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The Van Schaick mansion is one of the most historic homes in New York State. The mansion is located on Van Schaick Island at the junction of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers at Cohoes, New York.
Historical organizations using the Mansion as their meeting place include - 1st New York Regiment, General Peter Gansevoort Chapter NSDAR, and Schuyler Society C.A.R.
Protect History - Our Colonial beginnings and American Revolutionary heritage.
The following is a quick introduction. See our House History page for details.
Architecture:
One of the earliest examples of a building with a gambrel roof in the Upper Hudson Valley. The mansion has many of its original
features intact.
Military Headquarters:
The house was used as military headquarters during the French and Indian War.
The mansion later served as military
headquarters during the American Revolution. Generals Montgomery, Schuyler, Gates, Stark, Morgan, Gansevoort, St. Clair and Benedict Arnold planned the Battle of Saratoga at the mansion.
In the days leading up to the battle, 5,000 continental soldiers were garrisoned around the mansion. At this same time, Colonel Thaddeus Kosciusko constructed the breastworks located on adjacent Peebles
Island.
General Burgoyne and 20 of his staff officers were brought to the mansion before being returned to Albany as prisoners of war.
New York State Capitol:
The mansion was the capitol of New York State for 4 days. Governor Clinton made the house his temporary capitol from August 22-25, 1777.
General Washington Visits:
General George Washington made at least one visit to the area surrounding the mansion. In 1783, he briefly stopped to view the Cohoes Falls during a tour of the Northern
frontier which included Crown Point and Rome.
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