Luykas Van Alen House

Built c. 1737 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967, the Luykas Van Alen house is recognized as one of the best examples of fewer than a dozen historically intact Dutch Colonial houses in the Hudson Valley. 

Located on rural land once used by native Mohican peoples for hunting and seasonal camping, the house was the center of a prosperous farm and home to several generations of the Van Alen family.

Visitor Information

Location: 2589 NY-9H, Kinderhook, NY 12106

Hours: Saturday – Sunday 11am-4pm, OPENS JUNE 1st 

Admission: Adults $10, CCHS Members, students and children FREE

...one of the most authentic examples of early Dutch architecture remaining in the United States.

The last Van Alen descendant to live in the house, Maria Van Alen Herrick, died in 1935. The house was purchased in 1938 by William Van Alen, a descendant of Luykas’ brother, Johannes. In 1964, unable to undertake extensive restorations himself, William generously donated the house to Columbia County Historical Society.

Today, the property encompasses 33 acres and in addition to the house includes the c. 1850 Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse, Early Heritage Narrative Walk and Dutch Farming Heritage Trail, which connects the Luykas Van Alen House to Martin Van Buren’s Lindenwald.

Discover the many lives that intersected at this rural property, including native Mohicans, Dutch settlers, enslaved African Americans and the writer Washington Irving, whose short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” may have been partially inspired by the house.

WATCH: Architect John B. Murray gives a tour of the Luykas Van Alen House for Classicist.org

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