Van Alen, Johannis L., Farm
Why it's listed
Van Alen Farm in Stuyvesant, Columbia County, is a group of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century buildings that illustrate traditional Dutch building in the Upper Hudson Valley. The brick house, believed to date from about 1760, has a gambrel roof, a central hall plan and a largely intact interior with plaster walls, paneled doors, raised-panel wainscot and wide plank floors. A frame wing was added at the rear in the nineteenth century. The farm also keeps an eighteenth-century Dutch barn, a corn crib, several other barns and a chicken and pigeon house. The main barn has six bays and massive anchorbeams, and is described as one of only two six-bay Dutch barns found so far. The farm lies on the DeBruyn Patent, bought in 1707 by Laurence Van Alen, and the house is believed to have been built by his grandson Johannis L. Van Alen. It stayed in the family until 1862. It is valued as the only surviving Van Alen homestead on the patent and as a farm that still holds together as a working complex.
Significance in brief: It is the sole survivor of several Van Alen homesteads on the DeBruyn Patent. It is noteworthy as an example of early Dutch architecture in the Upper Hudson Valley and as a Dutch farm that still retains its integrity as a farm. The six-bay Dutch barn is one of only two such barns known to the cited authority, John Fitchen.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73001175, listed April 26, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | School House Rd., Stuyvesant |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | April 26, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001175 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century (ca. 1760) |
| Architect / builder | Believed built by Johannis L. Van Alen |
| Architectural style | Dutch (gambrel-roofed Dutch house; New World Dutch barn) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence; condition marked excellent; altered, on its original site. The form says the buildings have undergone few alterations. |
| Acreage | 160 |
| Coordinates | 42.43632, -73.74179 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73001175.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6217200
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.