“I’m back with another installment of my Presidential tribute called ‘Hail to the Chief.”
“In this post, you’ll be exposed to the life of our eighth President, Old Kinderhook.”
“It’s Martin Van Buren, the President who treated Native Americans as bad as Andrew Jackson.”
MARTIN VAN BUREN BIRTHPLACE SITE – Located in Kinderhook, New York, Maarten Van Buren was born on this site on December 5, 1782. The birthsite is located along Hudson Street, roughly one-half mile south from the center of Kinderhook.
“Maarten was born in a house that was attached to a tavern. I’m standing on land where that house once stood.”
“This image depicts what the Van Buren’s home and tavern once looked like.”
“Van Buren was the first President not born a British subject; having been born after the American Revolution.”
HANNAH HOES – A childhood sweetheart of Martin Van Buren, the couple married on February 21, 1807 in the home of Hannah’s sister in Catskill, New York; both were 24 years old. Van Buren called his shy, blue-eyed bride Jannetje, which was Dutch for Hannah. Unfortunately, Hannah contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 35 on February 5, 1819.
DECATUR HOUSE – Built in 1818, this is one of the oldest surviving homes in Washington D.C. As Secretary of State in the Jackson administration, Martin Van Buren lived in this rented house from 1829 to 1831.
“John Gadsby moved here with his slaves in 1836 – making it one place where African Americans were held in bondage within sight of the White House.”
“While Van Buren didn’t live at Decatur House while he served as Vice President, George M. Dallas did. Dallas was Vice President in the Polk administration.”
UNITED STATES CAPITOL – “When Martin Van Buren took the Oath of Office on the East Portico of the Capitol on March 4, 1837, he became the last sitting Vice President to be inaugurated as President through an election until George H. W. Bush in 1989.On Inauguration Day, President-elect Van Buren rode to the Capitol with President Andrew Jackson in a horse-drawn open carriage. It marked the first time in American history where an incoming and outgoing President rode together to the Capitol.”
THE WHITE HOUSE – “During his one term in office, Van Buren was not considered a very good President. He was, however, given credit for creating the two-party political system when he formed the Democratic Party.At age 54, Martin Van Buren was the youngest person at the time to assume the Presidency.”
SARAH ANGELICA VAN BUREN – Angelica married Abraham Van Buren II while his father was President. At the age of 20, she became the youngest White House hostess in history when she took the role in her father-in-law’s administration.
WOODLEY – Located in Washington D.C., not too far from the National Cathedral, this mansion was built in 1801 by Phillip Barton Key, uncle of Francis Scott Key. Today, it’s home of the Maret School.“When Van Buren took office, the country was plunged in its first depression, which meant he couldn’t afford to escape the heat of Washington in the summer.Instead, MVB rented Woodley because it was situated on cooler heights above the city, and it was considerably cheaper to run.”
LINDENWALD – “This was Martin Van Buren’s home and is located two miles south of Kinderhook, New York. The home was purchased when Van Buren was President, and it remained his residence until his death in 1862.”
“Van Buren ran two unsuccessful Presidential campaigns from Lindenwald. In 1844, he lost to James K. Polk and in 1848 his third-party ticket lost to Zachary Taylor.”
“Van Buren named the estate Lindenwald, which is German for ‘linden forest’, due to the linden trees that lined the Albany-to-New York Post Road that ran if front of the home.From this view behind Lindenwald, it’s easy to see some of the American linden trees that line the Old Post Road.”
“There were 36 rooms in the house, but some were not accessible to me – especially the tower.”
“Let’s knock on the door and take a tour of Martin Van Buren’s beloved Lindenwald.”
“This was the Main Hall, or Entrance Hall, inside Lindenwald. A large gathering of guests would’ve dined in this area. The original wallpaper to my left was selected by the President himself.”
“The Green Room served several purposes in Lindenwald. When guests arrived to discuss politics with Van Buren, the women went to the Green Room to socialize. This room was also used by the Van Buren family as a place where they played games or listened to music.”
”I’m standing in the Formal Parlor at Lindenwald where Van Buren’s political guests would gather to smoke cigars, discuss politics, and talk about the women across the hall.”
“Following dinner, guests were invited into the Library to discuss the ongoing slavery issues and the likely potential for civil war. Van Buren had a bust of himself sculpted, which is against the wall behind me.”
“Van Buren’s health began to fail in late 1861. He did not recover and died in this bed at 2:00am on July 24, 1862 at the age of 79.”
“I wanted to stand on Van Buren’s bed, but the NPS Ranger, Molly Maron, refused to let me.”
“I’m standing alongside Van Buren’s shaving stand and razor that was located in his bedroom. When I envisioned the President’s wild side whiskers and unkempt appearance, I wondered what went through Martin’s mind when he gazed into that mirror.”
“This was Van Buren’s desk, which was located in his bedroom. As I stood in front of the desk, it suddenly dawned on me that the President died in 1862 during the Civil War, without ever knowing whether or not the nation he helped build would continue to exist.”
“I gagged slightly when I envisioned the wild-haired President taking a bath beside me; although I suppose it was better than watching William Howard Taft in the tub!”
“And it was worse when I stood on Van Buren’s toilet seat; hoping not to fall in!”
KINDERHOOK DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH – Located in Kinderhook, New York, this church was built in 1869 to replace the one severely damaged by fire two years earlier. That first church was where Martin Van Buren’s funeral was held on July 28, 1862.
“Even though Van Buren’s funeral was not conducted inside the church behind me, it was held at this site. As I stood near the entrance of this church, I envisioned the President’s 1862 funeral procession assembled on Broad Street in front of me.”
KINDERHOOK DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH CEMETERY – The grave of our eighth President Martin Van Buren is marked by an uninspiring 12-foot-tall blue granite monument.The cemetery was located a couple of miles outside of Kinderhook, New York.
“I visited the grave of our eighth President for the first time on July 8, 2017. A huge thunderstorm hit the area just before I got to the cemetery.”
“Martin Van Buren was the only American President who did not speak English as his first language.”
“Van Buren’s primary language was Dutch, which he spoke at home throughout his life.”
“Even though Van Buren’s tombstone was wet, I found a flat ledge on the monument to stand on.”
“That’s my photographer posing at the grave of Martin Van Buren. Sometimes I wonder if Tom’s first language isn’t English as well.”
“I’ve visited Van Buren’s grave three times, including my first just after the storm hit on July 8, 2017.”
“My second visit came on July 12, 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was the reason I was sporting a mask when I posed on the tombstone.”
“When I returned to the grave nearly three years later with Bob Moldenhauer, I was pleasantly surprised by the colorful flowers that surrounded the tombstone.”
“I found this statue of Van Buren in downtown Kinderhook.The vision in my mind was of Martin Van Buren reading the newspaper while sitting on the toilet.”
“That’s it for my tribute to Martin Van Buren. Please leave a comment below and let me know what your thoughts were. I’ll see you on my next post which will feature our ninth President, William Henry Harrison.”
My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!
