Van Schaick Mansion

Yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of having dinner with the Troy Irish Genealogy Society at Max410, the restaurant at the country club on Van Schaick Island. Before you pronounce that wrong in your head, let me tell you it's not "Shake" as I've been saying, but "Skike" ... of course it is. The island is located at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers in Cohoes, New York.

Our meeting was at 6:30, but I remembered incorrectly that it was at 6, so I was a half hour early. What to do, what to do...

Several times, I had passed signs to the Van Schaick Mansion, but had never been there. According to the Google, it was a minute's walk from where I was. So I decided to zip over there and take a look at the outside of the mansion. It really was just around the corner, and let me say that it didn't look like a mansion to me. But it was built between 1735 and 1755, so I guess back then it was a mansion. Think about that. This home was built before this was a country. Long before.


The house is only open for tours by appointment and on certain days of the year. Maybe I'll get to come back sometime when it's open. Apparently up until relatively recently it was under private ownership and still used as a residence. It is now owned by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The home played a key role in the American Revolution, including serving as headquarters of the Continental Army for a time. If you want to read more about it, visit www.vanschaickmansion.org.

Across the street from the mansion is a new-looking apartment complex that overlooks the Hudson River. Wouldn't that be a stunning to view to wake up to every morning!


Comments

Wow! It’s hard to wrap my head around the age of that home!! WOW!!
Beautiful!