A bottle of wine discovered in 1970 by archaeologists in Albany’s Ten Broeck Mansion and later sold at an auction generated sufficient funds to preserve the structure for future generations, according to Sue Kastan, executive director of the Albany County Historical Association (ACHA), owner of the historical dwelling.
Today, the Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany offers visitors a view of a home representing the elegant lifestyle of a rich Dutch clan in the late 1700 to 1800s.
It was built in 1798 and called Prospect because of its commanding view of the Hudson River. It was built as a retirement home for the Ten Broecks, a prominent family of the era. Abraham Ten Broeck served the city, state and country in various roles during Albany’s Colonial years. He was a military commander during the Revolutionary War; Albany’s mayor from 1779 to 1798; a state senator; judge; and first president of the Bank of Albany and the city’s public library.
Prior to his marriage in 1763, Abraham was an apprentice in business with his brother-in-law, Robert Livingston, famous in his own right.
`He married Elizabeth, nee Van Rensselaer,` said Kastan, `and in 1748, they built the house on 5 acres of land outside the city leased from his wife’s family who were patroons.`
Elizabeth’s parents lived in the Van Rensselaer Manor House located north of Albany along today’s Broadway.
The couple had two daughters and one son. One of the women married and moved to Stillwater, and her sister remained a spinster.
By the 1800s, said Kastan, in addition to the couple and their children, 10 black slaves also lived in the house. By 1810, Elizabeth had released six. Ten Broeck died in 1810 and Elizabeth, three years later. There were several owners of the mansion after that.
Originally, the mansion was constructed in the Federal style, rectangular and unadorned. In the 1830s, when James King became the new owner, he converted the exterior to the Greek revival design by adding columns in the front and rear entrances.
After the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, the entire Albany/Arbor Hill area grew rapidly, thanks to a thriving lumbering business at the terminus of the canal.
In 1848, Thomas Worth Olcott purchased the mansion and his descendants resided there until 1948 when they deeded the structure to the ACHA to insure its preservation as a historic house/museum open to the public.
The Olcotts ` father and son ` collected wines, which included a rare variety of French Bordeaux wines plus varietals from extinct grapes, lost to blight. In 1970, one valuable wine bottle was discovered ` the one that provided sufficient funds to repair the roof and the 18th -century brickwork.
On a tour, visitors can observe 13 rooms on three floors, plus three bathrooms and granite fixtures.
Kastan said the mansion’s fine furnishings reflect the style and the best of local craftsmanship that would have been found in homes of wealthy families in mid-19th century.
In a sense, viewing portraits of some members of the Ten Broeck clan and other notables of the time period done by local artists of the era, provides a dose of realistic ambience to any visit.
A tour of the mansion enables a visitor to sense the life and furniture of a prosperous family during the city’s Colonial period.
For information about tours, call 436-9826.
Beginning in May, the regular tour schedule is Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults; $4 for seniors and students; and $3 for children 12 and under.
The Ten Broeck Mansion is located at 9 Ten Broeck Place in Albany. “