Van Rensselaer Lower Manor House, Colonial historic house in Claverack, New York.
The Van Rensselaer Lower Manor House combines two 18th-century structures connected by a hyphen section and covered in white wooden clapboard siding. The main building features five bays across its front, a metal roof, a full-width porch, and sits on a sloping property with a barn and other outbuildings.
Samuel ten Broeck and Catherine van Rensselaer built this manor around 1715 to serve as an administrative hub for managing the Van Rensselaer family's extensive colonial lands. The building played a key role in controlling and overseeing these properties throughout the 18th century.
The house displays characteristic colonial design with large fireplaces and mantels crafted by hand, along with chair rails and room divisions that show how 18th-century families organized their living spaces. These features reveal the tastes and daily habits of the period.
The property sits on sloping ground and may require careful walking when exploring the grounds. Visitors should be prepared for uneven terrain and take time to view both the main house and the outbuildings scattered across the site.
The rear of the house reveals original stonework at its lower level, before wooden siding was added later. This visible layer shows how the structure was reworked and modified over time.
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