Van Cortlandt Manor

The Manor was founded in 1697 by Stephanus Van Cortlandt, who began purchasing land in Westchester County two decades earlier in 1677. Stephanus was a successful merchant, member of the Governor’s Council, the first native-born mayor of New York City, and dedicated servant to the English crown.

When Stephanus Van Cortlandt passed away the portion of the Manor containing the Manor House was passed on to his grandson Pierre. Pierre was the first member to use the Cortlandt Manor as a full time residence. Pierre and his wife Joanna raised their son Philip in their home.

The Manor House was a statement of the family's position and history. The house was a practical and handsome home with a railed verandah extending three-quarters across the second story. The oldest part of the building goes to the lower level, which was the stone house that dates back to the 1660s. The kitchen room had a huge fireplace and beehive oven. Adjoining the kitchen is the milk room, which was used for storage, and the old parlor. This is where the family enjoyed informal living and dining. Behind the house were two utility structures, the Smoke House and the Necessary House or privy. There is a 750 foot red brick Long Walk leading to the Ferry House section of the Manor.

During the period of the Revolutionary War the Manor was a place of war time refuge. Pierre and his family had been ardent supporters of independence. Pierre served in the colonial forces during the Armed Revolution and was appointed Colonel of the Third Regiment of Westchester County Militia. He remained Colonel of the Regiment until being replaced in 1778.

Because of the Van Cortlandt’s activities during the war, men such as Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Baron Steuben and Count Rochambeau had visited the Manor House. The Van Cortlandt family continued to live in the Manor until 1945 when the home was sold to Otis Taylor. In 1953, John D. Rockefeller Jr. purchased the property and began restoring the Manor to prreserve its history. Rockefeller made the house part of the group of Hudson Valley restorations that now include Philipsburg Manor, and Sunnyside. There were efforts to reassemble the heirloom furniture and artwork that had once filled the home during the Van Cortlandt’s residency. Today the Manor is a museum and as of 1961 a National Historic Landmark.

1. Williams , Gray. Picturing Our Past National Register Sites in Westchester County. New York. 2003.
2. Van Cortlandt Manor, Historic Hudson Valley. Accessed August 14th 2020. https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/van-cortlandt-manor/.
3. Dillon, James. NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM, np.gallery.nps. January 1st 1967. Accessed August 14th 2020. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/66000579_photos.