Kinderhook in Columbia County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Farm Operations
Martin Van Buren Nat’l Hist Site
— National Park Service —
Hops are fascinating. This perennial plant may remain productive for twenty years and they can grow as much as two feet in one week. Female plants produce the green flowers used in brewing. The plant dies back every year and reappears the following spring. These plants survive from Van Buren’s experiment.
< Sidebar (under photo of old farm office): >
A building known as the farm office was located just to your right. The farm office was an eleven foot square, one story building with doors on three sides. The office was constructed sometime after 1797 by the original owner of the mansion, Judge Peter Van Ness. It was removed about 1960. Why were there three doors in such a small building? The answer is unknown. Give it your best guess.
The office may have been used by Lindenwals’d farm foreman. Farm operations at Lindenwald were usually overseen by a hired manager. Van Buren’s first farm foreman was John R. Harder who in 1839 directed improvements to the fields, gardens and orchards. The President also hired farm hands, as needed, while personally acting as manager for several years. His last foreman, Isaac Collins, lived with his family in the white cottage visible across the fields to your right.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #08 Martin Van Buren series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1851.
Location. 42° 22.177′ N, 73° 42.286′ W. Marker is in Kinderhook, New York, in Columbia County. Marker is on Old Post Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is on the grounds of the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Kinderhook NY 12106, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. An Agrarian Lifestyle… (within shouting distance of this marker); Fallen White Mulberry Tree (within shouting distance of this marker); Marble Mounting Block (within shouting distance of this marker); A Bustling Household (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); 1849-50 A House Transformed (about 300 feet away); Fertile Political Ground (about 300 feet away); Lindenwald (about 500 feet away); Soil Improvers (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kinderhook.
More about this marker. A photo of hops, a crop that grew at Lindenwald, appears on the left side of the marker. A photo of the old farm office is on the right side of the marker, above the sidebar.
Also see . . .
1. Biography of Martin Van Buren. (Submitted on November 12, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
2. Martin Van Buren National Historic Site. National Park Service website. (Submitted on November 12, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
3. Van Buren, Martin, National Historic Site - National Park Service. Download National Register of Historic Places documentation (Submitted on January 17, 2024, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 17, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 625 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 12, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2, 3. submitted on November 12, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.