Program

NYS Historic

Subject

House, Industry & Commerce, People

Location

644 Spook Rock Rd, Hudson, NY 12534, USA

Lat/Long

42.197610297456, -73.752204406094

Grant Recipient

Town of Claverack

Located in the town of Claverack, the Conyn Homestead—also known as Locust Dale Farm and the Conyn-Van Rensselaer Home—has a storied past, tracing its roots back to the Conyn family who first acquired the property where the house stands in 1727. Several generations of the Conyn and Van Rensselaer family lived and farmed there throughout the 18^th and 19^th centuries, including Casparus Conyn, who served as a captain of the militia during the Revolutionary War. Captain Conyn was involved in the construction of the brick house on the property, which still stands.

Casparus Conyn, along with either his brother, Laurans/Lawrence Konyn, or his father, Casparus Laurence/Lawrence Conyn, completed construction of the house circa 1766, as mandated by the latter’s will so that both sons would have a place to live following his death. (Note: there are multiple spellings of names used by the family, including interchangeably using C/K in the spelling of Casparus and Conyn.) Along with the house, their father divided his property to be split between them following his death.

Their handiwork contains two tiles marked KK 1766 and LK 1766 on either gable-end of the brick structure, serving as a signature to their work. Primary sources, as of 2024, have not been located to confirm whether Casparus or his brother first lived in the house; however, by 1799 the property is listed on a map as being home to Casparus Conyn.

Prior to that Casparus Conyn served as the Captain of a local militia, which secondary sources say he outfitted himself.

According to The History of Columbia County, New York: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, written by Franklin Ellis and published in 1878, Captain Conyn was nearly killed during a visit home to Claverack during the Revolutionary War.

“During the darkest period of our Revolution he [Casparus Conyn]… received a furlough, came home to visit his family, and while there, reposing in his own house, about midnight, a noise was heard by his wife… They sprang up and found the house surrounded. Every window had a sentinel, and they found it too late to give an alarm. The robbers, or Tories, as they were called, had already entered the house.”

The attackers proceeded to ransack the house and nearly killed Casparus, who barely escaped after he and his family were saved by a neighbor passing by. That same publication also references the house, describing it as:

“In 1766 he erected a large house in that section, which yet stands in good condition. It is a gambrel roofed structure of brick, two and a half stories high, and is now owned by A. H. Van Rensselaer, a maternal descendent.”

Casparus would give the house to his daughter and son-in-law following their marriage, and it would remain in the family until 1884. The property is commonly referred to as the Locust Dale Farm on account of the trees on the property said to be planted around the time the house was constructed.

The Conyn House is celebrated as a unique blending of Dutch and English building styles by architectural historians and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.