Hudson Valley: Martin Van Buren NHP, Thomas Cole NHS, Ohana

Hudson Valley NY

May 2024

This was a long weekend trip to get a few more of NYs National Park units off my list.  When we arrived at Martin Van Buren National Historical Park, it hadn't yet opened so we headed down the road to a one room school house. Icabod Cranes One room school house per the sign. 

Also adjacent the school was the home of Lukas Van Alen. I knew of Ichabod he, of course, is the 

awkward school teacher from author Washigton Irvings story the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. 

The school was not open, but a view through the window shows possibly Ichabod teaching his young students a lesson. The school house does have some acclaimed history other then the fictional title, apparently Elenor Roosevelt visited the school and dedicated the building as such. 

Near the school house is this grand brick home.

The Van Alan home showcases  18th century Dutch architecture. This too was not open at the time of my visit, but looked very inviting. The grounds seemed welcoming as well, and we took the path which offered information about Washington Irving as well as the life of the families in the Kinderhook area of the Hudson Valley.

 

One room schoolhouses were common in our American history. 

a little bit about Washington Irving

Like much of the country during the 18th Century, there were people who were enslaved. In NY State, the emancipation abolition laws were in place by 1783, but the final abolition did not end until the 1840's. 

We had adventured enough to be done just a few minutes after the home of former President Martin Van Buren and we started this new journey in the National Park visitor center.

A life sized cardboard of  Martin offered a great picture opportunity. 

We were able to jump onto a ranger lead tour of the house, becoming the only two on the tour.

The home, lovingly called Linderwald, was purchased by Van Buren in 1839. The original home was built in 1797 and modified to its current presentation. 

A mix of federalist, Itialianate and gothic is the result of Van Buren's many additions to the home. This also included the tower that can be viewed. 

The home served as a farm and as a demonstration of progressive agriculture. At a time when slavery was heavily debated, this farm offered techniques that could sustain free labor instead of enslaved laborers. 

Through the use of soil fertility, crop rotation, breeds of livestock Van Buren believed that progressive farming could be a critical change in the future of America. 

His methods included using specific seeds that were best supported with the land, the use of special breeds of animals and the use of animal waste as fertilizer. Once standing in this area pictured below were lanes of diverse fruit trees.

Inside Linderwald  were some unique findings as well. Van Buren was known to entertain many people so to accommodate these large number of people (often political leaders) a large table was placed in his main hall. When expanded the table could seat up to 20 people. 

The mural is the rare 1841 Le Paysage a Chasses (landscape of the hunt) is a 51 panel of wall paper. It has been restored by the National Parks and absolutely beautiful.

The drawing or living room features a portrait of Van Buren and the delicate art on the fire place 
that is reflective of the art of the 19th centry. 


Other rooms within the house. 

Van Buren was the 8th President and our only president to date where English was his second language. Although he was born in the United State, he was born in Kinderhook to Dutch parents. He and Andrew Jackson are known as creators of the Democratic party. He began his political pursuits by being elected a seat in the Senate. He served as both leaders and members of many politically named parties, many that were much to complicated for me to try and explain here, but he eventually became governor of NY, served as Andrew Jackson's secretary of State and advisor, helped to resolve the Petticoat Affairs; which was apparently a moral scandal which rattled the entire Jackson Administration. (please feel free to google on this because like the many parties of Van Buren, this too is a complex issue in our history that went way over my head. )At any rate, his role in this affair, helped to propel him into the ideal candidate for presidency. He won in 1836. His popularity soon waned as the Panic of 1837 scared his role as president. The panic was seen as a financial crisis, where wages, profits, and westward expansion dropped and unemployment rose. This lead investors to panic and banks began to see a crisis in money. Banks in NY City were empty of all gold and silver, and would no longer redeem paper money at its face value. This collapse caused rebellion towards Van Buren as many political cartoon featured Van Buran in worthless bank notes and satire. Needless to say, Van Buren was seen as a feisty little man and a shrewd politician, termed the "little Magician" . He was charming yet cunning, also called the Red Fox of Kinderhook, impeccably dressed sporting his "mutton chops". It is also said that another nick name he was given Old Kinderhook was the origin of the use of the word OK. Hummmmm? 

Van Buren married his cousin Hannah and they had four surviving sons. Hannah passed in 1819. He never remarried. His eldest son's wife Angelica Singleton Van Buren served as his first lady. Which I thought was weird and a little creepy. Our tour guide assured us that this was not so strange for the day. I still thought it was, but marrying your cousin seemed to be a "normal" thing to do back then as well, and many of these boys from the Hudson Valley seemed to do this on the regular. (ie; Franklin and Eleanor). 

...More about the house........The home had additional unique features such as the 

 massive four story tower that was installed as a means to create air flow throughout the home. 

The home also had a specific bathroom feature unlike many of the homes of the day. This included the copper bathtub and the complex butler-operated bell system of hot water, and one of the earliest in home toilets to include a on call flush system. 

That was a very interesting history lesson, and a beautiful home. Kelly and I were soon off to yet another National park located in the Hudson Valley of NY. The Thomas Cole Historic Site. 

This national park is not indicated in my National Parks book and I was actually unaware of it's status as part of the NP system, but here we are, and as I make my way through the many National Parks of the United States, I had to visit. 

First, I have to say that this area of NY is absolutely beautiful, so even if you are not interested in the history, the natural beauty could also be the allure, as it was for our featured artist; Thomas Cole. 

Thomas is the founder of the art movement called The Hudson River School. He was born in Landcashire, England in 1801 and immigrated with his family to the US when he was 17. He found work as an engraver and was a self taught painter, often using books as his teacher. He began painting portrits, eventually painted landscapes and later acted as a teacher to other budding artists and the Hudson River School founder. 

His art is especially profound in his ability to take a landscape and incorporate the distruction of industry and productivity as the landscapes ruins. As described by google "Coles pieces ...capturing the dramatic, untamed beauty of the American wilderness, elevating landscape painting to a powerful nationalistic artform."

Some of his most famous paintings include the Oxbow, which is currently hanging in the MET. The Course of Empire, which is a series of five paintings, showing the growth and fall of an imaginary city as human civilization of gluttony and decay over time defeats the natural wonders. The Voyage of Life; is a series of four paintings to include; Childhood, Youth, Manhood and Old Ag. In each painting a voyager rides a boat on a river accompanied by an Angel, and each one features a different season on the river. In Childhood, an infant glides into a rich green landscape. In youth a boy takes control of the boat aiming for a castle in the sky. In manhood, an adult relies on his faith to sustain him through rough waters into a threatening landscape. In Old Age the angle guides him to Heaven across the waters to eternity. (above is the Childhood piece) The Voyage of Life series is currently in Utica NY. I have to make my way there soon. 

A trip funded by three painting's Cole had sold in NY lead him to the Hudson Valley, where he produced some of his first landscape paintings. These works lead to connections with wealthy friends and supporters who funded his work that eventually lead him to the home here at Cedar Grove.  

Cole established a studio and did most of his pieces while living here. He also met and married his wife; Maria Bartow whom was the niece of the Cedar Grove homeowner. 

The grounds at Cedar Grove are lovely.

But the views of the Hudson Valley are amazing! This might even make me start painting. 

Here is a picture of Thomas. 

and a slide show of his many art pieces. 

Along with featuring Thomas, the home offered a glimpse of life during the period. 

(below is the basement room that often served as a tenant room).

Here are some of Cole's paintings. His daughter was also a painter, Emily Cole. She was best known for painting flowers on ceramics. 

The bedroom of Thomas and his wife, as well as her wedding gown.

This small back room was where most of Cole's painting were first completed until he moved into the large barn/studio which is now a gift store. 

Cole's desk overlooking the beautiful valley. 

Across the river Valley located on the East bank of the Hudson, (within eye's view) of Cole's residence, is Olana, the home of Fredric Church and one of the most beautifully eclectic homes I have had the opportunity to tour. Church also an artist, was one of Cole's students. His art, also landscapes and growing from the Hudson Valley School movement are different in that Cole's featured a romaticized moralizing landscape, while Church's pieces were more precise realism, often using dramatic lighting and detail. 

Despite the artist, it is the home that has the most attention here at this visit. I'm not even going to write anything, just take in the beauty of this home as we walked up to the main door up the Sienghenbergh (Dutch for long hill).

The home  and main residence of the property was inspired by the couples (Fredric and Isabelle) travels to Beirut, Jerusalem, and Damascus. Made of stone and brick the polychrome stenciled villa mixes Victorian and the Middle East. Church had a hand in the design at each brick laid.

Church choose this 250 acre piece of property with the landscape in mind. Much like his painting, he was in search of a home on property that was as beautiful as the paintings he made. He sketched areas through out America and attempted to replicate this with the property and intended for each acre to have a specific landscaped beauty. The property has been compared to Central Park in design, and although Church called it "The Farm" he indeed intended it to be a beautiful park. 

The beauty and the style continues into the home. 

A dining room dotted with many of Church's art hangs within the continued Eastern inspired tiles and paint. 

Much of the interior artifacts found within the home have been here since the Church's lived here. 

Views from an upstairs viranda. 

Many of the home's artifacts are from the many travels the couple made to countries outside of the United States.

The dining room holds art that the couple took a liking to and loved enough to hang within their home. 

Absolutely lovely. 

Church died in 1900, and his son Louis inherited the home. He and his wife Sara (Sally) continued to maintain the property until both passed. Sally had maintained the property for several years prior to her death in 1964. During these years she struggled to keep up on the "farm" and eventually the property was left to a nephew who intended to sell to developers. After two years of debate and consideration for anti-development of the properties it was purchased by the state of NY in 1966 and opened to the public. I am so glad that it was, it is an amazing tour. Highly recommend a visit.