Oldest Farmhouse in Colonie Gets Second Chance

The oldest farmhouse in Colonie has been given a second chance thanks to Albany County Airport Authority.
In 2003, the Airport Authority hired a historic preservation consultant to study and report on the condition of the Ebenezer Hills Jr. farmhouse, whose namesake constructed the structure in 1785.
For their efforts, they received a federal assistance grant to restore the farmhouse to its original condition, which is now located on Old Niskayuna Road, 600 feet away from its original location; the farmhouse is currently available for lease.
“The restored building includes modern plumbing and wiring yet it retains its original charm,” said Doug Myers, director of public affairs for the Albany International Airport. “The home offers an unique setting for an office or antique firm that may be considering relocating.”
Under normal circumstances, the farmhouse would’ve been torn down; but because of the building’s structural integrity and the history that involved a murder, the National Register of Historic Places protected the building from being demolished through regulations adopted by the State Historic Preservation Act.
Touching on the history of the building, Anthony Brankman penned an article which ran in the January – March 2006 newsletter of the Historical Society of the Town of Colonie.
“Prior to 1895, the town of Colonie was known as the town of Watervliet. In the 17th and 18th century most of Watervliet was part of the Manor of Rensselaerwyck, owned by the Van Rensselaer family,” Brankman wrote. “The Manor encompassed almost all of present day Albany and Rensselaer counties.”
In those days, the proprietor of the estate rented farms to Dutch tenant farmers. According to the application for listing on the National Register, Ebenezer Hills, Jr. migrated with his family to Watervliet from Westbury Connecticut in the 1780s.
The farmhouse was built in 1785 in the northern section of Watervliet, inland from the Mohawk River. “Soon, in 1802, the Troy-Schenectady Turnpike, which ran right by his house, commenced operation,” Brankman wrote. “The farmhouse became a tavern and post office by 1820, when Ebenezer’s son Laban, occupied it.”
Ebenezer Hills, Jr. became supervisor of Watervliet and according to what was customary in the day, the farmhouse served as the town hall.
The National Register states on the application that the farmhouse is an example of the Federal period.
Spacious and horizontal proportions attributable to Dutch tradition, the farmhouse is unique because “it is a rare surviving example of a house type commonly built in the region prior to the Revolutionary War.”
The remarks on the application goes on to state, “the five-bay, central hall plan reflects the influence of Neo-classicism on vernacular architecture and adds formality and dignity to what is in essence a traditional vernacular farmhouse.”
During the time the farmhouse had served as a tavern, a scandal had occurred that gained national attention. Jesse Strang, a hired hand working at Cherry Hill, a Van Rensselaer mansion on South Pearl Street in Albany, was having an affair with Elsie Lansing Whipple. Whipple was married to John Whipple, a relative of the prominent Van Rensselaer family. She managed to convince Strang to shoot and murder her husband.
On the night of April 14, 1827, Strang and Whipple set off on a love tryst, intending to travel by a hired horse and wagon from Albany to Schenectady via the Troy-Schenectady turnpike. “They encountered a downpour, turned back and ate supper at the Hills’ tavern. Without luggage, they decided to stay overnight,” Brankman wrote. Due to the social distinction of the Van Rensselaer family, the murder and love affair with Strang and Whipple became the talk of the whole country.
“30,000 people gathered in Albany on August 24, 1827 to witness the execution of Jesse Strang, the last public hanging in Albany County. The throng came from as far away as Cooperstown,” Brankman wrote. “Elsie Lansing Whipple, protected by the Van Rensselaer family, was found innocent after the judge decided that Jesse Strang’s testimony could not be allowed against her.”
Prior to the Albany County Airport Authority taking over, the house had been owned by Kenneth A. Rebusman of Albany in 1982.
The site had three barns, a shed and a greenhouse situated on 29.4 acres that is now gone.
Anyone interested in leasing the Ebenezer Hills Jr. farmhouse may call the Albany County Airport Authority at 242-2222 ext. 1.
Courtesy Diane Denner, Troy Record.