[kznyc2k]

I just got a great point-and-shoot camera for Christmas (Canon PowerShot SD800) and I did a photo tour of my hometown (well, lived there from age 8 to 21) for the first time ever. It's quite interesting to see such a familiar environment captured in self-taken still images.

My town is Kinderhook, Duch for "children's corner." It's very old, and was formed on the route of the old Postal Road, connecting NYC to Albany, now known as Route 9. Between this and the natural power available in the Kinderhook Creek, the town flourished, and mill workers, politicians and lawyers alike all resided here. Martin Van Buren, 8th US President, has his house and grave here, and many other important figures from the early days of our country had ties to Old Kinderhook, commonly known as OK and (arguably) considered the birthplace of the oh-so-common expression "OK." Also, Washington Irving wrote "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" here, complete with the characters Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. However, by 1850 this town's importance had dried up.

What's left for us today is a village historically protected that showcases all sorts of fine examples of 18th and early 19th century architecture that I never appreciated until recently..

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/9512/img0089mx0.jpg

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/5735/img0098dq1.jpg

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/5305/img0086zw7.jpg

Columbia County Historical Society museum:

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/2093/img0096yk1.jpg

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/5499/img0100ra5.jpg

Moving out of "downtown" now

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5365/img0102ex6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/9681/img0107hf6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

town library:

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/7258/img0109pm8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

and since you've all been dying to know, this is where governor-defeat John Faso lives:

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/658/img0113ar8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Currently a district elementary school, originally the village high school:

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1558/img0115st0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/9008/img0116it4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8201/img0117wy2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4316/img0121ig0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1326/img0124rr6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8466/img0125tm7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/1641/img0131hi8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

This house is a fraternal twin to the above: same original plans, but this one was heavily modified during the height of the French Second Empire fashion. I was fortunate enough to see the interior a couple years ago and it's just as grand as the exterior

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3296/img0134dg1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The house where all the youngins go for a field trip at least a couple of times:

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/9586/img0135rc1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

back in ye "OK" towne square

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6598/img0136zs9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/3148/img0138vz4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/7835/img0139fu3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Railroad depot turned apartment complex:

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/8049/img0140lv5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/3156/img0145zo8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/295/img0147sy2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

My town's skyline: two 75 ft.- water towers

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/1654/img0143da4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Martin Van Buren's resting place

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/6329/img0150ju8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3455/img0151wh2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/1996/img0152gh6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/3793/img0069rc2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The Luykas Van Alan house dating from 1737: traditional dutch architecture transplanted into the Hudson River Valley

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4514/img0155wq9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/7509/img0078bw3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/8967/img0065br2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

An old theatre awaiting its fate

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/4654/img0071eo0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

(Valatie is the village next door to the village of K'hook, but still a part of the "Town of Kinderhook")

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/8689/img0081ni3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

And the random ones that only I have an emotional attachment to:

My house where I lived for 13 years, to the right:

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/7051/img0030fb5.jpg

Apple orchards surrounded my home

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/9088/img0031sq5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

My high school

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/694/img0053qm8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

And to end things on a happy note, the newly completed shopping plaza our town was so blessed to be honored with:

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4153/img0161we3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[BigKidD]

Nice town and pictures.

[JEH-NYC]

Lots of nice "painted ladies" in your town!
Thanks for the tour! :)

[samne]

Nice photos, the weather suits the town.

I really like the Hudson Valley and surroundings. I find it not really recognized accordingly outside the region.

[boden]

Good post of a sweet little town. I know it well as my Dad lives nearby in the grand metropolis of Hudson.:tup:

[Ex-Ithacan]

I'm embarassed to admit I didn't know of this place. Looks picture postcard perfect for a small Northeastern town. Amazing array of houses, and so historic. Thanks for sharing your pics (rainy when you took 'em eh? welcome to my world ;) ), and your childhood. :)

[JMancuso]

I'm embarassed to admit I didn't know of this place.

and you call yourself an upstate new yorker? shame on you!
















never heard if it either

[A-town]

Such a the perfet town, I also like the gloomy setting the pictures were taken in, excellent photography.

[secondson]

See, a WHOLE world of existence....er, exists....outside of the urban environment. (Eeesh, did I say that outloud?)

Very nice pictures. Looks like a lovely town. Very quaint. Nice homes. Seems very cozy - the kind of place where you want to break out the typewriter and start writing a novel.

[lexberg]

ah I love these old little villages in the Northeast! looks so cute and pretty.. wouldn't mind to live in one of those old wooden houses :)

[kznyc2k]

Such a the perfet town, I also like the gloomy setting the pictures were taken in, excellent photography.

Thank you. I too really like the atmosphere the weather created. Heh, I was walking around with a glove half covering the camera to protect it from the mist/rain when taking pictures. For all two other people outside then, I'm sure I looked pretty silly :sly:

[bpg88]

I have met several good friends from Kinderhook, oddly enough.

[Chicago Shawn]

Beautiful town! I love the setting with the light rian.