Historic Sites, Columbia County Historical Society


Historic Sites
Columbia County Museum James Vanderpoel House Luykas Van Alen House Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse
The Columbia County Museum 5 Albany Avenue, Kinderhook 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. Hours: Sunday, Noon-4:00pm Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm Closed Tuesday and Wednesday Admission to the Museum and Library: Regular admission: $5 Members, Children 12 and under, and Seniors: Free Luykas Van Alen House c. 1737 Route 9H, Kinderhook 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 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. Visitors can also tour the c1850 one-room Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse. Hours: Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm Sunday Noon to 4:00pm Memorial Day through Columbus Day Admission (includes Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse): Regular admission: $5 Members, Children 12 and under, and Seniors: Free The Van Alen House is located on Route 9H just south of the village of Kinderhook. James Vanderpoel House - c1820 Route 9, Kinderhook The James Vanderpoel House 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. Hours: The Vanderpoel House is closed for restoration. For more information on this exciting transition please contact the society. The James Vanderpoel House is located on Route 9 in the Village of Kinderhook, just south of the stoplight. Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse - c1850 Route 9H, Kinderhook (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 schoolteacher 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. The schoolhouse was moved to the Luykas Van Alen House property in 1974 and is restored to its 1920s appearance. It is included in the tour of the Van Alen House and welcomes school groups for a hands-on, one-room-school experience in the spring and fall. Hours: Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm Sunday Noon to 4:00pm Memorial Day through Columbus Day Admission (includes Luykas Van Alen House): Regular admission: $5 Members, Children 12 and under, and Seniors: Free The Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse is located on Route 9H, just south of the Village of Kinderhook on the property of the Luykas Van Alen House.