Welcome to the blog of Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site!
This blog contains articles written by the staff at Schuyler Mansion about the historic property and its residents. You can navigate topics using the header bar. Our current areas of research are:
Restoring Schuyler Mansion: A Year of Changes - focusing on the museum's 2017 centennial anniversary, restorations leading up to it, and restorations from 2017 on.
"The Servants": The Enslaved People of Schuyler Mansion - focusing on the enslaved men, women, and children whose labor enabled the Schuylers' refined lifestyle.
Notes From the Northern Department - focusing on Schuyler's military career.
From the Collections - focusing on the material culture of the home.
Mansion Mythbusters - focusing on proving or dis-proving common historical myths.
Women of Schuyler Mansion - focusing on the women of the Schuyler household, free and enslaved, who lived at or visited the mansion.
The General -focusing on any and all topics Schuyler (and sometimes Hamilton) that do not fit into any of the above categories.
Schuyler Mansion was home to Philip J. Schuyler, the renowned Revolutionary War general, US Senator, and business entrepreneur. He and his wife, Catharine Van Rensselaer, descended from affluent and powerful Dutch families. Together they raised eight children in the home. The Georgian structure, reflecting Schuyler's English tastes - was built on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River. Originally situated on an 80-acre tract of land, the grounds once included an orchard, a formal garden, and a working farm. Throughout the Schuyler family occupancy from 1763-1804, the mansion was the site of military strategizing, political hobnobbing, elegant social affairs, and an active family life. The wedding of daughter Elizabeth Schuyler to Alexander Hamilton took place in the house in 1780. Today, visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the mansion as well as an orientation exhibition in the Visitor Center focusing on Philip Schuyler's life. Temporary exhibitions and public programs are scheduled year-round.
For more information, please visit:
http://nysparks.com/historic-sites/33/details.aspx
http://facebook.com/schuylermansion
http://www.schuylerfriends.org/
Twitter: @schuylermansion
Instagram: @schuylermansion
Why doesn't Schuyler Mansion do something related to the play Hamilton that would be fun for everyone. For example, re-enactments with actors in historic costume, or singing song such as the "Schuyler Sisters"?
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon. Schuyler Mansion offers a wide variety of programming over the course of the season. This will be expanded for our 2017 season, which is the museum's 100th Anniversary as a historic site. If you are interested in Hamilton, we do offer Hamilton focus tours, which will continue throughout the 2017 season as well as a new focus tour about the Women of Schuyler Mansion (including all 5 Schuyler sisters!). These tours will be by advanced registration, so please keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates to the 2017 schedule. There are a number of programs this year which will feature costumed interpreters, including our annual Farm Day in the City and Fourth of July events. We are always looking for more experienced volunteers to make these events possible! As for interpretations that include songs, unfortunately, licensing restrictions prevent us from being able to use the music from the show. Again, our schedule of events is ever expanding this year, so please check Facebook's event page once the season begins (May 17th). Hopefully, you will find something that interests you!
DeleteAre there any photos of my Father Clifford Schuyler or his brothers...Harwood or Charles?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately we do not maintain records or images of contemporary Schuylers, only the 18th century Schuylers and some of their immediate descendants. If you have any questions about earlier members of the family, we might be able to help there though! Please feel free to contact the site at (518)434-0834 for more information.
DeleteDo you have a comprehensive Schuyler family tree available? Or do you have a research library about the family?
ReplyDeleteThank you,
There is a comprehensive Schuyler family genealogy. We also maintain a library of primarily secondary sources for research, although the vast majority of our research is done through the New York State Library and Archive, Albany Hall of Records, the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress, and other academic/archival institutions. If you would like more information about either the genealogy or research opportunities, please call us at (518)434-0834.
Deletehello just wondering if you have anything on my grandmother laura schuyler?im doing my family tree for 30 yrs now and trying to trace my dads mom she was born January 2 1902 which is questionable right now.this is her maiden name as far as I know. I was working on my moms side and now my dads side.thank you for your time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting in touch. Unfortunately we do not have information about recent (relative to the 18th century at least) Schuylers, only the 18th century Schuylers and some of their 19th century descendants. If you have any questions about earlier members of the family, we might be able to help there though! Please feel free to contact the site at (518)434-0834 for more information.
DeleteHow many times was the General married and what was his last wife's name? Any children with her?
ReplyDeleteGreat question! Philip Schuyler married Catharine van Rensselaer in 1755. They were together their entire lives, until Catharine's death in 1803. Philip passed away the following year, just before his 71st birthday, and had not remarried. The certainly had children- 15 in total! Sadly, only eight survived infancy, and two of those children predeceased their parents by several years. Catharine was 46 when her last child was born, 25 years to the day after her first. She had survived 25 years of child-bearing and had carried twins and triplets (who, unfortunately, did not survive). She was a tough lady!
DeleteThankyou for the wonderful tour on Saturday, 8/24/19, at 4pm. I wanted to bring to your attention the Elias Boudinot home, also known as Boxwood Hall, Elizabeth,NJ. It was where Hamilton stayed while studying, soon after arriving in the Midlantic region.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting, and for the recommendation. We have been discussing some staff field trips over the Winter. The Boudinot home will have to go on the list!
DeleteHello! I am looking for information on slaves owned by Davitt Pieterse Schuyler. I believe this is Phillip's brother. He came to America in 1657 and lived in Beverwyck (Albany) where he was a merchant and buyer and seller of real estate. He died in 1690, two days after the Schenectady Massacre.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting line of research! Unfortunately, we don’t have any information on site about David Pieterse Schuyler. He would have been the younger brother of our Philip Schuyler’s great, great grandfather (Philip Pieterse Schuyler). You might contact Albany City Historian Tony Opalka, the Albany Institute of History and Art, or the Albany Hall of Records for more information and other research avenues. For clarification, are you looking for information about whether he enslaved anyone, or have found evidence that he did and are looking for more information? In either case, we would be very interested to hear about what you find through further research (you can contact us here, or by calling (518)434-0834. We can likewise try contact you if we encounter that might relate.
DeleteThanks for your interest!
Where can I find a family tree from Philip Schuyler-Catherine Van Rensselaer to Eliza-Alexander's children?
ReplyDeleteHello! I can give you that information. Below is the Schuyler family tree (please note this tree only includes the children who survived to adulthood) and below that, the Hamiltons.
ReplyDeletePhilip Schuyler (1733-1804) m. Catharine van Rensselaer (1734-1803)
1) Angelica Schuyler (1756-1814) (m. John Barker Church)
2) Elizabeth Schuyler (1757-1854) (m. Alexander Hamilton)
3) Margaret Schuyler (1758-1801)(m. Stephen van Rensselaer)
4) John Bradstreet Schuyler (1765-1795) (m. Elizabeth van Rensselaer)
5) Philip Jeremiah Schuyler (1768-1835) (m. Sarah Rusten and Mary Ann Sawyer)
6) Rensselaer Schuyler (1773-1847) (m. Elizabeth Ten Broeck)
7) Cornelia Schuyler (1775-1808) (m. Washington Morton)
8) Catharine Schuyler (1781-1857) (m. Samuel Malcom and John Cochran)
2) Elizabeth Schuyler (1757-1854) m. Alexander Hamilton (1755-57?-1804)
a) Philip Hamilton (1782-1801)
b) Angelica Hamilton (1784-1757)
c) Alexander Hamilton Jr. (1786-1875) (m. Eliza P. Knox)
d) James Alexander Hamilton (1788-1878) (m. Mary Morris)
e) John Church Hamilton (1792-1882) (m. Maria Eliza van den Heuvel)
f) William Stephen Hamilton (1797-1850)
g) Eliza Hamilton (1799-1859) (m. Sidney Augustus Holly)
h) Philip Hamilton (1801-1884) (m. Rebecca McLane)
I hope this was helpful. Please let me know if you need further information!
Thank you!
DeleteI interested in Johannes Schuyler (senior). I am looking to confirm birth and death dates. I have found Wikipedia has the birth and death dates for Johannes Schuyler jr listed for senior which is frustrating. I’ve found one reference for Johannes Schuyler senior with birth date of April 5th (o.s.). Can you confirm this? Also I am curious about the connection with the surname Schuyler and the Native American lineage with the same name. Did Johannes or his father have any children with Native American women?
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Albany and I remember going to Schuyler Mansion on school groups. I remember that there was a hatchet or tomahawk mark on a stair rail. I recently read My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray which mentions this in Chapter 13. Can you still see the hatchet mark?
ReplyDeleteI understand there are letters from and/or to Georgina Schuyler in archives associated with the Schuyler Mansion. How would I go about getting access to this archival material?
ReplyDelete