In this semiquincentennial year, there was welcome news about the Hendrick Hudson Chapter House, with its ties to the American Revolution and the earliest days of Hudson. A press release issued by the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution follows:
The Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has successfully concluded a restoration that was funded in large part by a $496,775 matching grant from the federal Department of Interior, National Park Service. The grant itself was funded through the Historic Preservation Fund and the Save America's Treasures grant program, and it funded 50 percent of several major rehabilitation projects of the 1811 Historic Robert Jenkins House at 113 Warren Street in Hudson, NY.
The nearly $500,000 grant was matched by generous donations by chapter members as well as local institutions including the HRBT Foundation, the William G Pomeroy Foundation, and the Bank of Greene County. Many neighbors, city and county, many local businesses, and visitors from all over the country were very generous donors as well. In June, a significant donation of $15,000 was received from the Home for the Aged, to be used exclusively to achieve accessibility at the chapter house.
The Home for the Aged was founded in 1883 with its purpose being "the providing of a suitable home for and proper care, support and maintenance of aged and indigent men and women in the said County of Columbia." It is a privately endowed institution that for well over 100 years maintained a stately home in Hudson at Union and Seventh streets. Currently, the foundation provides support for senior citizens in Columbia County.
Restoration projects at the Robert Jenkins House that have been concluded include a stunning new slate roof, new gutters, and repaired masonry on the house's east and west parapets. Now finishing up is a new electrical system on the first floor, which required a demolition of outdated 20th century finishes in its basement, revealing the house's 1811 fireplace with beehive oven and wood box.
The chapter is now beginning repair work to exterior doors at the rear of the house. Those restored doors will lead to a thoughtfully designed accessible entrance, including a historically compatible, curved, ADA-compliant access ramp and expanded landing areas which include a handsome patio of stone pavers. The design prioritizes what will be a new and important entry to the chapter house, which is surrounded by a lovely backyard that has been a focus of the chapter's attention in recent years.
Chapter Regent Virginia Martin said, "It would be difficult to overstate the importance of these beautifully executed restoration projects, or of the project for accessibility that we are now embarking on. The Federal-style Robert Jenkins House is arguably Hudson’s most iconic and historic residential structure. Built in 1811, the interior was gently remodeled in 1900, and it remains remarkably untouched since that time. The house sits on the most beautiful and historic block in Hudson, in the Front Street-Parade Hill-Lower Warren Street Historic District. Its size and imposing roof parapets are striking, distinctive, and visible from blocks away."
She continued, "The house has among the most prominent lineage in the City, as it was built by the son of a Proprietor. The Proprietors founded the city in 1785 after moving their families and whaling business from Nantucket, where the British were harassing them, to what was then Claverack Landing. They created a city, named it Hudson, and established a thriving whaling economy that we remember and celebrate now."
Chapter membership is determined that the beautiful house be made accessible to everyone for their enjoyment--be they visitors interested in touring the house and its museum and genealogical and historical library, or people interested in attending its public programs, or the chapter's own members.
The Robert Jenkins House was gifted to the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in 1900 by the granddaughter of Robert Jenkins, who herself had been born in the house in 1833. The purpose then was to establish it as a focal point for city residents, which continues to be a goal of the chapter.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), founded in 1890, is a nonprofit, nonpolitical women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children. There are currently about 190,000 members in chapters in all 50 states and abroad. The Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the NSDAR, founded in 1895 and chartered in 1896, currently has 130 members and meets in the historic Robert Jenkins House, which it owns.
DAR members trace their lineage back to a patriot in the American Revolution--whether serving as soldier, shopkeeper, or seamstress. The organization welcomes eligible women without regard to race, creed, or religion. It is one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the country.
The chapter and the chapter house can be accessed at hudson-dar.org, facebook.com/HudsonDAR, instagram.com/robertjenkinshouse, hendrickhudsonchapterdar@gmail.com, and (518) 828-9764.
For more information on the completed restoration project or the accessibility project just beginning, please contact chapter regent Virginia Martin at (518) 828-9764 or hendrickhudsonchapterdar@gmail.com. For questions regarding the Save America's Treasures grant program, or to comment on this or any other proposed Historic Preservation Fund grant project, please contact the State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division, National Park Service, at (202) 354-2020 or stlpg@nps.gov.
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