109 Union St Schenectady

Robert Yates House

Jan Roeleffsen, one of the earliest set­tlers of the city, and his wife Baestie Pieterse sold the house and lot at this location to Jan Pootman on September 12, 1687, with the proviso that they were to remain there for the rest of their natural lives. But both the Roeleffsens were killed in the Massacre of 1690 and the house was burned.

The earliest section of the Robert Yates House was constructed in c.1730 by Robert Yates, a cordwainer who had his tannery on Mill Lane.  The construction of the house has often been mis-attributed to his son Abraham, a carpenter and merchant, who would have been an infant when his father built the house, but who inherited the house in 1748 after his father’s death.

The house is notable for characteristic architectural features of Dutch colonial period houses found in the Capital District, including a brick façade applied to a wood post and beam frame structure, gable end wall at the street front with vlechtegen (mouse-toothing) and a brick gable newel, and beaded clapboard siding.  The façade retains distinctive wrought iron “fleur-de-lis” ties that hold the brick veneer to the wood framing.  In the early 19th century, the house was enlarged with the addition of the east side wing and rear wings, window sash were replaced with the current 6-lights-over-6-lights double hung sash, and the Greek Revival style entrance door with sidelights.

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