History
Schuyler began acquiring the land around the mansion site by 1760. Most of the house's construction took place while he was in England at the behest of his mentor John Bradstreet. Schuyler called the home "The Pasture" because of the pasture view towards the Hudson River. Schuyler and his wife raised eight of their eleven children in the house which originally included 80 acres (32 ha) of land. The house was visited by several notable figures including George Washington and served as a host and prison to British General John Burgoyne for several days after his defeat at the Battle of Saratoga. On December 14, 1780, the mansion was the site of the marriage between Alexander Hamilton and Schuyler's daughter Elizabeth. On August 7, 1781, Native Americans raided the mansion in an unsuccessful Loyalist attempt to kidnap Schuyler.
After Philip Schuyler's death in 1804, the land comprised over one hundred building lots which were divided among his numerous children. From 1886 to 1913, the mansion served as an orphanage until the state assumed ownership.
It was restored and dedicated as an historic monument on October 17, 1917.
Read more about this topic: Schuyler Mansion
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“Psychology keeps trying to vindicate human nature. History keeps undermining the effort.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)