Van Cortlandt Manor is a 17th-century house and property built by the
Van Cortlandt family
The Van Cortlandt family was an influential political dynasty from the seventeenth-century Netherlands, Dutch origins of New York (state), New York through its period as an English colony, then after it became a state, and into the nineteenth cen ...
located near the confluence of the Croton and Hudson Rivers in the village of
Croton-on-Hudson in
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...
, United States. The colonial era stone and brick manor house is now a museum and is a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
.
History
By royal charter, Van Cortlandt Manor was originally a tract granted as a Patent to
Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1697 by
King William III
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 167 ...
, stretching from the
Hudson River
The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
on the west to the first boundary line between the
Province of New York
The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to ...
and the
Colony of Connecticut, on the east, twenty English miles in width by ten in height, in shape nearly a rectangular parallelogram, forming,
The Manor of Cortlandt" The massive holding was acquired by direct purchase from the Indians, in part, by
Stephanus van Cortlandt, a native born Dutch gentleman of New York, and in part by others whose titles he subsequently bought. The Manor also included a small tract on the west side of the Hudson River opposite the promontory of
Anthony's Nose, which van Cortlandt also purchased from the Indians.
The Manor House
was built sometime before 1732 but was not any owner's principal residence until a grandson,
Pierre Van Cortlandt
Pierre Van Cortlandt (January 10, 1721 – May 1, 1814) was an American politician who served as the first lieutenant governor of New York.
He was first elected to the New York Assembly in March 1768 and served in that body as the representative ...
, moved there in 1749.
At that time the manor house was on a portion of the original tract.
Pierre brought his family to the estate in 1749 and created the manor's most vibrant days, according to some. He established a self-sustaining community of an apple orchard, dairy farm, bee house, kiln, tavern, and carpenter and blacksmith shops. A 1776 map shows a mill on a stream between Colabaugh Pond and the
Croton River
The Croton River ( ) is a river in southern New York with a watershed area of , and three principal tributaries: the West Branch, Middle Branch, and East Branch. Their waters, all part of the New York City water supply system, join downstr ...
.
The “Mannor of Cortland”, 1776
crotonhistory.org
By this time tensions of the Revolutionary War had made the manor a place of wartime retreat. Pierre sided with the colonies and the manor was used to assist the Continental Army, using its resources to make food and supplies. Pierre was involved with military legislature, and his son Philip was a soldier for the Continental Army. Eventually Pierre and his family vacated the manor in the thick of the war. The manor was ransacked by the British Army and left in poor standing. Philip, becoming a brigadier general by the war's end, returned and, along with his sister, Catherine, brought the manor back to working order.[Van Cortlandt Manor](_blank)
Northshield, Lee; Village of Croton-On-Hudson, NY, website, 22 Apr. 2015[Kléber, Louis C. "Van Cortlandt Manor". History Today 30.11 (1980): 62-63. Religion and Philosophy Collection. Web, 24 Apr. 2015.]
Van Cortlandt Manor became an essential stop on the route from New York to Albany in the years that followed the war. The mills were once again thriving and provided the community and travelers with food, supplies, and lodging. Pierre and his wife did not return until 1803 once the manor was in full working order again.
The manor was passed down in the family until it was sold to a non-relative, Otis Taylor, in 1945. By this time the property had lost luster, and was not the flourishing estate it had once been. Some buildings and barn houses were taken down to accommodate for more modern facilities, such as a drive-in movie theater.
See also
*List of National Historic Landmarks in New York
This is a list of National Historic Landmarks and comparable other historic sites designated by the U.S. government in the U.S. state of New York. The United States National Historic Landmark (NHL) program operates under the auspices of the Na ...
*
References
External links
* Official Site.
**
*
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Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Westchester County, New York
National Historic Landmarks in New York (state)
Historic house museums in Westchester County, New York
Stagecoach stops in the United States
New York State Register of Historic Places in Westchester County