The Society for the Preservation of Hudson Valley Vernacular Architecture October – December 2011 Newsletter Vol.14, No.10-12 The Society for the Preservation of many of you fully know, HVVA membership Hudson Valley has many fine restoration craftsmen within Vernacular Architecture its ranks, so here is your chance guys to is a not-for-profit corporation formed reach out to the multitudes and contribute to study and preserve vernacular some tips for keeping our history standing architecture and material culture. proud for future generations. Peter Sinclair – Founder, Trustee Emeritus Understanding that each is endowed West Hurley, Ulster County, NY with differing talents to use for the better- Walter Wheeler – President ment of our community, if you can repair Troy, Rensselaer County, NY walls or make window sashes, but don't (518) 270-9430 claim a talent to write an article about it, [email protected] we have a couple of folks who are willing – Vice President to do the writing for you. So craftsmen, lets Gardiner,Ken Walton Ulster County, NY Drawings by Peter Sinclair get banging away building a response to (845) 883-0132 your fellow members request! Thanks to all [email protected] From the Editor: of you who have returned the survey; those Karen Markisenis – Secretary Congratulations to you all! You all who haven't can find a survey form to print Lake Katrine, Ulster County, NY played an important role in historic preser- out at www.HVVA.org. It is never to late to (845) 382-1788 vation during 2011! The HVVA community tell us what you want, but we need to hear [email protected] is stronger than ever. We continue to grow from you in order serve you. Robert Sweeney – Treasurer in membership as well as in financial sup- Kingston, Ulster County, NY port. Since we have never sought govern- (845) 336-0232 ment aid for our work, we gratefully [email protected] recognize our community of members John Stevens – Past President for their generous contributions to our Senior Architectural Historian Hurley, Ulster County, NY collective endeavor to preserve history by (845) 383-1416 research and education. I also would like [email protected] to thank the members who took the time to answer our membership survey which was Maggie MacDowell – Trustee Gardiner, Ulster County, NY included with the last issue of the newslet- (845) 255-2282 ter. We are pleased to report that an over- [email protected] whelming number of responses were, Jim Decker – Trustee "keep doing what you are doing" and "more Hurley, Ulster County, NY of the same, please!." As anyone who has (845) 527-1710 ever attended an HVVA board meeting Now as we bring this year to a close let [email protected] knows, we are open to suggestions from us all take a little time to be grateful for the Bob Hedges – Trustee the entire membership! So we are happy community we have created. A community Pine Plains, Dutchess County, NY to see that many initiatives that have come which maintains an order of mutual respect, (518) 398-7773 from our general membership continue one that listens to diverse perspectives, Conrad Fingado – Trustee to serve you all so well. The research and a group who respects the old, but strives to Pleasant Valley, Dutchess County, NY education committee was also pleased to include the new. A group which provides not (845) 635-2714 receive responses from many people living only structural support but more importantly [email protected] abroad, most of whom have never attended personal support. I am personally always William McMillen – Trustee any of our tours or meetings; it is these humbled, but also exhilarated when I see Glenmont, Albany County, NY responses which show just how important what an amazing group assembles each (518) 462-1264 our website and newsletters are in bringing month for an HVVA meeting. We come to- [email protected] together community from the diaspora. gether for study and to conduct business, Tom Colluci – Trustee For all of you living at a distance from but most of all we gather for the important High Falls, Ulster County, NY work of Fellowship. Isn't it nice to consider (845) 532-6838 the Hudson Valley, know that we who live how in the preserving of buildings we might [email protected] among and some even within these ver- nacular structures are pledging to do our just be saving ourselves? May we continue – Trustee to bless each other and the world we Hurley,Sam Scoggins Ulster County, NY best to share them with you and the world. (845) 339-4041 The one idea that was made clear to us encounter in 2012! [email protected] is that our members want articles about – Trustee how to maintain historic structures, and Woodstock,Neil Larson Ulster County, NY we agree! This will be addressed in 2012 (845) 679-5054 with articles pertaining to timely topics for [email protected] house maintenance and restoration. As Rob Sweeney – HVVA sheepdog 2 October – December 2011 From Carl’s Scrapbook: The Luykas van Alen House Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York By Walter Richard Wheeler In keeping with this issue’s Columbia County theme, When Carl and his parents visited the Van Alen this installment of material from Carl Erickson’s scrap- house it was not much more than a ruin. The Historic book reproduces his recording of the Van Alen house American Building Survey visited the house in April in Kinderhook, which he visited some time in late 1934, and recorded it with measured drawings and 1956 or early 1957. You might recall that Carl was not photographs (Photo 1 and Figure 1). Carl sketched quite a teen when he began his recording of buildings a plan of the house as he found it in 1956 (Figure 2). in the Hudson Valley, many of which are now gone. Unfortunately, no interior photos are part of the He has generously allowed us to publish selections documentation package, making Carl’s two images from the scrapbook he compiled during the second of the interior all the more important; they record the half of the 1950s. appearance of some aspects of the house before the first round of restoration was accomplished in the 1960s (Photos 2 thru 6). That restoration removed Figure 1: HABS drawing from 1934 www.hvva.org 3 Photo 1: West-southwest view, by Norman R. Sturgis, April 1934 Carl’s first photograph is quite similar to that taken by Norman R. Sturgis, an Albany architect, in April 1934 many late eighteenth and nineteenth century as part of the HABS documentation (Photos1and 2). features, and replaced the nineteenth century stair Additional early photographs of the interior and with one taken from the Jan Breese house, formerly exterior of the Van Alen house are available as part located on River Road (Route 9J) in East Greenbush, of the two Historic Structure Reports completed for Rensselaer County, which was roughly contemporary the building, in 1972 by Ruth Piwonka and Rod with the Van Alen house, and was razed in the late Blackburn, and in 2001 by John G. Waite Associates, 1930s. both for the Columbia County Historical Society. Figure 2: Carl's sketch plan of the house, 1956 4 October – December 2011 Photo 2: Photo 3: West-southwest view by Carl Erickson, 1956. View from Route 9H, looking west-northwest, 1956. Photo 4: Northwest view, 1956. Photo 5: Photo 6: Interior, looking east-southeast at door and transom in south room, 1956. Interior, looking southeast, showing now-removed fireplace, 1956. www.hvva.org 5 Around the Neighborhood By Ken Walton (photos by author unless otherwise noted) When I was informed the theme of Register of Historic Places in November this issue of the newsletter is to be on of 2010. Just two and a half miles north Columbia County, I looked at the HVVA as the crow flies at the mouth of the map for the county to come up with Stockport Creek is the Staats House a selection of houses for this column. which is also mentioned in Reynolds’ I quickly notice a fairly obvious pattern book. To reach there by roads, take Station through out the county based on the basic Road (a.k.a. County Route 22) from US 9 construction materials used in erecting the and follow it to nearly the end; just before walls of the buildings. The map’s “flags” reaching the railroad tracks. Following the for each of the houses are color coded. Kinderhook Creek north on US 9 from The blue flags represent stone houses. where it spills into the Stockport Creek, Red means the house has a brick veneer Bont House at 6009 Route 9G. A portion of this one will find what appears to be a late (or at least the front of the house is brick). stone house is claimed to have been built circa 18th century stone Georgian two story Green flags are for wooden houses. 1730 by either Jan or Hendrick Bont. house on the east side of the road at Looking at the flags around the county of the corner with Frisbee Lane. While the Columbia, with a few exceptions, one’s or Parson’s house at 52 Maple Avenue property was originally owned by Richard attention is quickly focused on three distinct right in the hamlet of Germantown. Getting I. Goes (Hoes), the first person known to columns of color stretching from the bot- back onto SR 9G traveling north to one lived in this house is Abram A. Van Alen tom of the county to the top.