LISTING DETAILS
Premier historic stockade property, the governor Yates mansion, Samuel Fuller architect, on over a half acre with views of majestic Mohawk River. Massive brick structure with many period colonial appointments, deep moldings, built in cabinetry, wood panelling, mantels, refinished oak hardwoods throughout. Glorious two story owners unit with new kitchen and baths, stone terrace, high ceilings, library. Hundreds of feet of terraced rear lawns behind high brick wall. Four car garage. All units have new stainless steel appliancesl. Some rent CB higher.
HISTORY via The Daily Gazette
17 Front Street in the Stockade, once the home of Governor Joseph Yates back in the early 19th century, was built in 1760 by Tobias Van Eyck and designed by Samuel Fuller. Along with being the home of Schenectady's only governor back in the 1820s, the Yates House was owned by Gil Harlow for nearly 75 years. A former civil engineering professor at Union College, Harlow bought the house from Dr. Glen Smith in 1941 and lived there for 70 years. He passed away in November 2014 at the age of 100.
It currently consists of seven separate apartments and all of them are occupied. Chard (Ron, the current owner) did plenty of renovation on the livings spaces when he purchased the building from Harlow's daughter, Priscilla Gocha, back in 2012.
Yates, who was born nearby at 26 Front St., moved into the home a few years before he was elected governor of New York in 1822. The Yates' name is also connected to two other historic structures in Schenectady County. The Yates House just around the corner on Union Street, reputed to be the oldest house in Schenectady (1705-1710), belonged to an uncle, Abraham Yates, and the Yates Mansion in Glenville was built by Joseph's grandfather, also named Joseph.
Joseph was named the first mayor of Schenectady in 1798 and served 12 one-year terms. He was also a state senator and a judge on the state supreme court. He was also one of the dignitaries on the initial run of the Mohawk-Hudson Railroad in September of 1831 from Albany to Schenectady.
During Yates' time at the house, he was visited by such dignitaries as Van Buren, Aaron Burr and the Marquis de Lafayette. Much later, during World War II and throughout much of the 1950s, Harlow's house was also called the University Club because he rented out bedrooms to recent college graduates embarking on an engineering career at nearby General Electric. Sometimes as many as 36 GE employees were sharing bedrooms in the house according to Gocha, who remembers how the house bustled with energy in those days. One of the tenants was a young engineer by the name of Pete Converse, who started his own sneaker company, and another was Keith Mullinger, whose older sister, the actress Donna Reed, visited him for a Christmas party at the house back in the early 1950s.
The Gov. Yates House was also known for its backyard that included a three-level terrace garden and a swimming pool. It stretched nearly down to the Mohawk River but hasn't really recovered since much of it was damaged by water during Hurricane Irene in 2011.
FOR SALE
17 Front St, Schenectady, NY 12305
12 (4) beds | 7 Full/4 Half baths | 9143 sqft | .58 acres
LINKS:
Listing Agent, Zillow, Realtor, Daily Gazette Article, LOC,
Featured Photos
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| via The Daily Gazette - Photographer: Erica Miller/Gazette Photographer |
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| via Library of Congress |
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| via Library of Congress |
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| Via Library of Congress |
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