KINGSTON, N.Y. – A New York state grant will help Ulster County put a new top on a pre-Revolutionary War structure that now serves as a museum and cultural heritage center in Kingston's historic Stockade District.
A $558,232 grant from state parks will go toward making vital repairs to the county-owned Matthewis Persen House, the earliest portions of which date back to 1661, County Executive Jen Metzger said.
"Over half of a million dollars... mainly going toward replacing the roof, which is a cedar-shingle roof," Metzger said. "This building currently is not heated, and it’s open seasonally, so the improvements will help extend the season for tourists."
The historic district at the corner of Crown and John streets represents the only intersection in the U.S. with buildings on all four corners built before the Revolutionary War, county officials say.
The Matthewis Persen House was damaged twice in conflicts. Records suggest Ulster County has owned it since 1914.
County Clerk and Historian Taylor Bruck said preserving the Matthewis Persen House is essential to American and New York history, in part, because it's played host to such a diverse group of cultures, including Esopus native people, Dutch and English colonists and free and enslaved Africans.
“We think it’s the oldest house still standing in Ulster County," Bruck said. "The original part was built by a gentleman named Gysbert Van Imbroch.”
Van Imbroch was a former resident of the Matthewis Persen House and served as Kingtson's first physician from 1664. While the landmark wasn't named after him, Bruck said the museum also features his contributions to American society.
“He was paid to move here from Albany and right behind you here, is really the first doctor’s office in Kingston," Bruck said. "CVS, believe it or not, lists this house as the first pharmacy in America.”
According to the county archives: "Kingston was established as the first Capital of the state in 1777 after the British gained control over New York City. The Capital was subsequently moved after the British burned Kingston later in 1777, but not before the New York State Constitution was drafted and read aloud on the steps of the Ulster County Courthouse in Kingston, and the first New York State Senate met at what is now the Senate House State Historic Site in Kingston."
If you would like to know more about the Matthewis Persen House or are interested in scheduling a guided tour, visit here.