Van Wyck Homestead Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Van Wyck Homestead Museum
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Van Wyck Homestead Museum
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| Location | Fishkill, New York, United States |
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| Nearest city | Beacon, New York, United States |
| Area | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| Built | 1732 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000828 |
| Added to NRHP | 1972 |
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Fishkill Supply Depot Site
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| Nearest city | Fishkill, New York |
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| Area | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| Built | 1777 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001230 |
| Added to NRHP | 1974 |
The Van Wyck Homestead Museum is an old house from the early 1700s in Fishkill, New York. It's a great example of a Dutch colonial house. This historic building played a very important role during the American Revolutionary War. It was the main office for a huge military supply center.
The Van Wyck Homestead has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972. The land next to it, called the Fishkill Supply Depot Site, was added to the list in 1974. You can find it on US 9, just south of Interstate 84. When a gas station and the Dutchess Mall were built nearby in the 1970s, many old items were found. These items, called artifacts, included lots of military supplies.
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Discovering the Van Wyck Homestead's History
The Van Wycks were a very important family from Holland. They were well-known in Dutchess County for many years. Members of this family fought in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. They also held important political jobs in their local area and for the country.
In 1732, a man named Cornelius Van Wyck built this house. He was a surveyor, which means he measured land. He built the house with three rooms on a large piece of land, about 959 acres. He bought this land from Catheryna Rombout Brett. Her father, Francis Rombouts, was one of the first people to get land from King James II of England. Later, before 1757, the house was made bigger. The first part of the house became the east wing of the new, larger building. The house still looks like a typical Dutch colonial home today. It has a special central hallway with two matching doors.
The Van Wyck Homestead During the Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary War, Isaac Van Wyck lived in the house. But because of its perfect location, the Continental Army took it over. The house was near the Hudson River and major roads. These roads included the Old Albany Post Road (now US 9) and another road going east-west (now NY 52 and Interstate 84).
The building became the main office for the Fishkill Supply Depot. George Washington ordered this depot to be created in 1775. The Fishkill Supply Depot was the most important place for getting supplies for the Revolutionary War in the northern areas. It was a huge military camp and storage area. It provided cannons, food, and other supplies for about 4,000 soldiers. These soldiers were stationed there to stop the British forces. The British wanted to pass New York City and take control of the Hudson Valley. This was a major goal for them at the start of the war.
About 70 acres of land around the house were used for a large camp. Over 2,000 soldiers lived there. Many important facilities were built, such as a place to fix cannons, a blacksmith shop, barracks (where soldiers slept), a storehouse, and stables for horses.
Thousands of American soldiers, local fighters, and their families stayed at the Depot until 1783. Its location in the Hudson River Valley helped stop enemy attacks. The depot had barracks, officer housing, a hospital, and even a prison. It also had parade grounds, blacksmith shops, and storage buildings. General George Washington started the depot. Important leaders like General Israel Putnam, General Alexander McDougall, General Horatio Gates, Alexander Hamilton, and General Lafayette visited or worked there. The depot was key to the Continental Army winning against the British. It handled all the supplies for George Washington's operations in the Hudson Valley. An expert named James Johnson said that the food, clothes, and weapons from the depot helped Washington's soldiers keep the British from taking control of the important Hudson Highlands.
Many important revolutionary leaders visited the house. These included George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, Alexander McDougall, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. Inside the house, military trials were held in the parlor room. Even though the British watched the depot, it was never attacked. However, hundreds of soldiers died there from injuries, cold weather, sickness, and smallpox. Sometimes, the troops also faced starvation during the seven years the depot was active. It is the largest known burial ground for American Revolutionary War soldiers in the United States.
A large walnut tree stood in front of the house until 1898. It was used for punishing soldiers. An iron claw from the tree, used for this purpose, is now on display inside the house. A mock trial for Enoch Crosby also took place in the building. Enoch Crosby was a secret agent for the United States. He pretended to join a group loyal to the British to gather information. The house is likely the setting for James Fenimore Cooper's novel, "The Spy," which is based on Enoch Crosby's story.
The Van Wyck house also served as the Quartermaster Department. This department was in charge of providing clothes for the soldiers. Besides military uses, the house also had the printing press for the newspaper "New York Packet". This newspaper was moved to the Van Wyck homestead from British-occupied New York City. The newspaper also printed orders for the Army. The publisher, Samuel Loudon, became the Postmaster for New York State. This made Fishkill the first official New York State Post Office.
After the Revolutionary War, the house was returned to the Van Wyck family. It stayed their home until Sidney Van Wyck died in 1882. After that, two more families, the Hustis and the Snook families, owned the property. For a while, a tea room operated in the house. Eleanor Roosevelt often stopped there when she was going to her home in Hyde Park, New York.
Saving the Site: Recent Efforts
When Interstate 84 and its exit ramps were built near the homestead, the Snook family gave the house and a small piece of land to the Fishkill Historical Society. This society was started in 1962 to save the house from being torn down. They have been working to fix it up and run it as a museum ever since. However, much of the original Depot site was developed in the 1970s. This caused many old items from that time to be lost.
The Van Wyck Homestead is the only building left from the supply depot. The area around it now contains a huge burial site for Continental Army soldiers. The 70 acres of land east and west of the homestead, including the I-84 exit ramps, were added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Fishkill Depot Supply Site in 1974. In 2007, archaeologists used special radar to find hundreds of graves at the southern end of the property.
Groups like the Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot and Senator Charles Schumer are working to protect this site. They want to save it under the Battlefield Protection Act. Their goal is to create a National Park on the site.
In 2016, a developer named Domenic Broccoli wanted to build a "colonial village" called Continental Commons on eight acres of land. Lance Ashworth, who leads the Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot, said this plan would "destroy an authentic historical site for the sake of building a cheap replica." He argued that building new structures would harm the real historical importance of the area.
Uncovering History: The Archeological Site
Most of the Fishkill Supply Depot area was developed for the Dutchess Mall, which opened in 1974. During the mall's construction and other digs, many artifacts were found. These included cannonballs, muskets, eating tools, and uniform buttons. The Fishkill Historical Society now has about 10,000 of these items.
It is also believed that many Continental Army soldiers who died from battle wounds or smallpox are buried in the area. However, the exact locations of these burials are still unknown.
Because of this, in the same year the mall opened, the National Park Service added 70 acres south of I-84 and split by Route 9 to the Register as the Fishkill Supply Depot Site. Much of this land, especially to the east of the house, has not been developed or dug up yet. It is waiting for future investigations to uncover more history.
See also
