In Rensselaer, NY, the Crailo State Historic Site is a remarkable treasure trove of history. This intriguing site, once part of the expansive Van Rensselaer estate, is a testament to the enduring influence of the Dutch in the Hudson River Valley.
One patriotic children’s song, Yankee Doodle, was written in Rensselaer County at the birth of our nation, but it did not start out as a song for children. It didn’t even start out as complimentary of our country.
As the story goes, Dr. Richard Shuckburgh, a British army physician, wrote “Yankee Doodle” after “witnessing the sloppy drill and appearance of Connecticut troops” while at Fort Crailo in Rensselaer.
Built in 1704 by Hendrick Van Rensselaer in an area then known as “Greenen Bosch”—”Pine Forest” in Dutch and later corrupted to “Green Bush,” Fort Crailo was never truly a fort so much as a fortified manor home.
From the exterior, you would never guess that this lovely house, facing a park on the banks of the Hudson River, is built for battle; yet two of the eleven original gun ports used for defense against an attack by a French and Indian war party in 1746 can still be seen on visits to this historic site.
Fort Crailo is full of surprises, not least of which are the engaging, high quality exhibits.
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This cache is part of the 2024 New York State Saratoga/Capital District Regional Geocache Challenge! The stamp inside this cache is part of the game, and it is not a trade item – please do not take the stamp. There are 74 geocaches hidden within 19 state parks and historic sites in this park region, and geocachers finding 45 or more will be eligible to receive a 2024 NYS Parks centennial commemorative and trackable geocoin. If you are interested in taking the challenge, you can pick up a geocache passport at any of the participating parks and sites or download it at www.nysparks.com.