The Van Ness Family

The Van Ness family were one of the oldest, most influential, enslaving families in the Hudson Valley. Peter Van Ness purchased a large tract of land in Kinderhook from the Van Alstyne family around 1787 and built the brick home that is now known as Lindenwald in 1797. Related to other notable families in the area such as the Hogeboom, Van Alen, and Van Buren families there were decades of trade and marriage between the familities, including the people that they enslaved.

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NPS

Peter Van Ness

A judge and a Revolutionary War veteran, Peter Van Ness was the original owner of Lindenwald, then called Kleinrood.

 

National Portrait Collection

William Van Ness

A lawyer and contemporary of Martin Van Buren, he notably served as Aaron Burr’s second in the duel between him and Alexander Hamilton.