The Evolution of the Senate House

Wessel Ten Broeck, a Dutch immigrant to New York, built and owned what would become the Senate House. Although only portions of his 1676 house remain, Ten Broeck’s residence was probably a modest stone house with a steep gabled roof facing the street in the Dutch style. The house passed through the family to Sarah Ten Broeck, who married local businessman Abraham van Gaasbeek in 1751. After the British attacked and burned Kingston in 1777, Van Gaasbeek made repairs to his damaged house. It was altered a number of times in the 19th century to reflect the prosperity and changing needs of the Van Gaasbeeks. The family retained ownership of the property until 1887, when New York State purchased it as its second historic site.

Kingston, New York · United States