Stockade District in Kingston in Ulster County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
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Senate House State Historic Site
In Kingston in 1777, New York's wartime government voted to accept the state's first constitution, making the city the state's first capital. For twenty-six days, members of the first New York State Senate met in the stone house of Abraham Van Gaasbeek, a local Kingston merchant sympathetic to the rebel cause. Van Gaasbeek's house survived the punitive attack on the city by the British on October 16, which burned much of Kingston. The residents rebuilt, and the Van Gaasbeek home, now known as Senate House, remained a privately owned residence until 1887.
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The site of the Senate House has served as a place of remembrance for many years. The laying of the cornerstone of this Colonial Revival museum building was planned to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the meeting house of the New York State Senate in September of 1927. Built to house the site's large historic collection, today the museum offers three exhibits highlighting the history of the Kingston area and its people.
Governor Alfred Smith officiates the laying of the cornerstone for the Senate House museum building, September 10, 1927. Courtesy Friends of Historic Kingston
The Senate House museum collection includes works by American painter John Vanderlyn. Born in Kingston in 1775, Vanderlyn was among a cohort of post-independence artists who worked to create a uniquely American artistic viewpoint for a new American nation.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Government & Politics • Parks & Recreational Areas • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1927.
Location. 41° 56.089′ N, 74° 1.138′ W. Marker is in Kingston, New York, in Ulster County. It is in the Stockade District. It is on Fair Street south of North Front Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 312 Fair St, Kingston NY 12401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York and in the Hudson Valley. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Senate House Museum
Other markers no longer nearby. A Community Attic (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Evolution of the Senate House (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named The Loughran House (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); A Radical Idea: Government by the People (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . . Letter from Aaron Burr to Peter Van Gaasbeek. In this 1795 letter, Burr mentions the arrangements for Vanderlyn to live with Stuart. See the commentary below for more information. Both the handwritten letter and the transcription are shown. The original letter is in the State House State Historic Site collection. Excerpt:
"You must attend particularly to the enclosed Letter - you doubtly know the Young Man who is the subject of it - you will manage the matter with all becoming delicacy & secrecy - Let me know your opinion of his character. I have directed him to draw on J.B. Prevost, because I may not be in N York - He (VDLyne) is to live in the the house with Stewart - I have settled all necessary arrangements - He had better come on without Loss of time."(Submitted on October 5, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York.)
Additional commentary.
1. John Vanderlyn, Renowned Artist
The largest collection of John Vanderlyn's work can be found in the Senate House Museum (see caption above). He was a portrait and historical panorama artist who showed his talent at a young age. He was born in 1775 near the corner of Wall and John Streets in Kingston. His family home was burned two years later by the British. He studied art in New York City, where he met Gilbert Stuart. He asked if he could copy Stuart's portrait of Aaron Burr. Burr was later given Vanderlyn's painting and was so impressed that he sent Vanderlyn to study under Stuart, and later in Paris. He was one of the most admired portrait painters of the time. In 1808, Napoleon gave him a gold medal for an historical portrait of Caius Marius. His panoramic painting of Versailles is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vanderlyn was severely challenged by managing his finances and died in poverty.
"John Vanderlyn: Painter of a Nation." Kingston's Buried Treasures , pp. 33-36. Kingston, NY: 2018.
— Submitted October 5, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 22, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 33 times since then. Last updated on October 5, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 22, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
