Cherry Hill (Albany, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cherry Hill
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South profile and east elevation, 2011
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Albany, NY |
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| Area | 1 acre (4,000 m2) |
| Built | 1787 |
| Architect | Isaac Packard (builder) |
| Architectural style | Dutch Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000517 |
| Added to NRHP | February 18, 1971 |
Cherry Hill is a very old house in Albany, New York. It was built in the late 1700s using strong wooden frames. In 1971, it became one of the first buildings in Albany to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special place worth protecting.
The house was built by Colonel Philip Kiliaen van Rensselaer for his wife, Maria Sanders. Later, in the early 1800s, it was home to Solomon van Rensselaer. He was a important person who served in the United States Congress. Cherry Hill was once the main house of a big farm.
In the 1820s, a famous French hero, the Marquis de Lafayette, even stayed here! But the house also saw a sad event: a crime that led to the last public hanging in Albany. Some people say the house is haunted too.
The van Rensselaer family lived at Cherry Hill for almost 200 years. They kept the house, its furniture, and family items just as they were. Today, Cherry Hill is a historic house museum. You can visit it to learn about its past. The house is currently being fixed up to make sure it stays strong for many more years.
Contents
Exploring Cherry Hill's Design
Cherry Hill is in southern Albany. It sits on a small hill, giving it a nice view of the Hudson River. The house is a two-and-a-half-story building. It has a strong stone base and wooden siding.
The front of the house faces east. It has a welcoming porch with wooden steps. There's also a smaller porch on the side. The windows are tall with six small glass panes on top and six on the bottom.
The roof is special. It's called a gambrel roof, which means it has two different slopes on each side. This style was common on Dutch Colonial houses. Two brick chimneys stick up from the roof.
A Glimpse into Cherry Hill's Past
Building a Family Home (1700s)
In 1768, Philip Kiliaen van Rensselaer married Maria Sanders. Albany was a small city back then. Philip continued his family's business, trading goods from the West Indies. He also bought local farm products to ship down the Hudson River.
Philip started building a farm on his family's land south of the city. During the American Revolutionary War, he helped get supplies for the soldiers. After the war, in 1787, he hired a carpenter named Isaac Packard. They built the Cherry Hill house we see today.
The house mixed two styles: Georgian and Dutch Colonial. The van Rensselaer family, with their many children, moved in that same year. Philip kept growing the farm. By 1790, it was almost 1,000 acres! He even had a tannery and a brewery on the property.
Famous Visitors and Sad Events (1800s)
Philip van Rensselaer died in 1798. His wife and children continued to live at Cherry Hill. One of his sons, Solomon Van Rensselaer, became a public servant. He served in the United States House of Representatives and was Albany's postmaster.
In 1824, Solomon hosted the Marquis de Lafayette at Cherry Hill. Lafayette was a French hero who helped America win its independence. He was on a special tour of the United States.
Three years later, in 1827, something very sad happened at the house. It was known as the "Cherry Hill murder." A man named John Whipple, who was part of the van Rensselaer family, was killed. This event caused a lot of talk and led to the last public hanging in Albany. Many people across the country heard about it.
Over the next years, Albany grew bigger. New industries and railroads changed the city. The van Rensselaer family's large land was slowly sold off. By 1872, Cherry Hill was no longer in the countryside; it was part of the city.
Becoming a Museum (1900s to Today)
Later, Cherry Hill belonged to Catherine Putman Rankin, a cousin of the van Rensselaers. She and her daughter, Emily, worked hard to save the house and its history.
In 1963, Emily died. In her will, she said that Cherry Hill should become a museum. Five years later, it opened to the public. In 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The museum has an amazing collection. There are 20,000 objects, including the original furniture and dishes. There are also 30,000 old family documents. Some items, like old rugs, have even been shown in other famous museums.
By the 2000s, the many stored items were putting too much stress on the house. In 2009, Cherry Hill closed for visitors to begin a big restoration project. This project costs $3.2 million and is fixing up the house to keep it safe. You can still take special tours to see the work happening behind the scenes!
See also
- List of reportedly haunted locations in the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Albany, New York
