Van Cortlandt House Museum facts for kids
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Van Cortlandt House
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The mansion in 2008
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| Location | Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, New York City |
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| Area | 192 acres (78 ha) |
| Built | 1748 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 67000010 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 24, 1967 |
| Designated NHL | December 24, 1976 |
The Van Cortlandt House Museum, also known as the Frederick Van Cortlandt House or simply the Van Cortlandt House, is the oldest building in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is located in the southwestern portion of Van Cortlandt Park, accessed via Broadway (U.S. Route 9).
The house was built in 1748 in the Georgian style by Africans enslaved by Frederick Van Cortlandt (1699–1749) for his family. Van Cortlandt died before its completion and the property was inherited by his son, James Van Cortlandt (1727–1787). It is a 2+1⁄2-story, L-shaped house with a double hipped roof. It was built of dressed fieldstone and is one of the nation's finest examples of the high Georgian style in stone.
The Van Cortlandts, a mercantile family prominent in New York affairs, established a grain plantation and grist mill on the property. The house was used during the Revolutionary War by the Comte de Rochambeau, Marquis de Lafayette, and George Washington. In 1889, the family sold the property to the City of New York as part of Van Cortlandt Park's creation. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1967 and became a National Historic Landmark in 1976. The house has been operated as a historic house museum since 1897, the first in the city and fourth in the country.
