Friends of Lindenwald

Springtime in Martin Van Buren's hometown

Its #NationalParkWeek everyone! Every Year National Park Week is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, help out, and find ...your park. Each day has a theme and we will be chiming for a few of them so stay tuned! The first day of National Park Week is #ParkRxDay so write yourself a prescription to visit us! National Parks are places for recreation, reflection and education belonging to all Americans. Many sit amongst our country's most beautiful landscapes- perfect to also serve as places for healing. The National Park Services recognizes nature's healing power and has encouraged parks to develop veterans' programs to aid in the process. Their website provides information on its 'Parks for Healing' programs at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/military/parks-for-healing.htm Martin Van Buren National Historic Site is a 'Parks for Healing' participant. The setting is ideal for those needing a quiet place amidst nature; its grounds border a farm with beautiful scenery and connecting trails. Our 'Arts in the Park' program encourages Veterans to employ their creative side during their visit by taking advantage of available art and writing supplies. The park also has lightweight easels, portable stools and small tables available for comfortable creation. Veterans may visit any day between dawn and dusk without a need to check-in. However, the Park Rangers enjoy offering a warm welcome and appreciate an opportunity to chat about the site. Should additional assistance be required to maneuver the grounds, a golf cart is ready for transport - with prior notification. Lindenwald is the name Martin Van Buren gave the house and farm when he acquired it during the second year of his presidency. It later served as a place of solace for him after several personal tragedies and political losses. The staff hopes the grounds of Lindenwald may come to serve as a place of solace for all, as it did for President Van Buren so long ago. For additional information about the "Arts in the Park for Veterans' contact Ranger Maryalice at (518) 758-9689 ext. 2009 or via email: [email protected]

President Van Buren's December 5 birthday is a favorite day here in Kinderhook, as is March 23. On this day in 1839, "O.K." was printed in a Boston newspaper as... a play-on-words. If not for President Van Buren's re-election bid in 1840, OK may have been quickly forgotten. ;-) #slang #presidents #ok #puns See more

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone! Who better to toast on this day than Martin Van Buren? At least thats what members of New York's Hibernian Provident society..., a long standing Irish-American charity, thought on Saint Patrick's day in 1835. They toasted the then vice president as, "the favorite son of our flourishing state: his talents, patriotism and attachment to our common country calls forth our unqualified approbation. Saint Patrick's day was an especially important holiday in New York since before Van Buren was born. The first Saint Patrick's day parade in the United States was held in New York City in 1762. Even if there aren't as many parades this year we can always still raise a toast to Van Buren or otherwise. So happy Saint Patrick's Day!

On this day in 1782, Maarten Van Buren was born in the Town of Kinderhook, New York. By the time he became our 8th U.S. president in 1837, he was known by the A...mericanized spelling of "Martin." However, his Dutch roots remained strong; Van Buren is the only president to have learned English as his second language. He is buried at Kinderhook Reformed Church Cemetery along with his parents and wife, Hannah. See more

Please join us this Saturday, Dec. 5th at 11 am.

You're invited to join the Friends of Lindenwald and @MartinVanBurenNationalHistorcSite in celebrating Martin Van Buren's 238th Birthday this Saturday at 11:00 AM. The Friends, along with the historic site and the town of Kinderhook, have proudly hosted this celebration for many years and it's because of generous donors like you that make special events like this possible. On this #GivingTuesday, consider honoring our 8th president's birthday with a gift to the Friends or by becoming a member. https://friendsoflindenwald.org/donate-now

Save the date! (December 5th at 11 am)