— History —

Schuyler Mansion was once home to Philip J. Schuyer, renowned Revolutionary War general, US Senator, and business entrepreneur. He and his wife, Catharine Van Rensselaer, both descended from affluent Dutch families and together, raised eight children in this home.

The Georgian style structure, constructed 1761 - 1765, was built on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River, and was originally situated on an 80-acre tract of land that included an orchard, formal garden, and a large working farm. Throughout the Schuyler family occupancy from 1763 to 1804, the mansion was the site of military strategizing, political hobnobbing, elegant social affairs, and active family life. The wedding of daughter Elizabeth Schuyler to Alexander Hamilton took place in the house in 1780.

On June 20, 1803, Schuyler drew his will in his own hand; he requested that his real estate be equally divided for the benefit of his heirs, making no attempt to have his house retained by any family member. Pursuant to his instructions, the executors had the land surveyed and divided into lots to be sold at public auction, while the mansion and surrounding grounds were sold as a separate unit.

Subsequent owners made a great many changes to the house, including the addition of a hexagonal vestibule to the front exterior, extensions built along the rear of the house, and eventual removal of all the original outbuildings, such as Schuyler's nursery and office. In addition to this, a spate of alterations were made to the grounds and to the land surrounding the grounds upon which the mansion stood.

When the last occupants of the mansion, St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum Society (under the authority of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Albany) found it necessary to increase the size of the orphanage, it was decided to sell the mansion to the state or other patriotic societies, so as to preserve its historic integrity. After much lobbying on the part of interested citizens, the state passed bills to provide for the acquisition and preservation of the mansion - including $40,000 for purchase and the sum of $5,000 for initial restoration. The key was handed over to the state on January 30, 1914.

The restoration of Schuyler Mansion was undertaken by a board of Trustees, appointed by the Governor for a term of five years. One of the original members was Georgina Schuyler, a great-granddaughter of Philip Schuyler who, along with the other board members, helped formulate plans for the house and consulted several architects prominent in the field of historic restoration. After years of effort, Schuyler Mansion was dedicated and officially opened to the public as a State Historic Site on October 17, 1917, the 140th anniversary of the British defeat at Saratoga.

Today, the site is maintained and operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, while professional staff direct the day-to-day management of the mansion and Visitors Center. For further information about this or other state historic sites and parks, please visit www.nysparks.gov