The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-16
AMERICAS OLDEST HOUSE.


There was sold at auction a few days
| ago the old Van Rensselaer, house, on the
| Hudson River, opposite Albany, which Is
| said to be the oldest house in the coun-
try. 1t is believed that this house was
erected in the interest of Killian Van
| Rensselaer,. between the dates of 1899 and
1912. while he was still in Holland. A
bronze tablet, which was erected in the
wear 1886. at the time of Albany's bi-cen-
tennial. and when thu prominent searcher
of archives. Mayor John Boyd Thatcher,
was Mayor and head of the movement to
mark Albany's historic spots, states TINS
fact. and undoubtedly the Bi-Centennlal
Committees decision will be quoted mere
after as being authentic.
The house consists of two stories ana
an attic. It faces the west and STANDS
about leo feet back from the river, the
river o passing the door. The properly
for miles about was embraced IN the
Van Rensselaer, patent in 1880, and the
house was erected for the younger branch
of that family. 1t is not established by
any papers in the Van Rensselaer, famlly
that KiIlian, or Johannes, his son, ever
visited this country, but it was through
their agency that shiploads of utensils
and the required number of persons 10
form a colony were sent over from Hoi-
land, and Killian sometimes spelled Kill
liaen) is credited as the progenltor OF the
Van Rensselaer, family in America.
The front of the house is pierced by two
stone Ioopholes at the height of a persons
head above the ground. These were neces-
STATED by the repeated attacks OF IN
dams other than the peaceful MohaWks,
and thevhouse was known as a stronghold,
going by the name of Fort Crailo. Other
than these two marks of defence the
building bears a peaceful aspect. The
large door in the centre of the ground
floor is a divided one, according to Dutch
custom. and little mental activity %suffices
ia recall scenes of the days when this
thickly populated section of the Empire
State was a struggling colony. The rooms
are spacious, and each was provided with
a fireplace of more than ordinary size.
The thing which once ornamented them
has disappeared and in an ~uninhablted
state all appeared desolate. Undoubtedly
there was room to house many whenever
an attach made this building a place OF
refuge for the settlers.
Al the rear of the mansion is an old
we'll. 1t is said that while seated at that
spot the British surgeon Ipr. Sc~hucKpurg,
composed Yankee Doodle" The British
troops were quartered there while on their
way to push acquisitions in Canada, and
the colonies were called upon to furnish
men. These recruits came from the fields,
and were so uncouth that they furnished
the topic for the song to the ready wit
Of the surgeon Whenhe. put his thoughts
on pape for the sport of the British sol
diers ii probably never occurred to him
that they would survive a century, and
por1on nc endure as long as the NaJlOn
which was born soon after that date.
One would suppose that these two facts
would add something to the mansions
value. but SUCH was not the case, and few
persons sought to acquire the property.
# was purchased by an iceman, and there
is probability tina this venerable building
viii in time be turned into an icehouse or
become the stable for the business.