Livingston Manor facts for kids
Livingston Manor was a huge piece of land, about 160,000 acres, in what was then called the Province of New York. It was given to a man named Robert Livingston the Elder by King George I of Great Britain.
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History of Livingston Manor
Livingston Manor was a very large area of land, about 160,000 acres. It was located in the colonial Province of New York. This land was given to Robert Livingston the Elder in 1715. He received it through a special document called a royal charter from King George I of Great Britain. This document officially created the "manor and lordship of Livingston."
The original grant for this land was given in July 1686. This large area included a big part of what is now Columbia County, New York. The people who owned and managed this manor were called the "lords of the manor."
Here are the lords of Livingston Manor:
- Robert Livingston the Elder (1654–1728): He was the first lord, serving from 1715 to 1728.
- Philip Livingston (1686–1749): He took over from 1728 to 1749.
- Robert Livingston (1708–1790): He was the last lord, serving from 1749 to 1790.
Even though Livingston Manor was given by the English, some people connect it with the "patroonships" of New Netherland. Patroonships were similar large land grants given by the Dutch.
How the Land Was Divided
The first time the estate was divided was in 1728, after Robert Livingston the Elder passed away. He decided that his third son, Robert Livingston (1718–1775), should receive 13,000 acres from the southwest part of Livingston Manor. This new section of land was named Clermont Manor.
In 1790, the last lord of the manor, Robert Livingston (1708–1790), passed away. He decided that the rest of Livingston Manor should be divided among his heirs. He did not want it to be passed down to just his oldest son, as was the tradition (called primogeniture). This was because his oldest son had made many poor financial choices.
The people who inherited parts of the estate were important figures during and after the American Revolution:
- Philip Livingston (1716–1778): He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and signed the United States Declaration of Independence.
- William Livingston (1723–1790): He was the first Governor of New Jersey and signed the United States Constitution.
- William Alexander (1726–1783): He was Robert’s brother-in-law and a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
- James Duane (1733–1797): He was Robert’s son-in-law and had been a delegate to the Continental Congress. He also served as the 44th Mayor of New York City and signed the Articles of Confederation.
These four heirs then divided the land further among their own families. Over time, the Livingston family's power over the land slowly decreased. However, a small part of the original estate is still owned by the family today. The town of Livingston, New York is located on part of this original land.
Livingston Manor Today
The original Livingston Manor covered a large area that now includes several towns in Columbia County, New York. These towns are Livingston, Germantown, Clermont, Taghkanic, Gallatin, Copake, and Ancram.
Other Places Named Livingston Manor
Livingston Manor, New York (Sullivan County)
There is a community called Livingston Manor, New York in Sullivan County, New York. This place uses the Livingston Manor name because members of the Livingston family lived there. However, it was not part of the original large Livingston Manor estate.
This community in Sullivan County is about 60 miles (97 km) west of the original manor. It was part of a different land grant called the Hardenbergh patent from 1716, which included much of the Catskill Mountains.
In 1750, Robert Livingston, the third lord of the original manor, bought 95,000 acres (38,000 ha) in this area. Most of this land was sold or leased by 1780. Later, in 1822, Robert's third son, John Robert Livingston, gave 8,441 acres (3,416 ha) to his nephew, Dr. Edward R. Livingston. This area was then called Purvis, New York.
In 1882, Purvis was renamed Livingston Manor. Edward's "manor" was actually just a house. Some say it was where the village firehouse is now, while others believe it was at the location of the village Town Hall.
Livingston Manor, New Jersey
The Reverend John Henry Livingston, who was also part of the Livingston family, became the head of Queen's College (now Rutgers University). In 1809, he bought a 150-acre (61 ha) piece of land near Raritan Landing. This land later became known as the Livingston Manor.
A beautiful Greek Revival style mansion was built on this property around 1843 by Robert and Louisa Livingston, who were descendants of the family. This house is now called Livingston Homestead. Around the year 1900, the property was developed into a neighborhood with streetcar access. In 2004, it became part of the Livingston Manor Historic District. Both the house and the district are recognized on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.
