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Historic Sites |
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Columbia County Museum & Library The Columbia County Museum, open to the public since 1985, was originally built as a Masonic Temple in 1916. Today it houses the Columbia County Historical Society's offices, research library, collections storage, and exhibition spaces. The Museum and Library are open year round except for the month of January. For hours click here.
Luykas Van Alen House, c. 1737 Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968, the Luykas Van Alen House is a restored house museum representing 18th-century rural Dutch farm life. The house, featuring parapet gables, Dutch doors, and entrance stoops, stands as a testament to traditional Dutch architecture in the Hudson River Valley.
The Vanderpoel House of History, c. 1820 The Vanderpoel House of History, is a distinguished example of Federal period architecture. Originally the home of a prominent lawyer and politician, James Vanderpoel, and his family, the house reflects an elegant lifestyle in a prosperous, early 19th-century village. The fashionable Federal style emphasized lightness of proportion, symmetry, and delicate ornamentation. In 2012 the House of History will host special exhibits and programs related to the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the commencement of the Civil War. The house is open seasonally and for special programs during the holidays. For information on school programs, please contact the Education Department. For hours of operation, click here.
(on the grounds of the Luykas Van Alen House) The Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse is a 19th-century building that served as a school into the 1940s. It takes its name from Washington Irving's school-teacher in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Irving's Ichabod Crane character was modeled after Jesse Merwin, the schoolmaster who taught in this school district at the time of Irving's visits to this area in the mid nineteenth century. Admission is $7 and includes admission at all CCHS sites. The $7 multi-site pass is valid through December 31. A $5 library only pass is available for researchers. Admission to all CCHS sites is always free for members of CCHS, Seniors 65 and older and kids 12 and under. |
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The Luykas Van Alen House interior is typical of the domestic settings in which many Hudson Valley Dutch farmers and merchants lived and worked. Large, jambless fireplaces dominate each room, with iron cooking utensils and period furnishings preserving a moment in time.
