Martin Van Buren (1782 – 1862), the only U.S. President to have spoken English as a second language (his first language was Dutch) and the first president born after the American Revolution, in which his father took part as a revolutionary. As the leader of the Bucktail faction of the Democratic-Republican Party in the 1820s, Van Buren established a political machine known as the Albany Regency.
A founder of the Democratic Party, Van Buren served as New York State Attorney General, U.S. Senator, then for a short time the ninth Governor of New York. He left the Governorship to serve in Andrew Jackson’s administration as the 10th U.S. Secretary of State, minister to Great Britain, and then the 8th Vice President. Van Buren won the presidency in 1836, lost re-election in 1840, and failed to win the Democratic nomination in 1844. Later in his life, became an important anti-slavery leader who led the Free Soil Party.
Van Buren was born in Kinderhook, Columbia County, NY. He bought the 36-room Lindenwald mansion during his presidency in 1839, and lived there from 1841 until his death in 1862.
The Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in Kinderhook will open for summer programs and tours on May 26th. The Visitor Center tent will be open seven days a week from 9 am to 4:30 pm.
Guided tours of Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren’s home, are offered daily at 10 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm. Tours last 45 minutes and cover the interior of the home, the Van Buren family, and history of the site.
Rangers also offer a Walk Thru House Tour at 11 am and 12 pm. This shortened tour visits the first floor of the house and lasts a half hour.
Limited spaces for tours are available. First come, first served. Sign up for the tour at the visitor center tent. Sign-up opens a half hour before each tour. Tours are free.
The Eastern National Bookstore is open after tours only. The bookstore is cashless.
Park grounds remain open daily from dawn to sunset. Follow the three-quarter mile wayside loop starting near the parking area to learn more about Martin Van Buren’s post-presidency home.
The The Martin Van Buren National Historic Site is located at 1013 Old Post Rd, in Kinderhook. For more information, call the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site at (518) 758-9689 or visit their website.
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