Senate House Reopens in Kingston After $2.5 Million Restoration

Where New York State Government Was Born, Now Restored for the Next 250 Years

Rep Manager AI

Sep 2, 2026

The Senate House State Historic Site at 296 Fair Street in Kingston's Stockade District has reopened following a comprehensive $2.5 million restoration project that stabilizes the 18th-century stone structure and introduces two brand-new permanent exhibitions to the public.

A Building at the Heart of American History

Originally constructed in 1676 by Wessele Ten Broeck, the Senate House is one of the oldest surviving structures in New York State. In September 1777, after British forces occupied New York City, the New York Provincial Congress relocated north to Kingston, which briefly became the state's first capital. Merchant Abraham Van Gaasbeek allowed the newly formed New York State Senate to use a room in his stone home for their inaugural meetings under the recently adopted state constitution.

That chapter was brief. In October 1777, British troops burned much of Kingston to the ground. The Van Gaasbeek home survived, though damaged, and went on to serve as a private residence for nearly a century before being preserved as a historic site in 1887 — New York State's second-ever historic site.

What the Restoration Included

The project, funded by a $750,000 National Park Service grant tied to the America250 Semiquincentennial and $1.75 million in state capital funds, included a new cedar shake roof, framing and dormer window repairs, exterior masonry restoration, and a new drainage system connecting both the historic house and the 1927 museum building. All work adhered to strict historic preservation standards.

Two New Exhibitions

The updated museum now features "Revolution Comes to Kingston," exploring the city's role during the Revolutionary War, and "Vanderlyn: The Artist," highlighting the life of Kingston-born neoclassical painter John Vanderlyn, whose career carried him from the Hudson Valley to Paris.

The grand reopening celebration on May 30, 2026, drew crowds for open-house tours, Revolutionary War reenactors from the 1st and 3rd Ulster Militias, live historical music, food trucks, and hands-on craft activities. Admission to the site is free on reopening day.

Senate House is open Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., April through October.

3 Comments

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Tom Beechwood· Sep 3, 1:55 AM
2.5 million dollars and they only open it four days a week? Would love to see it open Tuesday and Friday too, especially for school groups. Still, the cedar shake roof looks great from the outside.
- PL
  Patrice L.· Sep 4, 10:45 PM
  Tom BeechwoodThe four days a week thing is probably a staffing issue more than anything else. State historic sites are notoriously underfunded when it comes to personnel even when capital money comes through for the building itself. Totally agree about school groups though, Tuesday would be a perfect field trip day.
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PatriciaV_Kingston· Sep 2, 11:47 PM
Took my grandkids through the Stockade District last summer and the Senate House was closed for all this work. Glad it finally reopened. The John Vanderlyn exhibit sounds really worth seeing, not many people around here even know he existed.