Van Cortlandt House facts for kids
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Van Cortlandt House
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The mansion in 2008
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| Location | Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, New York City |
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| Area | 192 acres (78 ha) |
| Built | 1748 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 67000010 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 24, 1967 |
| Designated NHL | December 24, 1976 |
The Van Cortlandt House, also known as the Van Cortlandt Mansion, is the oldest house still standing in the Bronx, New York City. You can find it in the southwest part of Van Cortlandt Park. Today, it's a historic house museum called the Van Cortlandt House Museum.
A man named Frederick Van Cortlandt started building the house in 1748, and it was finished in 1749. It's a two-and-a-half-story building built in the Georgian style. The outside is made of rough stone, and the inside looks like a Georgian home. The Van Cortlandt family lived here for 140 years. Then, in 1897, it opened as a museum.
The house sits on land that Jacobus Van Cortlandt bought in the 1690s. Frederick died before the house was done, so his son James inherited it. During the American Revolutionary War, both British and American soldiers used the house. The Van Cortlandt family owned the house through the 1800s. In 1888, the city bought the house to create Van Cortlandt Park. At first, it was used as a police station. In 1896, a group called the Society of Colonial Dames of the State of New York rented the house. They opened it to the public as a museum on May 28, 1897. The house has been updated and repaired many times over the years.
The original house is shaped like an "L". A smaller building for the caretaker is attached to the north side. The outside of the house is mostly simple. But above the windows, there are special brick carvings called keystones. These carvings look like faces of different Van Cortlandt family members. Inside, there's a kitchen in the basement. On the first floor, you'll find two living rooms, an entry hall, and a dining room. The second and third floors have bedrooms. The museum often hosts events and offers tours and educational programs. People have praised both the museum's exhibits and the house's design. The house's outside and inside are special New York City designated landmarks. It is also a National Historic Landmark, which means it's very important to the history of the United States.
Contents
The House's Location
The Van Cortlandt House is in the southwest corner of Van Cortlandt Park. This is near the Riverdale area of the Bronx in New York City.
What's Around the House?
The house is surrounded by different parts of the park. To the north is the Parade Ground, a large open field. To the west is the Memorial Grove, a peaceful area with trees. South of the house, you'll find a swimming pool and the Van Cortlandt Stadium. To the east are a family burial ground and Van Cortlandt Lake.
The closest main road is Broadway to the west. You can easily get to the house by subway. The New York City Subway's Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street station is right outside the park on Broadway.
How the Land Changed
Before the 1690s, the area where the house stands was a wet, marshy land next to Tibbetts Brook. Then, around the 1690s, Van Cortlandt Lake was created along the brook. When the house was built in 1748, it was on a hill overlooking the Hudson River.
Today, the house and its surroundings are part of Van Cortlandt Park. The open fields around the house were created in the late 1800s. From the house, you could see the Spuyten Duyvil valley to the south. You could also see the Palisades across the Hudson River to the west. Tibbetts Brook was to the east.
Gardens and Driveway
Originally, there was a stone driveway leading to the house. The stones made noise when visitors arrived, so the family knew someone was coming. The entrance had gateposts that once had wooden bird sculptures on top. These sculptures were later moved inside the house.
The gardens around the house were designed in a "Dutch style." This included man-made terraces and large box trees. There were also water features like fountains. Big, old trees surrounded the mansion. In the early 1900s, a Dutch garden was built south of the house. It had a canal, a fountain, and four square sections. This garden has since been replaced with trees and a herb garden.
History of the Van Cortlandt House
Before Europeans arrived, the Lenape Native Americans lived on this land. There was a village nearby called Keskeskick. In 1646, a Dutch settler named Adriaen van der Donck bought the land. He was the first European to own the site of the Van Cortlandt House.
After the British took over New Netherland in 1664, the land went to Elias Doughty. He sold a large piece of land, including the house's site, to three men. One of them was Frederick Philipse. Philipse later bought out the other two, making the land part of his large estate, Philipsburg Manor. Philipse's daughter, Eva, later married Jacobus Van Cortlandt. Jacobus was the son of a Dutch brewer and Philipse's second wife's brother.
Jacobus Van Cortlandt bought parts of the land from Philipse until 1699. He also built a dam on Tibbetts Brook to create Van Cortlandt Lake. Jacobus and his wife mostly lived in Manhattan. But they used this estate as a large farm in the early 1700s. It was easy to ship grain and wood by water because the property was close to Tibbetts Brook. In 1739, the estate went to Jacobus's son, Frederick Van Cortlandt. At that time, the land was part of Yonkers in Westchester County. The farm had many animals like horses, cows, and sheep. They also grew crops like flax and fruits.
The House as a Home
The Van Cortlandt House is the oldest known house still standing in the Bronx. It is also one of only two remaining large manor houses in the Bronx, along with the Bartow–Pell Mansion.
Building and Early Years (1740s-1770s)
Frederick Van Cortlandt started building the house in 1748. He probably didn't build it himself, even though he's often given credit. His family lived in an older house nearby while the new one was being built. The mansion was built in a valley, about a mile north of Kings Bridge (near what is now Broadway). Some believe it was built on or near the site of an even older farmhouse.
Frederick signed his will in October 1749, saying the house was almost done. He died before it was finished. He left the estate to his son, Jacobus (James) Van Cortlandt. The family burial ground, Vault Hill, was created in 1749. Frederick was buried there. The house was often called the "manor house," but this was a bit confusing. The real "manor" was the Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
The family used the mills next to the lake for grinding grain and cutting wood. Inside the house, they prepared food like salted pork and cured ham. They also stored fruits grown on the farm. The Van Cortlandts didn't live in this house all the time. They spent most of their time in Manhattan. The family often invited important people to the mansion. They served fresh seafood and hams from the estate.
The Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
The Van Cortlandt family land was a "neutral zone" during the American Revolutionary War. Both British and American soldiers used it. In 1775, James Van Cortlandt was asked to help plan a fort near his house. He tried to stay neutral, not fully supporting either side. Augustus Van Cortlandt, another family member, hid important city records under Vault Hill during the war. He gave them back to the new American government later. Some family members stayed in the mansion for most of the war.
American military leaders like Comte de Rochambeau, Marquis de Lafayette, and George Washington used the grounds. The house itself was Washington's headquarters after his troops lost the 1776 Battle of Long Island. Washington stayed there before the Battle of White Plains. After that battle, British General William Howe made the house his headquarters in November 1776. Before Howe arrived, Hessian (German) soldiers had taken things from the mansion.
James Van Cortlandt moved away during the war because he was sick. He died in 1781. Since James had no children, his younger brother, Augustus Van Cortlandt, took over the property. Washington returned to the house in 1781 to plan with Rochambeau. Their troops waited outside on what is now the Parade Ground. Washington lit campfires outside the house to trick the British into thinking his troops were still there. But his troops actually went south to Virginia and won the siege of Yorktown. Washington used the house one last time in 1783 after the war ended with the Treaty of Paris. He and George Clinton stopped there before entering Manhattan, after the British had left.
After the War (Late 1700s - 1800s)
Augustus Van Cortlandt's family moved into the house after the war. Augustus owned the house until he died in 1823. He had no sons, so his son-in-law, Henry White, received the right to live there. Henry's son, Augustus White, could have the house if he changed his last name to Van Cortlandt.
Augustus White Van Cortlandt moved the mill on the estate in 1823. He owned the house until he died in 1839. Then it went to his brother, Henry White Van Cortlandt, who also had no children. The house then passed to their sister's son, Augustus Bibby Van Cortlandt. Augustus Bibby owned the house for many decades. He updated the mansion and farmed much of the land. Fireplaces were changed to make room for stoves.
In 1874, New York City took over the southern part of Westchester County. The Van Cortlandt estate became part of the Bronx. By the 1870s, the Van Cortlandts wanted to sell their land. The area was becoming more urban. In 1884, a law was passed to create parks in the Bronx, including what would become Van Cortlandt Park. The city had the right to buy 700 acres from Augustus Bibby. The Van Cortlandt family didn't fully leave the house until 1888. The mill was used until 1889. The New York Herald Tribune newspaper said the house and land showed the "vast wealth" of the Van Cortlandt family.
The House as a Museum
On December 12, 1888, part of the Van Cortlandt estate was sold to New York City. It became Van Cortlandt Park. The Van Cortlandt House was saved. The large grain fields became the "Parade Ground." The mansion was repaired and repainted in 1889. For several years, only the caretaker's family lived there. Military officers also used the house once a year. Until 1896, the mansion was a barracks for the New York State Police. They guarded the bison that lived in Van Cortlandt Park. The New York City Police Department also used the house.
Becoming a Museum (Late 1800s - Early 1900s)
In 1893, a park commissioner suggested turning the mansion into a museum for Revolutionary War items. In early 1896, the Society of Colonial Dames of the State of New York asked to repair the mansion. They wanted to run it as a historic house museum. By May, the New York State Legislature gave the society control of the mansion. The Park Board agreed to lease the mansion to them in December 1896. The society then started renovating the house. The project cost about $4,000 to $5,000. They wanted to make the house look like it did originally.
The Colonial Dames took over the mansion on May 27, 1897. They opened the house to the public that day. The Van Cortlandt Mansion was one of the first historic house museums in New York City. It was also one of the few mid-1700s buildings in the city that still had its original wood details. The museum was open every day and was usually free. On Saturdays, it cost 25 cents to help pay for the house's upkeep.
A colonial garden around the house was approved in May 1897. Construction began that August. In late 1900, the Colonial Dames put up a plaque outside the mansion. It told the house's history. By then, over 50,000 people had visited the museum. In 1901, the old mill used by the Van Cortlandt family was destroyed by lightning. A statue of Major-General Josiah Porter was placed behind the house in 1902. The colonial garden was finished in 1903. By 1908, it was easy to reach the mansion by subway.
Mid-20th Century Changes (1910s - 1970s)
In the early 1910s, the Colonial Dames started raising money for more museum items. They also planned to build an addition to the house. But these plans were stopped in 1912. However, a caretaker's apartment was built next to the main house. It was finished around 1916 or 1917. The house also had repairs in 1914. An architect named Norman Isham renovated the mansion. This included fixing fireplaces and adding wood panels.
By the early 1930s, 50,000 to 60,000 people visited the Van Cortlandt House each year. In 1938, a walnut tree was planted in front of the mansion. It replaced an older tree where Washington was said to have stood. In 1942, the old guns outside the house were removed. They were not considered important anymore. In the mid-1940s, the museum had 100,000 visitors a year. In 1953, a new iron fence was put around the mansion.
The Colonial Dames closed the house in December 1960 for renovations. The house reopened in June 1961. This work restored the walls and original floors. It also updated the caretaker's apartment and building systems. The house was open seven days a week in the 1960s. By the 1970s, it was only open on weekends. The Bronx County Historical Society also helped maintain the house.
Recent Years (1980s - Present)
The house's grounds were landscaped in 1980. The house itself closed in 1986 for more renovations. This work added a new auditorium under the house. It also expanded the basement, added new bathrooms, and improved safety. The living rooms were repainted in their original colors. The renovation cost $571,900. It reopened in December 1988 to celebrate Van Cortlandt Park's 100th birthday.
The Van Cortlandt Mansion was one of the first members of the Historic House Trust, started in 1989. By the early 1990s, the house was open five days a week. Students from Brooklyn College dug around the house between 1990 and 1992. They looked for old artifacts.
By the mid-1990s, some rooms needed repairs. The museum's director wanted to renovate the house for $1 million. The roof was repaired with $250,000 from the city. But there wasn't enough money for other repairs. The Colonial Dames still run the Van Cortlandt House Museum today.
Brooklyn College students did more digging at the site in 2003. The house was open six days a week in the 2000s. The dining room was restored in 2015. This included fixing the wood panels, wallpaper, and fireplace tiles. The mansion closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. It reopened the next year for self-guided tours. The house's communication systems were updated in 2022. The fence around the house is also planned to be rebuilt.
How the House Looks
The house was designed by an unknown architect. It is built in the Georgian style and is two-and-a-half stories tall. It might have been based on Philipse Manor in Westchester County. The house is shaped like an "L," with parts extending to the south and east. The southern part was probably built first. A small addition was added in the 1800s. The caretaker's apartment was added before World War I.
Outside Features
The house is built from cut fieldstone. Older descriptions say it has a rough stone outside. One corner of the house has a stone with the year 1748 carved into it. The first floor is raised, so there are several entrances with wooden porches and small steps. The original doors were later replaced with Dutch-style doors. The outside of the house is mostly plain.
Next to the main L-shaped house is the caretaker's apartment. It also has a rough stone outside and brick around the windows. The caretaker's apartment is on the north side, making the whole building look like a "C" shape.
The windows have brick frames and sash windows with many small glass panes. Above the windows are special bricks called keystones. These keystones have carvings of faces, each with a different expression. They are said to represent different members of the Van Cortlandt family. The bricks were laid so the best ones faced outward. The Van Cortlandt House was the only building in the area with these carved faces.
At the top of the house is a decorative edge called a cornice. It supports a part that sticks out, called a soffit. The underside of the soffit has small blocks called modillions. The main house has a mansard roof made of slate. Seven dormer windows stick out from the roof. Each dormer has a window and a triangular shape above it. The house has several brick chimneys, like other large homes in the Hudson Valley. Many chimneys allowed heat to reach most rooms.
Inside the House
The inside of the house generally follows the Georgian style. Rooms usually have fireplaces on their north walls and windows on at least one other wall. There is detailed wood carving throughout the house. Several fireplaces have special Dutch tiles.
Unlike city mansions, the formal rooms like the dining room and living rooms were on the first floor. This was typical for country estates. The back of the house had a service area. Servants could move around without guests seeing them. The first floor's southern part had an entrance hall with two living rooms on either side. The eastern part had a side hall and dining room. The second floor is simpler than the first. It is also arranged in an L-shape. The caretaker's apartment has seven rooms, including a kitchen and two bathrooms.
The Basement Kitchen
The kitchen is in the raised basement. The basement walls are three feet thick, which was a way to protect the house. They are made of plaster over stone. There are two small windows high up on the western wall. These might have been for defense. The basement ceiling has low wooden beams. They are 11 by 13 inches and were carved by hand from cypress and cedar wood. Water for the kitchen originally came from Vault Hill. There is a Dutch brick oven built into the kitchen wall. One wall has a wide, short fireplace with an arched opening. The kitchen also had a dresser and a porcelain cabinet. There is a newer basement area with a classroom and an auditorium. The museum's restrooms are also in the basement.
First Floor Rooms
The front hall is entered from the main door on the south side. Doorways with decorative frames lead to living rooms on the west and east sides. The front hall floor is made of yellow pine boards covered with a painted canvas cloth. The western wall of the front hall has a U-shaped staircase. It goes up to the second and third floors. The staircase has a railing with turned posts. At the bottom, there's a round newel post. The outside wall of the staircase has wood panels. At the first landing, there's a large window. The high ceiling of the staircase showed how wealthy the family was. Behind the front hall is the rear hall. It has a simple staircase and leads to the dining room and a servants' entrance. This rear hall was added soon after Frederick Van Cortlandt died. It gave his widow a private entrance.
To the left (west) of the front hall is the western living room. This room was Washington's quarters in 1783. On the north wall is a fireplace with blue-and-white tiles. These tiles show scenes from the Bible. Columns separate the fireplace from arched cupboards on each side. Each cupboard has two paneled doors and shelves for porcelain. The rest of the north wall is painted blue and has wood panels. The other three walls are white plaster with a baseboard, a dado rail (a decorative strip), and a molding at the ceiling. The south wall has three windows. There were seats next to the window on the south wall.
To the right (east) of the front hall is the eastern living room. This room was for formal gatherings, like tea parties and card games. Each wall is covered in wood panels with a cornice at the top. This room has a fireplace that was probably added after the house was finished. The fireplace has a marble bottom and a carved marble mantel. Above the fireplace is an overmantel with carvings of Adam and Eve, a serpent, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The dining room is in the eastern part of the house. It is separated from the eastern living room by the rear hall. It is designed in a late-1700s style. It might not have been used for meals originally. Americans usually didn't have special dining rooms before the American Revolution. The dining room had a fireplace with a mantel from around 1800. It had decorations like columns and fan shapes. A small closet was built into the fireplace mantel. It was used to keep items warm in winter. One corner of the room also had a large white cupboard for storing porcelain. The walls are light plaster above dark buff wood panels. A chimney is on the north wall. The ceiling molding and fireplace mantel were restored later.
Upper Stories
On the second floor, there is a hallway in the middle of the southern part of the house. It connects to the main staircase. At the south end of the hallway is a window with inside shutters and a seating area.
Next to the hallway are two bedrooms, one to the west and one to the east. Both bedrooms have white walls. They have doorways with molded frames. They also have fireplaces with wood panels and white tiles. The windows have inside shutters and decorative cornices. The western room was called the Washington bedroom. It had furniture used by George Washington. The north wall of this bedroom has a fireplace with closets on each side. Behind the eastern bedroom was a spinning room. A third bedroom to the northeast has a fireplace with Dutch tiles showing stories. One bedroom was named the Monroe room because a family maid married a man named Monroe.
A narrow U-shaped staircase in the second-floor hall goes up to the third floor. On the third floor, there were two smaller rooms for servants. One of them was not fully finished. The attic has been turned into an exhibit about the lives of the people who worked on the Van Cortlandt plantation.
How the Museum Works
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation owns the Van Cortlandt House. The National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York still runs the mansion as a museum today.
Museum Collections
When the house first opened as a museum, the western living room was a special museum area. Other rooms showed items from the Colonial Dames and their friends. In the early years, one room had items from the colonial and Revolutionary War times. Old cooking tools were shown in the kitchen. The western living room had Benjamin Franklin's fireplace tools and maps from as early as 1642. In the eastern living room, there was furniture like chairs and a writing desk. The dining room showed porcelain and platters. The western bedroom on the second floor had furniture from Washington's time, including his bed. The eastern bedroom had a chest and a printing press. The spinning room had tools for needlework. Other items included wooden bird sculptures and two cannons outside.
In the 1900s, more items were added. These included handmade liquor bottles found in 1902. In the 1910s and 1920s, the house had many colonial and Dutch furniture pieces. One living room had a Chippendale mirror and a secretary desk. The upstairs rooms kept their old four-poster beds with tapestries. The museum showed items of all sizes, plus china and furniture. On the third floor, there was a nursery with children's items.
By the 1970s, the western living room had a snuff box from Peter Stuyvesant and pistols from Aaron Burr. The eastern living room had a cello and a spinet (a small piano). The dining room had plates set for a meal. The kitchen had various tools, a powder horn, and a rifle. The house also had a Dutch storage chest, several poster beds, and a dollhouse. The mansion still has much of its old furniture today. This includes cupboards, cradles, and built-in cabinets. The museum also displays colorful rugs, bedspreads, and old tools. In the modern dining room, there is a set of drawers, six chairs, and a table.
Museum Events
After the museum opened, it started hosting monthly "antique exhibits" in 1903. Other early exhibits showed old pewter, small portraits, and needlework pictures. In the 1920s, the museum showed colonial documents, paintings, and books. In the 1950s, it displayed glass, silverware, china, and pottery from the 1600s and 1700s. The Colonial Dames have also hosted live performances. For example, they put on a play in 1960 to raise money for the house. By the 1970s, the house had St. Nicholas Day performances and concerts. It also showed Revolutionary-era military activities. In the late 1900s, the house continued to have concerts, carols, children's programs, and history talks.
In the 2000s, the museum hosted events like historical reenactments. The museum offers tours all year, both self-guided and led by guides. The house also hosts special events.
Special Recognition
Landmark Status
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) named the Van Cortlandt House a city landmark in March 1966. This made it one of the first homes in the Bronx to be a city landmark. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1967. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1976. This means it's very important to the history of the United States. The LPC also named the inside of the Van Cortlandt Mansion a city landmark in July 1975. This included several rooms designed in the Georgian style.
See also
- List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in the Bronx
- National Historic Landmarks in New York City
- National Register of Historic Places listings in the Bronx
