Livingston Manor
Encyclopedia
This article contains information related to Livingston Manor, the 18th century New York estate. Livingston Manor, New York
is a town in Sullivan County
. The Livingston Manor Historic District is located in Highland Park, New Jersey.
Livingston Manor was a 160,000 acre (650 km²) tract of land granted to Robert Livingston the Elder
through the influence of Governor Thomas Dongan, and confirmed by royal charter
of George I of Great Britain
in 1715, creating the manor and lordship of Livingston. This tract embraced a large portion of what is now Columbia County
. The lords of the manor were:
The first division of the estate was made in 1728, when Robert Livingston the Elder stipulated that his son Robert Livingston
be granted 13,000 acres (53 km²) from Livingston Manor's southwest corner, a tract which Robert christened Clermont Manor
. In 1790 the remainder of Livingston Manor was divided among the heirs of the last lord of the manor, Robert Livingston, rather than passed down through primogeniture
, as Robert disapproved of his eldest son. The inheritors of the estate were all men who had distinguished themselves considerably during and after the American Revolution
:
These four heirs subsequently divided the land among their own families, and the power of the Livingston family was slowly diminished. A portion of the estate is still held by the family. The town of Livingston, New York
occupies part of the original tract.
Although an English-deeded tract, some sources list Livingston Manor with the patroon
ships of New Netherland
.
in Sullivan County, New York
capitalizes on the Livingston Manor name because Manor family members and descendants had a house there however it was not part of the original manor
The Sullivan County community (which is about 60 miles (96.6 km) west of the original manor) was part of the Hardenbergh patent
in 1716 which included much of the Catskill Mountains
.
In 1750 Robert Livingston (1708–1790) bought 95000 acres (384.5 km²) in the area shortly after becoming the third (and final) Lord of the Manor of Livingston Manor. Most of the land would be sold or leased by 1780. Robert's third son John Robert Livingston (1775–1851) deeded 8441 acres (34.2 km²) to his nephew Dr. Edward R. Livingston in 1822 around area then called Purvis, New York.
Edward in 1864 and Purvis was renamed Livingston Manor in 1882. Edward's "manor" (which was actually only a house) according to a sign in the village was on the site of the present village firehouse. however other speculation says the house was on the location of the village Town Hall.
, a member of the Livingston family
, was chosen head of Queen's College (now Rutgers University
) and in 1809 purchased a 150 acre (0.607029 km²) plot of land nearby Raritan Landing, which would thereafter be known as the Livingston Manor. A Greek Revival mansion built by descendents Robert and Louisa Livingston around 1843 stands on the property and is now known as Livingston Homestead. At the turn of the 20th century, the property was developed as a streetcar suburb, and in 2004 became part of the Livingston Manor Historic District. The house and the district are listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places
and the National Register of Historic Places
.
Livingston Manor, New York
Livingston Manor is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 1,355 at the 2000 census.Livingston Manor is in the south part of the Town of Rockland, adjacent to New York State Route 17.-History:...
is a town in Sullivan County
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
. The Livingston Manor Historic District is located in Highland Park, New Jersey.
Livingston Manor was a 160,000 acre (650 km²) tract of land granted to Robert Livingston the Elder
Robert Livingston the Elder
Robert Livingston the Elder was a New York colonial official, and first lord of Livingston Manor. He married Alida Schuyler in 1679. He was the father of nine children, including Philip, Robert and Gilbert...
through the influence of Governor Thomas Dongan, and confirmed by royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
of George I of Great Britain
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
in 1715, creating the manor and lordship of Livingston. This tract embraced a large portion of what is now Columbia County
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
. The lords of the manor were:
- Robert Livingston the ElderRobert Livingston the ElderRobert Livingston the Elder was a New York colonial official, and first lord of Livingston Manor. He married Alida Schuyler in 1679. He was the father of nine children, including Philip, Robert and Gilbert...
(1715–1728) - Philip LivingstonPhilip Livingston (1686-1749)Philip Livingston was an American politician.He was born in Albany, New York in his father's town house. Upon the death of his father, Robert Livingston the Elder, he became the Secretary of Indian Affairs, as well as the second Lord of Livingston Manor. He was a member of the Provincial Council...
(1728–1749) - Robert LivingstonRobert Livingston (1708-1790)Robert Livingston was the third Lord of Livingston Manor. He was son of Philip Livingston and was a member of the assembly for the manor from 1737 to 1758....
(1749–1790)
The first division of the estate was made in 1728, when Robert Livingston the Elder stipulated that his son Robert Livingston
Robert Livingston (1718-1775)
Robert R. Livingston was a prominent politician, and a leading Whig in New York in the years leading up to the American Revolution. He was the son of Robert Livingston of Clermont and married Margaret Beekman, heir to immense tracts of land in Dutchess and Ulster counties...
be granted 13,000 acres (53 km²) from Livingston Manor's southwest corner, a tract which Robert christened Clermont Manor
Clermont Manor
The Clermont State Historic Site, also known as the Clermont estate, the Clermont Manor or just Clermont, is a New York State Historic Site in southwestern Columbia County, New York, USA...
. In 1790 the remainder of Livingston Manor was divided among the heirs of the last lord of the manor, Robert Livingston, rather than passed down through primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
, as Robert disapproved of his eldest son. The inheritors of the estate were all men who had distinguished themselves considerably during and after the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
:
- Philip LivingstonPhilip LivingstonPhilip Livingston was an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He was a delegate for New York to the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1778, and signed the Declaration of Independence.-Family history:...
, delegate to the Continental CongressContinental CongressThe Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
and signatory of the United States Declaration of IndependenceUnited States Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a... - William LivingstonWilliam LivingstonWilliam Livingston served as the Governor of New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War and was a signer of the United States Constitution.-Early life:...
, Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New JerseyThe Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
and signatory of the United States ConstitutionUnited States ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three... - William Alexander, major general in the Continental ArmyContinental ArmyThe Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the... - James DuaneJames DuaneJames Duane was an American lawyer, jurist, and Revolutionary leader from New York. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, New York state senator, Mayor of New York, and a U.S...
, delegate to the Continental CongressContinental CongressThe Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
, Mayor of New York CityMayor of New York CityThe Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
, and signatory of the Articles of ConfederationArticles of ConfederationThe Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution...
These four heirs subsequently divided the land among their own families, and the power of the Livingston family was slowly diminished. A portion of the estate is still held by the family. The town of Livingston, New York
Livingston, New York
Livingston is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 3,424 at the 2000 census. The town is named after its founding father....
occupies part of the original tract.
Although an English-deeded tract, some sources list Livingston Manor with the patroon
Patroon
In the United States, a patroon was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland in North America...
ships of New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
.
Livingston Manor, New York
Livingston ManorLivingston Manor, New York
Livingston Manor is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 1,355 at the 2000 census.Livingston Manor is in the south part of the Town of Rockland, adjacent to New York State Route 17.-History:...
in Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
capitalizes on the Livingston Manor name because Manor family members and descendants had a house there however it was not part of the original manor
The Sullivan County community (which is about 60 miles (96.6 km) west of the original manor) was part of the Hardenbergh patent
Johannes Hardenbergh
Major Johannes Hardenbergh , also known as Sir Johannes Hardenbergh, was the owner of the Hardenbergh patent of land in the Catskill Mountains.-Biography:He was born in Albany, New York, was High Sheriff of Ulster County in 1690...
in 1716 which included much of the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
.
In 1750 Robert Livingston (1708–1790) bought 95000 acres (384.5 km²) in the area shortly after becoming the third (and final) Lord of the Manor of Livingston Manor. Most of the land would be sold or leased by 1780. Robert's third son John Robert Livingston (1775–1851) deeded 8441 acres (34.2 km²) to his nephew Dr. Edward R. Livingston in 1822 around area then called Purvis, New York.
Edward in 1864 and Purvis was renamed Livingston Manor in 1882. Edward's "manor" (which was actually only a house) according to a sign in the village was on the site of the present village firehouse. however other speculation says the house was on the location of the village Town Hall.
Livingston Manor, New Jersey
The Reverend John Henry LivingstonJohn Henry Livingston
The Reverend John Henry Livingston was the fourth President of Queen's College serving from 1810 until his death in 1825.-Biography:...
, a member of the Livingston family
Livingston family
The Livingston family of was a prominent family which migrated from Scotland to the Dutch Republic to the Province of New York in the 17th century. Descended from William, 4th Lord Livingston, its members included signers of the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States...
, was chosen head of Queen's College (now Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
) and in 1809 purchased a 150 acre (0.607029 km²) plot of land nearby Raritan Landing, which would thereafter be known as the Livingston Manor. A Greek Revival mansion built by descendents Robert and Louisa Livingston around 1843 stands on the property and is now known as Livingston Homestead. At the turn of the 20th century, the property was developed as a streetcar suburb, and in 2004 became part of the Livingston Manor Historic District. The house and the district are listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
The New Jersey Register of Historic Places is the official list of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The program is administered by the Historic Preservation Office of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.The register was...
and the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.