Schuyler Mansion Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Philip Schuyler Mansion
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

South profile and east elevation, 2011
Location in New York Show map of New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	32 Catherine Street, Albany, New York, United States
Built	1761–1765
Architect	John Gaborial
Architectural style	Georgian
Part of	South End–Groesbeckville Historic District
NRHP reference No.	67000008
Added to NRHP	December 24, 1967
Designated NHL	December 24, 1967

The Schuyler Mansion is a special old house in Albany, New York. It's now a museum and a very important historical site. A famous general named Philip Schuyler built this brick house between 1761 and 1765. He lived there from 1763 until he passed away in 1804. Philip Schuyler was a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He also became one of the first U.S. Senators. The mansion was named a National Historic Landmark in 1967. It is also part of the South End–Groesbeckville Historic District.

The Mansion's Early Days
- Changes to the Mansion Over Time
- The Mansion Becomes a State Historic Site
How the House Was Built
Schuyler Mansion Photo Gallery
See also

The Mansion's Early Days

Dedication Plaque (1917)

General Philip Schuyler started building his large Georgian-style home in 1761. This was near Albany, New York. Before this time, it was not safe to build outside the city. This was because of the French and Indian War. So, the family's mansion was built from 1761 to 1765. This was near the end of that war.

The mansion was built on about 80 acres of land. It was about half a mile from the city. When the Schuylers moved in, Philip and his wife, Catherine, had three daughters. Their names were Angelica, Elizabeth, and Margarita. Margarita was also called Peggy.

Catherine Schuyler gave birth to fifteen children in total. However, only eight of them lived past infancy. The Schuyler family's three famous daughters were born in 1756, 1757, and 1758. They were known as the Schuyler sisters. After moving into the mansion, Catherine had three boys. They were John Bradstreet (1765), Philip Jeremiah (1768), and Rensselaer (1773). Then came two more girls, Cornelia (1775) and Catherine (1781).

The Schuyler Mansion was a busy place. It was used for military plans, business, and family life. Philip and Catherine's daughter, Elizabeth, married Alexander Hamilton there. He was a very important person in early American history.

During the American Revolution, Philip Schuyler worked as an intelligence officer. This meant he gathered secret information for the American side. He ran a network of spies from his home. These activities led to an attempt to kidnap Schuyler. This happened on the night of August 7, 1781. But the kidnapping failed!

The Schuyler family was also known for being very welcoming. Many important guests stayed at the mansion. These included George and Martha Washington. Benjamin Franklin and James Madison also visited. Even a British general, John Burgoyne, stayed there in 1777. He was a "prisoner guest" after the Battle of Saratoga.

Changes to the Mansion Over Time

After Philip Schuyler passed away in 1804, his land was divided. His six living children received over one hundred building lots. But none of his children wanted the house itself. They had already made their own homes.

So, in 1815, the mansion was sold to a furrier named John Bryan. He lived there for about 29 years. During this time, he made some changes to the house. He added a front entrance area called a vestibule. This was built by a local architect named Philip Hooker. This vestibule is still there today.

In 1844, Ezekiel C. McIntosh bought the mansion. He was the president of the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad Company. After he died in 1855, his wife, Caroline Carmichael, remarried. She married former U.S. President Millard Fillmore. Their wedding happened in the same room where Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler got married. The new couple then moved to Fillmore's home in Buffalo, New York.

The mansion was then rented to John Tracey and his family. The Tracey family removed any smaller buildings that were still on the property. These buildings had been there during Philip Schuyler's time. In 1882, after Caroline Fillmore died, the Traceys moved out.

The next owner was Lansing Pendleton Jr. He was a watchman at the local jail. He owned the house for a short time. In 1886, he sold it to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany for $7,000. The mansion became an orphanage for young children. It was run by the Sisters of Charity and called St. Francis de Sales Infant Asylum.

Under the Diocese, the mansion's main living room became a chapel. Many of the fireplaces were also closed up. The orphanage soon needed more space. They even built a second building. But it was later torn down. It became clear that the Diocese needed to either tear down the mansion or sell it. The sisters in charge wanted to save the mansion. They refused to sell it to anyone except the state or a "patriotic society."

The Mansion Becomes a State Historic Site

On March 22, 1911, the mansion was sold to the state of New York. The state planned to turn it into a historic site for everyone to visit. The museum's first board of directors included Philip Schuyler's great-granddaughter, Georgina Schuyler. It also included the son of John Tracey, who had lived in the house earlier.

The orphanage built its new location over the next few years. They moved out of the mansion on January 30, 1914. After more than three years of careful work to fix it up, Schuyler Mansion opened to the public. This happened on October 17, 1917. It was the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga.

How the House Was Built

Rear of the Schuyler Mansion

Schuyler Mansion is a large house. It is about 67.5 feet wide and 47.5 feet deep. It has two and a half stories. It was built in the Georgian style between 1761 and 1765. The house sits on a sloped piece of land in southern Albany. It faces east towards the Hudson River.

The walls are made of brick. They are laid in a special pattern called English bond. The house has a stone foundation. The roof is a double-pitched hip roof. A wooden fence-like structure, called a balustrade, goes around the roof. It has Chinese fret panels and posts with urns on top. This balustrade was added in the early 1800s. Two brick chimneys rise above the roof.

A master carpenter from Boston, John Gaborial, oversaw the building of the mansion. When the house was first built, two separate buildings were added behind it. The building on the southwest side was an office. The one on the northwest side was the kitchen. These buildings were removed in the 1800s. Now, that area is a garden.

The house has a "center-hall plan." This was common for Georgian homes. Both the first and second floors have two rooms on each side of wide hallways. Each room is about 18 by 19 feet. The entrance hall is 48 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 12 feet high. It is divided near the back by a doorway supported by columns.

The inside of the mansion is very decorated. The thick brick walls allow for special shutters on every window. These shutters fold into the window frames. The walls of the main hall were plastered. Then, they were covered with beautiful scenic wallpaper from France. The main staircase has spiral balusters. These are the decorative posts that support the handrail. Each step has three different designs.