Senate House
Also known as: See Also:Clinton Avenue Historic District
Why it's listed
Senate House is a one-and-one-half-story limestone building on Clinton Avenue in Kingston, New York, near the northeast corner of the stockade Peter Stuyvesant established in 1658. Wessel Ten Broeck, an immigrant from Westphalia, built a house here about 1676. The property passed to Abraham van Gaasbeek about 1751. In September 1777, with Kingston serving as the state capital, Van Gaasbeek offered a room to the first New York State Senate, which met there on September 10. The Courthouse hosted the Supreme Court and the Assembly met in a tavern, so the smaller Senate used this house. In October 1777 British troops under Major General John Vaughan set fire to Kingston. The house was rebuilt and remained a residence until the State acquired it in 1887. Additions, including a kitchen, porch and caretaker's quarters, were made in the late nineteenth century, giving the building its L-shaped plan. An adjoining museum holds a large collection of John Vanderlyn paintings.
Significance in brief: The house is where the first Senate of the State of New York assembled for its initial session on September 10, 1777, when Kingston served as the state's capital. It was rebuilt after the British burned Kingston in October 1777. The State acquired it in 1887, making it the second structure preserved by the State for its historic value.
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 71000564, listed August 12, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NW side of Clinton Ave. near jct. with N. Front St., Kingston |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | August 12, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000564 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century, 19th Century (specific dates not given) |
| Architect / builder | Wessel Ten Broeck (built the original house about 1676, per the statement of significance) |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the State of New York since 1887; the form checks the occupied box and notes the adjoining Senate House Museum. Condition box is unreadable. |
| Within district | Kingston Stockade District |
| Coordinates | 41.93517, -74.01870 (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 71000564.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7450012
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.