Bronck Museum NY 12051

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Ryan Mazierski

The Bronck House is the oldest house in NY State and one of the oldest houses in the United States. The Bronck house was established in 1663 by Swedish sailor Peter Bronck and his Dutch wife Hilletje Janes. The house was owned by the Bronck family all the way until 1939. Since then the house has been a museum. The tour of the house is a must for anyone who likes history. The tour guide did a wonderful job explaining the history of the house and how it changed over time. The original house, which you still can walk in, is a single room structure with cellar and storage garret (attic). Massive beams and wide floor boards are still seen in the original structure. It is amazing to see how the floorboards and the windows in the house are tilted and slanted. It is amazing to think that a family of three lived in a 20 square foot area. Another interesting feature of the house can be seen on its outside. There are two circles cut into the stone which were used to attract owls, so that the owls would keep mice away from the house's grain storage. The guide also explained the additions that were added onto the original house. In 1738 the Bronck family enlarged the house and you get to experience this part of the house on the tour as well. There is also a kitchen near the back of the house which is part of the tour. The tour concludes with a visit to the Victorian Horse Barn that is a part of the property. This building houses many interesting Greene County artifacts. Among some of the best are a model of the Catskill Mountain House, historic toll road signs, and furniture from a Greene County furniture maker. Do not forget to visit some of the other sites on the property including the cemetery and 13-sided barn.

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Tim Welch

This place is a real gem for anyone interested in history. There is a 1663 cute stone house, with its steep gable and rubble stone walls it looks like something out of a fairy tale. Then there's a 1738 brick house next to it connected with a small corridor. They also have an 18th century Dutch barn on the site, a unique 1830s 13 sided barn, and two other older barn structures. You can even see 'date stones' on the houses that give the initials and dates they were constructed. It is a great place to learn about the history of Hudson valley an upstate NY from the Dutch period in the 17th century to the early 20th century. The tour was much more interactive and interesting than I thought it would be as our tour guide (he was actually a trustee since there last tour guide retired) was a former history teacher and very involved in the Greene county historical society. We not only saw the Dutch style homes, but learned how to identify a Dutch built barn, saw a dog and horse treadmill, a huge exhibit of a Catskill mansion and several other really interesting artifacts and exhibits. I was sad to learn that the place is struggling a bit financially. It's really a shame since this is the oldest house you can visit in upstate NY and it is very unique and beautiful. My one recommendation to try and get more admissions is they should allow photography on the tour. There are so many cool things in their collections and tourists photos of these things can help promote the place and attract more people. I am glad they are doing a lot of events to try and raise money and me and my wife plan on attending several of these. Give this place a chance, its cheap, you're donating to a good cause and you see and learn a lot for your money.

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Jamie Taylor

What an enjoyable tour! Our guide Frank was very knowledgeable about the history of and the stories about the Bronck family and their place in history. Great place for anyone interested in history, historic buildings or architecture.