kz1000ps
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- Joined
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This is the town where I lived from age 8 to 22. It's name is Kinderhook, Dutch for "children's corner." It's very old, and was formed on the route of the old Postal Road, connecting NYC to Albany, now known as Route 9. Between this and the natural power available in the Kinderhook Creek, the town flourished, and mill workers, politicians and lawyers alike all resided here.
Martin Van Buren, 8th US President, was born and has his retirement house and grave here, and many other important figures from the early days of our country had ties to Old Kinderhook, commonly known as OK and (arguably) considered the birthplace of the oh-so-common expression "OK." Also, Washington Irving wrote "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" here, complete with the characters Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.
(My school district's name was Ichabod Crane Central School District... charming, right?)
However, by 1850 this town's importance had dried up as the railroads passed it by, and what's left for us today is a historically protected village that showcases all sorts of fine examples of 18th and (mostly) early-19th century architecture:
Oh yeah, these were taken the day after Christmas last year, so bundle up!
Columbia County Historical Society museum:
Moving out of "downtown" now
town library:
a governor-defeat from NY's last election cycle resides here (we're still churning out politicians!):
Currently a district elementary school, originally the village high school:
This house is a fraternal twin to the above: identical original plans, but this one was heavily modified during the height of the French Second Empire fashion. I was fortunate enough to see the interior a couple years ago and it's just as grand as the exterior
The house where all the youngins go for a field trip at least a dozen times:
back in ye "OK" towne square
Railroad depot turned apartment complex - the first and only RR line to come through town didn't get built until the 1890s:
^ I'm a minivan driving soccer mom and I'm damn proud of it!
My town's skyline: two 75 ft.- water towers
Martin Van Buren's resting place
The Luykas Van Alan house dating from 1737: traditional dutch architecture transplanted into the Hudson River Valley
these next three are of Valatie, the village next door. It's still a part of the overarching "Town of Kinderhook"
An old theatre awaiting its fate
And the random ones that only I have an emotional attachment to:
My house where I lived for 13 years, to the right:
Apple orchards surrounded my home
My high school
And to end things on a happy note, the newly completed shopping plaza our town has been blessed with
Martin Van Buren, 8th US President, was born and has his retirement house and grave here, and many other important figures from the early days of our country had ties to Old Kinderhook, commonly known as OK and (arguably) considered the birthplace of the oh-so-common expression "OK." Also, Washington Irving wrote "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" here, complete with the characters Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.
(My school district's name was Ichabod Crane Central School District... charming, right?)
However, by 1850 this town's importance had dried up as the railroads passed it by, and what's left for us today is a historically protected village that showcases all sorts of fine examples of 18th and (mostly) early-19th century architecture:
Oh yeah, these were taken the day after Christmas last year, so bundle up!
Columbia County Historical Society museum:
Moving out of "downtown" now
town library:
a governor-defeat from NY's last election cycle resides here (we're still churning out politicians!):
Currently a district elementary school, originally the village high school:
This house is a fraternal twin to the above: identical original plans, but this one was heavily modified during the height of the French Second Empire fashion. I was fortunate enough to see the interior a couple years ago and it's just as grand as the exterior
The house where all the youngins go for a field trip at least a dozen times:
back in ye "OK" towne square
Railroad depot turned apartment complex - the first and only RR line to come through town didn't get built until the 1890s:
^ I'm a minivan driving soccer mom and I'm damn proud of it!
My town's skyline: two 75 ft.- water towers
Martin Van Buren's resting place
The Luykas Van Alan house dating from 1737: traditional dutch architecture transplanted into the Hudson River Valley
these next three are of Valatie, the village next door. It's still a part of the overarching "Town of Kinderhook"
An old theatre awaiting its fate
And the random ones that only I have an emotional attachment to:
My house where I lived for 13 years, to the right:
Apple orchards surrounded my home
My high school
And to end things on a happy note, the newly completed shopping plaza our town has been blessed with
