Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1918 — OLDEST HOUSE in UNITED STATES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OLDEST HOUSE in UNITED STATES

Rensselaer is a small city on the east bank of the Hudson river, opposite Albany, N. Y. - Although it can* boast'of few attractions, it has the honor of possessing within its city limits the oldest building in the United States. There has been much talk of uniting these two cities and at some futura day this old building may be found in Greater Albany. As we stood in front of this old house (facing the river) one beautiful October afternoon we thought a more desirable location for a dwelling could not have been selected, writes Mrs. Halsey Hayford, in the Utica Globe. At our left we have a view for miles dOwn the Hudson. Over at our right is. the city of Albany, the upper portion of its $27,000,000-dollar pile of marble (the capitol) being plainly visible. This old mansion faces the southern part of Albany and what we see are old broken-down buildings along the docks, old black foundries, old ice houses, etc. It has been said that everything earthly has something to mar its perfection and we thought this view Is not an exception. We turned toward the house. It towers above the good-sized dwellings on either side and looks very much like a fbrt. Between the'two front windows of our left is a bronzed tablet upon which isr the following inscription : .■

We entered the small front half in the middle of the house. Two doors opposite each othey admit us into the two main rooms. At the back of the hall, at our left, is an unattractive staircase. The main rooms have oddfashioned fireplaces with woqflen mantles ornamented with wreaths and garlands. Under each window is a teat. Back of the room at the left is a larger hall extending across the house, with a door at either end. The north door is in two halves, upper and lower. Back of is another good-sized room. All the rooms in this building are of good size and the ceilings are about’ nine feet high. When we had ascended the front ytairs we took about three steps to our right and at the top of a short flight of. stairs at our left is a small room with low ceilings. This was called the “dead room." Any member of the family dying was laid, in this room. It was never used for any other purpose. Going down from this room and ascending a short flight of stairs in front of us we reached the upper hall. The arrangement of the three floors of this house is the same. One room at the right, three at the left How the House was built On July 27, 1630, Kllfaen Van Rensselaer, a gentleman who resided In Holland, purchased of the Indians (through his agent) a tract of land, 48 miles one way and 24 the other, containing more than 700,000 acres. Ifc was divided In two parts by the Hudson river. The western half comprised the whole ebunty of Albany, while the eastern half was more than two-thirds of Rensselaer county. Later additional purchases were made. It was found necessary to have a manor house qnd place of protection 'against -the hostile Mohicans and the Lord' Patroon, or the Patroon, as he was called, ordered his agent to build a fort This he did in 1641, the date which Is cut on a stone In the cellar wall. Inside of this old building. TJie brick, shingles and nails used in its construction were sent from Holland. The fort was named Crailo after the Patroon’s estate near Hulzen.

Many times when the Indians became particularly hostile the people fled to this fort for safety. Two port holes are still in the front walls of this buildfng. There were nine of these port holes. In the cellar is an underground passage leading to the well. It was made so that when the house was surrounded by the*knemy, the Inmates could still have a water supply. The well is about 12 feet from the rear of the house, and Is nearly filled with water, but is covered with boards. It was said to be 175 feet deep, and was famous for the purity of its water. Until recently there were bones in the cellar, said to have been the bones of Indians. Perhaps they were put there through the trap defer still seen in the floor.

Ktiiaen Van Rensselaer died at Amsterdam in 1647, never having visited America. Aftdr a time his descendants came from Holland, and occupied this building as a dwelling. As the country became njpre settled, they rented farms to the colonists, and were to receive annually, as rent, six bushels of oats, two pairs of chickens and a cord of wood, or their equivalent In cash. Many who paid this rent through two or three generations, for the farms which they had occupied, refused to pay it longer. This was the commencement of the “antirent war,” which was long and bitter. Sent Their "Wash” to Holland. The Van Rensselaers sent annually their soiled linen to Holland to be washed, although the Hudson river was in front of their home. Two old chests .in which they sent their soiled linen, were in the attic of this old house until recently. - An addition was built on this old manor house in 1740, and in the early part of 1800, Italian marble mantels took the place of the old wooden ones. They were the first In this country. Later they were replaced by the wooden ones now In the building.

Doctor Jeremiah Van Rensselaer lived here In 1852, and was the last member of the family to occupy this house. After his death it was owned by different individuals. The last gentleman who resided here endeavored to have a bill 'passed by the legislature at Albany for its purchase by the , state. The bill was not passed, and, soon after, he vacated the house, it being “covered with mortgage.” Anyone seeing this old manor house a few months after ’this would not have had the least doubt of its being the oldest building in the United States. Children played In it by day, and it was a rendezvous for tramps at night. The only reason there was a whole pane of glass left was because it was beyond the reach of a stone thrown by the average small boy. Later it was sold at auction, and purchased by a company of ice dealers. There are but a few feet left on either side of this old mansion, as the lawn at the north was sold last year, and, upon it, a modern dwelling was erected. A similar fate was awaiting the old house when it was purchased by Mrs. Susan De Laney Van Rentselaer Strong of New Tory city. Mrs. Strong is a descendant of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, and is very enthusiastic in regard to the restoration of this home of her forefathers. The front hall and two large rooms on either side are now being repaired by the order of three patriotic societies. They hope a sufficient number of societies will become Interested in the building until it is entirely restored. It will soon be opened to the public, and “kept aS a depository of articles of colonial or revolutionary Interest.” If there Is the least doubt about Its being the oldest building In the United States, it is certainly very old, and of sufficient historical renown to be worthy of preservation.

SUPPOSED to be the OLDEST in the , UNITED STATES. % ] AND to have been erected Jn ( 1642 AS a manor house and ] place of defense KNOWN as FORT CRAILO. GEN’L ABERCROMBIE’S head- < quarters ] while marching to attack FORT i TICONDEROGA in 1758 where j it is said, That at the cantonment east of ] the house Near the old well the army sur- ] geon < R. SCHUCKBURG coffiposed the ; popular 1 • J song of YANKEE DOODLE. ]

The Van Rensselaer House.