Mabee House
Encyclopedia
Dating from the 17th century, the Mabee House at the Mabee Farm Historic Site is the oldest house still standing in the Mohawk Valley
. It is located in the town of Rotterdam
, N. Y., in the hamlet of Rotterdam Junction, New York, along New York State Highway 5S, about six miles (10 km) west of the city of Schenectady
.
The oldest building on the property is the stone house. It was in the Mabee Family for almost three centuries. The current 9 acres (3.6 ha) property, including the house, inn, brick building, a family cemetery, and more, was gifted to the Schenectady County Historical Society
on January 29, 1993. An H-bent frame Dutch barn
, dating from the 1760s, was acquired from the Nilson family in 1997, moved from Johnstown, N.Y., restored, and re erected at the Mabee Farm Historic Site. Various educational programs and events are now offered to the public there.
s and received a grant from the English Governor Edmund Andros
to establish it as a fur trading post to meet the Native American traders before they reached Schenectady. Van Antwerpen, a neighbor and mentor to Jan Pieterse Mabee in the Stockade Historic District
, sold the westerly half of the farm property to Jan in 1705/6. The original deed was given to the Schenectady County Historical Society along with 582 other documents and over 1,000 artifact
s. The other original structures on the farm are a frame pre-Erie Canal
inn, in which Revolutionary War General Philip Schuyler
stayed in 1792 while surveying for the Western Inland Navigation and Lock Company, and a half brick
and half wood probable “slave house.” The Farm's original barn
s, however, were consumed by fire in the 1870s and 1970s. There is also a family cemetery, which has graves dating from the 18th century. The property has been handed down through the Mabee family 287 years!
George Franchere, the last owner from that branch of the Jan Mabee line, donated the property to the Schenectady County Historical Society
, with the intention that it would be maintained as a museum
and educational center. To that end, volunteers from the Society have worked to preserve the property and its donated artifacts and to develop educational programs and events that present colonial American history to visitors. They built a dock on the bordering Mohawk River
in 2004 and acquired two replica bateaux built by students of the Alplaus Maritime Academy for use and demonstration near the river’s edge.
Currently, most visitors to the Site are school children on field trips. On site, they cycle through several stops to watch and learn, from demonstrations of blacksmith
ing, butter churning, use of sheep wool, carding
, spinning
and broom
making. For each of the last several years, a Revolutionary War reenactment has been held in June, and the theme of the 2009 reenactment was the French and Indian War
. Special events often feature the history of the Erie Canal
, some of whose now-dormant locks are nearby and the land previously owned by, and taken from the Mabees by eminent domain.
The site borders the south side of Mohawk River
(and hence the New York State Barge Canal, and the Farm's dock serves not only two bateaux specially constructed for the Mabee Farm, but also visits from a commercial boat that provides River tours to visitors to special events. The Onrust
was built here in 2006-2009.
Mohawk Valley
The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
. It is located in the town of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, N. Y., in the hamlet of Rotterdam Junction, New York, along New York State Highway 5S, about six miles (10 km) west of the city of Schenectady
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
.
The oldest building on the property is the stone house. It was in the Mabee Family for almost three centuries. The current 9 acres (3.6 ha) property, including the house, inn, brick building, a family cemetery, and more, was gifted to the Schenectady County Historical Society
Schenectady County Historical Society
The Schenectady County Historical Society, located in Schenectady, New York, was established on July 14, 1905, under the Membership Corporation Laws of the State of New York. The Society is an independent not-for-profit corporation, not a unit of government...
on January 29, 1993. An H-bent frame Dutch barn
Dutch barn
Dutch barn is the name given to markedly different types of barns in the United States and Canada, and in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Dutch barns represent the oldest and rarest types of barns. There are relatively few—probably less than 600—of these barns still intact...
, dating from the 1760s, was acquired from the Nilson family in 1997, moved from Johnstown, N.Y., restored, and re erected at the Mabee Farm Historic Site. Various educational programs and events are now offered to the public there.
History
The property was first acquired and settled by Daniel Janse Van Antwerpen in 1671. He purchased the property from the MohawkMohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
s and received a grant from the English Governor Edmund Andros
Edmund Andros
Sir Edmund Andros was an English colonial administrator in North America. Andros was known most notably for his governorship of the Dominion of New England during most of its three-year existence. He also governed at various times the provinces of New York, East and West Jersey, Virginia, and...
to establish it as a fur trading post to meet the Native American traders before they reached Schenectady. Van Antwerpen, a neighbor and mentor to Jan Pieterse Mabee in the Stockade Historic District
Stockade Historic District
The Stockade Historic District is located in the northwest corner of Schenectady, New York, United States, on the banks of the Mohawk River. It is the oldest neighborhood in the city, continuously inhabited for over 300 years...
, sold the westerly half of the farm property to Jan in 1705/6. The original deed was given to the Schenectady County Historical Society along with 582 other documents and over 1,000 artifact
Cultural artifact
A cultural artifact is a term used in the social sciences, particularly anthropology, ethnology, and sociology for anything created by humans which gives information about the culture of its creator and users...
s. The other original structures on the farm are a frame pre-Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
inn, in which Revolutionary War General Philip Schuyler
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
stayed in 1792 while surveying for the Western Inland Navigation and Lock Company, and a half brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and half wood probable “slave house.” The Farm's original barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
s, however, were consumed by fire in the 1870s and 1970s. There is also a family cemetery, which has graves dating from the 18th century. The property has been handed down through the Mabee family 287 years!
George Franchere, the last owner from that branch of the Jan Mabee line, donated the property to the Schenectady County Historical Society
Schenectady County Historical Society
The Schenectady County Historical Society, located in Schenectady, New York, was established on July 14, 1905, under the Membership Corporation Laws of the State of New York. The Society is an independent not-for-profit corporation, not a unit of government...
, with the intention that it would be maintained as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and educational center. To that end, volunteers from the Society have worked to preserve the property and its donated artifacts and to develop educational programs and events that present colonial American history to visitors. They built a dock on the bordering Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
in 2004 and acquired two replica bateaux built by students of the Alplaus Maritime Academy for use and demonstration near the river’s edge.
Mabee Farm Historic Site
The Jan Mabee House and Inn on 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) of property in Rotterdam Junction, NY were gifted to the Schenectady County Historical Society by George E. Franchere in 1993, 11 years before he died. In addition to the House, believed to be the oldest in the Mohawk Valley, the site now contains a very large Dutch Barn, a smaller English barn and several small outbuildings, and is operated seasonally as the Mabee Farm Historic Site. On neighboring property, 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) acquired from the county in 2008 is the George Eugene Franchere Education Center, a three-level 13000 sq ft (1,207.7 m²). structure which, completed in 2011, now allows the Site to operate year round. The Education Center provides needed storage, offices for staff, a gift shop, a 120-seat auditorium for presentations and discussions related to the family, history of Colonial farming in New York State, and related museum displays and exhibits. Additionally, in 2009 the MFHS acquired 9 acres from NY State Canal Corporation across (north side) the river, to protect its historic viewshed.Currently, most visitors to the Site are school children on field trips. On site, they cycle through several stops to watch and learn, from demonstrations of blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
ing, butter churning, use of sheep wool, carding
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
, spinning
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
and broom
Broom
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibers attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a variety of brush with a long handle. It is commonly used in combination with a dustpan....
making. For each of the last several years, a Revolutionary War reenactment has been held in June, and the theme of the 2009 reenactment was the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. Special events often feature the history of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, some of whose now-dormant locks are nearby and the land previously owned by, and taken from the Mabees by eminent domain.
The site borders the south side of Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
(and hence the New York State Barge Canal, and the Farm's dock serves not only two bateaux specially constructed for the Mabee Farm, but also visits from a commercial boat that provides River tours to visitors to special events. The Onrust
Onrust
The Onrust was a Dutch ship that was built by Adriaen Block and the crew of the Tyger, which had been destroyed by fire. The ship, a yacht, was the first decked vessel to be built entirely in America. The construction took one winter on Manhattan Island...
was built here in 2006-2009.