: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Engagements with the Dutch of New Netherland 1609-1664 | A virtual program hosted by the Albany Institute of History & Art in April 2021 with Jon Parmenter, Associate Professor of History at Cornell University.

### Organizations

The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands

"The Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) is part of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. We work under the direct responsibility of the minister and implement laws, regulations and heritage policy jointly made by the ministry and the RCE. We also generate and disseminate knowledge and provide practical advice on national monuments, landscape and environment, archaeology, and movable heritage."

DutchCulture USA

"The Consulate General in New York carries out the International Cultural Policy of the Netherlands, under the joint direction of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. To implement this policy strategically and effectively in the U.S., the Consulate General adheres to a 2021-2024 multiyear strategic plan. For the coming years, the goals are to strengthen the position of the Dutch cultural sector in the U.S. through visibility, exchange and sustainable cooperation, and to support the bilateral relationship between the Netherlands and the U.S. through Dutch cultural activities in the U.S."

Society of Daughters of Holland Dames, Descendants of the Ancient and Honorable Families of New Netherland

"We were founded in 1895 as a hereditary organization to perpetuate the memory of our ancestors and to preserve and promote the legacy of the seventeenth-century Dutch settlers of New Netherland. Our mission focuses on collecting and preserving genealogical and historical documents relevant to the Dutch in Colonial America and to support excellence in historical research related to New Netherland."

New Netherland Institute

"For over three decades, NNI has helped cast light on America's Dutch roots. In 2010, it partnered with the New York State Office of Cultural Education to establish the New Netherland Research Center, with matching funds from the State of the Netherlands."

### Resources

Dutch and Native American Heritage in the Hudson River Valley

"Prior to European arrival, the Hudson River Valley was home to many Native American societies-from the Munsee Indians of the lower valley (also known as Lenape), to the Mohicans and Mohawks of the upper valley. Early Dutch settlers, about one-half of whom were not ethnically Dutch, learned important survival techniques from Native Americans, and adapted many of their diplomatic, cultural, and social practices.
Manhattan retains the Munsee Indian name Mannahatta, "the island of many hills". The Mohawk Indians were the easternmost branch of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (also known as the Iroquois), whose structure inspired the United States' federalist government system. Trade with the Dutch gave Native Americans access to fabrics, glass beads, and steel tools, but exposed them to decimating diseases. As the Dutch colony grew, so did conflicts. Many tribes were forced to migrate west. Today, New York State is home to eight federally-recognized tribes and over 220,000 people who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native."

PDF available here