Above is a view of the lovely dining room in the Robert Jenkins House. In the center is a painting by Hudson River School artist Henry Ary, and at right is a view of the library that houses a large collection of genealogy material and regional history. A whale bone from Hudson’s past is mounted above the bookshelves.
HENDRICK HUDSON CHAPTER, HUDSON, NY
The Robert Jenkins House, owned by the Hendrick Hudson Chapter, NSDAR, has a history nearly as long as Hudson itself. To fully understand the significance of the site, the city’s only museum, one must trace Hudson’s roots.In 1783, a number of people from Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island, left their homes to start a new settlement. A group of 30 were named to a committee who would be called the proprietors. Among their goals was to find a suitable settlement. They decided on Claverack Landing, which later became Hudson. The purchase was made in the name of Thomas Jenkins and deeded by him to the proprietors.Among the first families to arrive were Thomas Jenkins and his brother, Seth. By the spring of 1784, the rest of the proprietors arrived with their families. Many of the early families were Quakers, including the Jenkins family.The purchase was the starting point for Hudson to become a thriving city. Houses went up and businesses were established. Eventually the city grew to the point where it was considered for the state capital, but lost that honor to Albany by one vote. The man who was to become Hudson’s first mayor, Seth Jenkins, Sr., purchased the land that is now the Robert Jenkins House in 1792.
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