22 N Church St Schenectady

JOHN YATES HOUSE

The two single houses at 20 and 22 North Church Street were formerly one large house. When this house was divided into two, a hallway and door were added on the south side. One of earliest owners of the land at this loca­tion was Hendrick Brouwer, who sold it about 1730 to John Dunbar, said to have been known among the Dutch townspeople as "Yon Tombar." His daughter, Maria, married Joseph R. Yates in 1737 and the property came in­to possession of the Yates family about that time. One or more buildings may have stood on the property at a very early date, but the present structure was probably built about 1790, shortly be­fore the death of Nicholas Yates, who is known to have been part owner dur­ing his lifetime. In 1802 and for many years thereafter the property was in possession of John Yates, brother of Nicholas.