Martin Van Buren’s home at his Lindenwald estate in Kinderhook, New York, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

LINDENWALD GUIDED TOUR DETAILS

Access to the interior of Martin Van Buren’s home at his Lindenwald estate is by Ranger-guided tour only. There is no charge, but participants must get tickets at the Visitor Center on the day of the tour. All tickets are available on a first come, first served basis. Space on the tours is limited, so if you have a large group, please call (518) 764-1041 prior to your visit to make arrangements for a private tour.

Tours are typically held from late May until the end of October on Wednesdays through Sundays at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 2 PM, and 3 PM. They are billed as lasting 45 minutes, but the one I took lasted an hour. Keep in mind that the schedule can always change, so be sure to check the National Park Service’s official Guided Tours web page to get the most current information.

The tour of Lindenwald visits the first and second floors as well as the basement. Those in wheelchairs and who have trouble walking up steps can only visit the first floor. The upper floor and basement are only accessible by a staircase.

LINDENWALD HISTORY

Martin Van Buren was born in 1872 in the village of Kinderhook, New York, which is a couple miles from Martin Van Buren National Historic Site. At the time, the area was primarily Dutch. In fact, English was Van Buren’s second language, and he is the only president whose first language was not English. His family consisted of his parents, Abraham and Maria, and seven siblings, three of who were Maria’s from a previous marriage.

The Van Burens ran a tavern from their home, and they did own six slaves, but the family was not rich. To help out with the finances, Martin was sent to work at age 14 after securing a job as an attorney’s apprentice. He excelled at law, and in 1803 he opened his own law practice with his half-brother. Five years later he moved to Hudson, New York, the seat of Columbia County, for this was a better place for his law practice. He also became active in local politics around this time.

His political career in New York began in 1812 at age 30 when he was elected to the New York Assembly. He followed that up with stints as the New York Attorney General, a United States senator, and Governor of New York. While governor, he helped get his friend Andrew Jackson elected president in 1828. Upon Jackson’s election, he promptly resigned the governorship (which he held for only 43 days) to become Jackson’s Secretary of State. In May 1831, he resigned to help settled a political dispute between Jackson and Vice President John C. Calhoun. That August, Van Buren was given a recess appointment (an appointment given when the Senate is in recess) as ambassador to the United Kingdom, but when the Senate held a confirmation vote in February 1832, his nomination was rejected, largely due to the influence of Calhoun.

When Jackson ran for a second term as president, which he won (1833-1837), he asked Van Buren to be his vice presidential running mate, replacing Calhoun. When Jackson decided not to run for a third term, Van Buren was the logical choice to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee (Van Buren and Jackson are considered the founders of the party). He became the eighth president of the United States—the first to be born in the United States—serving from 1837 to 1841. He lost his re-election bid to William Harrison largely due to his inept handling of a bank collapse and ensuing depression known as the economic Panic of 1837.

In 1839, while still president, Van Buren acquired a 137-acre farm and house in Kinderhook from William Paulding, Jr, who had purchased the property from the son of the original home builder, Peter Van Ness. Van Buren named his new estate Lindenwald, and he eventually purchased additional parcels of land until his farm reached 221 acres in size. However, he did not move in until after 1841 when he lost the election to Harrison.

The house that stands today was built in two phases. The original Georgian-style home built by Van Ness in 1797 is the large, two-and-a-half-story structure seen from the main road, NY 9H. Van Buren would have been fifteen years old in 1797, so he would have been well aware of the house’s construction. Little did he know that one day he would be the owner.

An addition to the house was built on the backside of the original structure in 1849-1850 by Van Buren’s son, Smith, so that he and his family could move in. Work was largely paid for by Smith and his wife, Ellen James, aunt of author Henry James. Unfortunately, she died in 1849 from tuberculosis before the construction was completed. Smith later remarried to Henrietta Irving, Washington Irving’s great niece. On a completely different subject filled perhaps with coincidence, author John Irving, who is not related to Washington Irving, wrote the novel The World According to Garp, and one of the key characters is named Ellen James. I wonder if there was anything intentional to this.

The addition was designed by Richard Upjohn, a noted architect who was partial to the Italianate style, which accounts for the addition’s Italian villa-like appearance, including an ornate tower. During the construction, running water and a flush toilet were added to the house. To make the two different architectural styles blend together, an Italianate / Gothic front porch was added to the original house along with gables on the front and back sides of the roof.

1850 addition to the backside of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

Front porch added to the Van Buren home at Lindenwald in 1850, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

Van Buren used his new house as a base for furthering his political career. He attempted to run for president in 1844 but did not get the Democratic Party’s nomination due to his opposition to annexing Texas (James Polk was nominated and won the election). He ran again in 1848, this time as a candidate for a new third-party, the Free Soil Party. Though he grew up with an acceptance of slavery, and even owned a slave at one time, he now took an anti-slavery stance, and that ultimately sunk him as a viable candidate with the southern states. His run for president split the Democratic vote, and Whig Party candidate Zachary Taylor won the election. With this, Van Buren decided to retire.

For the remainder of his life, Van Buren lived in Kinderhook and managed his farm. He died at his home in 1862 and was buried at the Kinderhook Reformed Church Cemetery. While not part of Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, the cemetery is only three miles away. Visitors to the park are encouraged to stop by. His birth home was also in the town, though it no longer stands today. There is a historical marker near 46 Hudson Street.

Van Buren left Lindenwald to his three living sons, Abraham, John, and Smith, despite the fact that Smith lived there and had paid for the addition. Van Buren’s will did allow for Smith to recuperate his investment before any sale proceeds were split among the brothers. The estate was purchased by Leonard Jerome, a man who is remembered as being the grandfather of Winston Churchill. Jerome never lived at Lindenwald, and he sold it not long after purchasing it. Over the next one hundred years, five other families owned the estate. The house was used as a private residence, a retirement home, a tea house, and an antique store. In 1973, the nonprofit National Park Foundation purchased the estate from its last owner, Kenneth Campbell. Congress created Martin Van Buren National Historic Site a year later, authorizing the funds for the National Park Service to buy Lindenwald from the Foundation. The house was restored to its 1850-62 appearance in the early 1980s.

FIRST FLOOR ROOMS

MAIN HALL

Main halls in mid-1800 homes were typically used as nothing more than a room people passed through to get to other rooms in the house. However, at Lindenwald the main hall was the most important room. It is here that Van Buren set up his base for his political activities when he attempted to run for president in both 1844 and 1848. It served as his banquet hall where his political guests and helpers met and ate.

Main Hall on the first floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

The 16-foot accordion-action extension table, which is a reproduction of Van Buren’s original, could seat 30 people when fully extended. Van Buren purchased the table in 1816 for use in his home in Albany and later in Washington when he served as Secretary of State. Thirty chairs were also purchased by Van Buren. The original table still exists and is privately owned, and it was used to create the reproduction in the room today.

The wallpaper in the room is the pattern installed by Van Buren in 1841. It remained intact on the west wall all the way up until it was removed in 1945. Some panels on the east and north walls were still in place—albeit in poor condition—when the National Park Service took over the property in 1974. The paper pattern, called Le Paysage à Chasses, was manufactured by a French company called Zuber. This company is still in business, and it was able to manufacture the original pattern for Lindenwald. In fact, this paper is available for purchase by anyone today (go to Zuber’s Scenic Wallpaper Collection and choose Block-printed Scenic Wallpapers). Fifty-one panels of the original paper were restored, while the rest of the walls were covered with the new paper during the early 1980s renovation by the National Park Service.

Paysage à Chasses-pattern wallpaper in the Main Hall of Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

BEST ROOM

The Best Room most likely originated as a sitting room when the house was occupied by the Van Ness Family. Van Buren used it as a bedroom reserved for special guests to Lindenwald. It is located next to the Main Hall. Author Washington Irving and renowned Kentucky statesman Henry Clay both slept in this room when visiting.

Best Room on the first floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

SITTING ROOM / GREEN ROOM

The terms sitting room, drawing room, and parlor where used interchangeably in the 1800s, but such rooms were usually used for entertaining guests. At Lindenwald, female guests typically moved to the sitting room after diner while the male guests remained at the dining table or moved to the Formal Parlor where they drank, smoked, and talked business and politics. When nobody was visiting, Van Buren used this room as a family room. The portrait over the fireplace is of John Van Buren, Martin’s second son.

The room was referred to as the Green Room by subsequent owners, not Van Buren. This is supposedly because the green carpet and wallpaper that were in the room when Van Buren owned the house were still there even when Adam Wagner purchased the property in 1917. The last owner, Kenneth Campbell, didn’t change the wallpaper until the 1960s. The National Park service had reproductions of the carpet and wallpaper installed in the early 1980s.

Green Room on the first floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

FORMAL PARLOR

The Formal Parlor was typically used by Van Buren for talking with and entertaining male guests after dinner. Van Buren’s portrait hangs over the fireplace, and there are portraits (reproductions of the originals) of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson on the other walls. Van Buren was good friends with Jackson, and he did meet Thomas Jefferson at his Monticello home shortly before Jefferson’s death in 1826.

Formal Parlor on the first floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

Formal Parlor on the first floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

BREAKFAST ROOM / DINING ROOM

The Breakfast Room / Dining Room was Van Buren’s private eating space for daily meals, either alone or with his family and close friends. Guests were generally not seated here. While he often ate with guests at the large table in the Main Hall, he never referred to that room as a dining room. Van Buren referred to what is today called the Breakfast Room as the dining room. His son, Smith, referred to it as the breakfast room.

The room is actually the rear half of what was known as a double parlor, with the other half being the Formal Parlor. As such, the two rooms were decorated with the same wallpaper and carpet.

Breakfast Room on the first floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

LIBRARY

Van Buren referred to what is now called the Library as an office. While this space is in the original house built in 1797, it is believed that the area was renovated into a library during the 1849-50 construction of the rear addition.

Library on the first floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

The bust of Van Buren on display in the Library was done by Hiram Powers. The original, which was sculpted in 1840, is now in the White House. Two other copies were produced by Powers in the 1860s, the one here at Lindenwald and one now in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Bust of Martin Van Buren by Hiram Powers on display in the Library of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

SMITH VAN BUREN’S BEDROOM

This room was added during the 1849-50 construction period. It was used as a bedroom by Smith Van Buren and his wife Henrietta. Subsequent owners used it as a kitchen.

Smith Van Buren’s bedroom on the first floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

SECOND FLOOR ROOMS

The upper floor of Lindenwald consisted mainly of family bedrooms. Van Buren’s sons and their families often came for extended stays during the summer. However, other than Smith, none lived at Lindenwald full time. While the rooms are identified on the tour as belonging to a particular person, all of this is speculation.

Main hallway on the second floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

JOHN VAN BUREN’S ROOM

John (1810-1866) was Martin’s second son and the only one to also enter into politics. He was Attorney General for New York from 1845 to 1847, and he later campaigned for his father when he ran for president in 1848 as a Free Soil Party candidate.

John Van Buren’s bedroom on the second floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

ABRAHAM VAN BUREN’S ROOM

Evidence points to this room as either being that of Martin Van Buren himself or Abraham (1807-1873), his first son, and his wife Angelica. Abraham served as his father’s secretary while he was president, but most of his career was spent in the military.

Abraham Van Buren’s bedroom on the second floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

The painting over the fireplace is a reproduction of a portrait of Anjelica by G. P. A. Healy. Abraham and Anjelica got married in 1838 while Martin was president, and the two lived in the White House while he was working as his father’s secretary. Martin’s wife, Hannah, had died from tuberculosis in 1819, and he never remarried, so Anjelica became the Hostess for the White House, which is essentially a First Lady stand-in. Because of this, the original Healy portrait of her is now in the White House.

Van Buren was one of the very few unmarried United States presidents. While James Buchannan was the only true bachelor president, Van Buren, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and Chester Arthur were all widowers during their terms as president. John Tyler, Benjamin Harrison, and Woodrow Wilson all had wives who died while they were president. Grover Cleveland was not married when he became president, but he did get married during his term in office.

MARTIN VAN BUREN JR’S BEDROOM

Martin Jr. (1812-1855) was the third Van Buren son. He contracted tuberculosis in the 1840s. He lived at Lindenwald after his father’s presidency, but he did not work due to his health. He died in Paris in 1855 at age 43 while seeking treatment for the disease.

Martin Van Buren Jr.’s bedroom on the second floor of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

MARTIN VAN BUREN’S BEDROOM

The bedroom traditionally associated with Martin Van Buren is located at the southeastern corner of Lindenwald. If this was indeed his room, then this is where he died on July 24, 1862. When Adam Wagner sold the house in 1917 to Bascom Birney, he identified the bed as being that of Van Buren’s—and the bed he died in. This bed was purchased by the National Park Service from Clementine Birney deProsse, daughter of Bascom and owner from 1925 to 1957.

Martin Van Buren’s bedroom on the second floor of his home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

According to deProsse, the desk in the room was there when she became the owner. However, it is not known if it belonged to Van Buren.

Desk in Martin Van Buren’s bedroom on the second floor of his Lindenwald home, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

BASEMENT

The basement was where the household servants worked.

KITCHEN

The kitchen is part of the 1849-50 addition. It is the largest room in the basement. Staff not only had to provide meals for the Van Burens and their guests, they had to cook for all the servants and farm hands.

Kitchen in the basement of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

The Moses Pond and Company cast iron Union Range is original to the kitchen. At the time, cast iron ranges were mainly in the homes of wealthy people. Most homes still had brick ovens.

Moses Pond and Company cast iron Union Range in the kitchen of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

SERVANTS’ DINING ROOM

The Servants’ Dining Room was mainly used by the household staff, but farm hands would eat here sometimes as well. It is thought to have been the original kitchen for the Van Ness Family when the house was built in 1797. In the years after Lindenwald passed out of the Van Buren Family’s possession, this room was mainly used for storage.

Servants’ Dining Room in the basement of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

LAUNDRY ROOM

The Laundry Room is also part of the 1849-50 addition. Architect Richard Upjohn referred to it as the washroom. As with the kitchen staff, the laundress at Lindenwald had to clean the clothes of everyone living on the estate.

Laundry Room in the basement of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

SERVANTS’ BEDROOM

One room in the basement is thought to have been a bedroom for servants, though it could also have been used as nothing more than a sitting room for the staff. Additional bedrooms are in the attic of the house. Room and board was part of the salary earned by the domestic staff at Lindenwald. Van Buren typically employed young, females from Ireland. Since Kinderhook was a Dutch community, turnover was a big problem, for the Irish staff often moved on to Albany or other towns with a larger Irish population.

Servants’ Bedroom in the basement of the Van Buren home at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

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