page_title: Pierre Van Cortlandt
section_title: Inheritance
hierarchical_section_title: Pierre Van Cortlandt / Residences / Inheritance
caption_attribution_description: Van Cortland Manor, Croton on Hudson, NY
context_page_description: Pierre Van Cortlandt 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 from Van Cortlandt Manor until 1775. Subsequently, he was a member of the Second Provincial Congress, 1775-1776, and Chairman of its Committee of Safety, 1776. He sat for Westchester County at all four of the Provincial Congresses and was chosen to preside over the last three; was Vice President of the Fourth Provincial Congress, 1776; of the Constitutional Convention of the State of New York, 1776-1777; of the First Council of Safety, 1777, of which he was the President; a Senator from the Southern District, 1777; President of the New York State Constitutional Convention, 1777; and Lieutenant Governor of the State, 1777-1795. On July 9, 1776, he was among thirty-eight delegates to ratify the Declaration of Independence at White Plains.
  As a Colonel, and later General, be commanded the Third Westchester Militia Regiment and later was advanced to be a General. Gen. George Washington ever referred to Pierre Van Cortlandt as his most trusted friend and ally. With NY Gov.
context_section_description: In 1748, Pierre inherited from his father the Van Cortlandt Manor House and significant surrounding lands. He diversified and organized the Croton lands to develop income-producing tenant farms. Pierre maintained the Van Cortlandt Manor House and lands as a farmer/planter.
  Upon the survey of the Manor of Cortlandt, Annsville and lands adjoining constituted a portion of Front Lot No. 10, the river portion lot that was bequeathed to Gertrude Beekman, Pierre's aunt and daughter and devisee of Stephanus Van Cortlandt. It was on 340 acres of Gertrude's land where Pierre built the Upper Manor House and farm.  Two miles to the north was Front Lot No. 10, on which another Van Cortlandt mansion, Oldstone, was built, and later near the bay the Fort Independence Hotel.  Fort Independence was located on the high bluff on the western end of Roa Hook.    Mrs. Gertrude Beekman, one of the original heirs of the first Lord of the Manor, died on March 23, 1777, leaving what was known as the "Peekskill estate" to her great nephew, Pierre's son Gilbert L. Van Cortlandt.  It comprised that part of the manor lying on the river from the line of Putnam County and two tracts of land in Peekskill being about 340 acres, embracing Anthony's Nose, Roa Houk, Annsville and the large estate on which, in later years, was the residence of Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr., where a spacious mansion [Oldstone, discussed below] was probably built about 1769.
  These properties were eventually inherited and occupied by General Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr. (1762-1848), the Lt. Governor's son, and later Pierre, III, deriving title to this portion of the ancient Manor from Pierre's son Gilbert, heir of his great-aunt Gertrude Beekman.  "The situation of the Van Cortlandt estate is very fine, covering, as it does, some of the most graceful undulations of a hilly district, diversified with the richest scenery.  The old brick mansion [Upper Manor House] erected A. D. 1773, occupies a very sequestered and romantic spot on the north side of the post road, immediately above the vale of Annsville."
caption: Van Cortlandt Manor House
exif: {"Image Make": "PENTAX Corporation", "Image Model": "PENTAX Optio A30", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Optio A30 Ver 1.00", "Image DateTime": "2007:11:24 13:21:06", "Image ExifOffset": "213", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/640", "EXIF FNumber": "14/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "64", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2007:11:24 13:21:06", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2007:11:24 13:21:06", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "1653/613", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "14/5", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "79/10", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3648", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2736", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "1", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "38", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF Contrast": "Normal", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF Sharpness": "Normal", "EXIF SubjectDistanceRange": "3"}