Kinderhook/ Lindenwald

Went for a nice walk in the beautiful, quaint village of Kinderhook after work today.  A village teeming with history, Broad Street makes for a great stroll anytime of the year.  The Columbia County Historical Society is housed in the old James Vanderpoel House.  This building originates back to 1818.

 There are many private residences that line Broad street dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

 With temps hovering in the mid 50's, it was a near perfect day for a walk in the late afternoon light.

 Leaves collecting along the sidewalk.

   The beautiful Kinderhook Dutch Reformed Church at the corner of Church and Broad Streets.  The original first Reformed Church was built in 1677 and the second in 1717.  The third was finished in 1869 after being badly destroyed by fire.

  Another private residence, this was David Van Schaack's mansion, built in 1774.

 Three years later, General Burgoyne passed through Kinderhook, as a prisoner of war, and was entertained at the mansion.  Many other notable historical figures such as Aaron Burr, Martin Van Buren, Henry Clay and Washington Irving amongst others were visitors.

 Quaint homes and beautifully manicured yards abound.

Fall cleanup in the village.

 Walking the streets on the way towards the village square,  at the intersection of Albany Ave with Broad, Hudson, and Chatham Streets.

After a pleasing walk along Broad Street, I drove a short distance away on Route 9H to Lindenwald, the home of former president Martin Van Buren in the mid 1800's.  

 The private drive, which was a carriage road in Van Buren's day.

 Lindenwald, completed in 1839.  Van Buren, the 8th president of the United States, lived here from 1841-1862.

 Fleeting sun.  The mansion was many things through the years, including a nursing home, antique shop and tea house as well as a private residence, before finally becoming a National Historic Site in 1974.

 Front porch.

A 5 story Italianate tower sits atop Lindenwald. From the top, Martin Van Buren had views of his 220 acres and of the Catskill Mountains in the distance

 There are various educational signs found throughout the grounds to inform visitors of the history all around them.

 I continued on a tour of the grounds through the woods and eventually out to the wide open fields.  There are many long distance views to be had here of sunsets over the Catskill Mountains. 

 These were the grounds that Van Buren farmed nearly 150 years ago. 

 

 Unfortunately tours of the mansion are only seasonal, so I will have to wait until next summer for that.  But luckily, the grounds are open all year to explore.