Onderdonk House
The Onderdonk House, at 758 Piermont Avenue, is an outstanding example of lower Hudson Valley domestic architecture, illustrating the regional preference for native stone construction in the 18th and early 19th century and the transition between Dutch and English building practices. The original building incorporated three distinct periods of construction ca.1737, ca.1810, and ca.1867. Built ca.1737, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
This structure, with its gable-ended roofs, was neglected for many years and by 2014 was slated to be condemned. At the 11th hour, it was saved by the new owners who rebuilt it in 2015. The original stones were carefully conserved and reused. A stone to the left of the entrance inscribed with the date of 1810 was returned to its original location as were all the cornerstones. The saving of the Onderdonk House ensures that an event of national historic importance will not be forgotten and will continue to be part of the narrative of the community.
Daniel Onderdonk was an ensign in the Revolution. Both the building and the Onderdonk family played a significant role in the history of the lower Hudson Valley. An account published in the New York Times, states that the Onderdonk House was fired upon and struck by cannon balls from the HMS Vulture in 1777, following a skirmish between locals and a shore party from the British ship.
Near the end of the revolutionary war, in May 1783, General George Washington and Sir Guy Carlton, the Commander of the British forces in New York, met at the Onderdonk House before they went to the DeWint house in Tappan, New York to negotiate the withdrawal of the British forces from New York City. Upon completion of the negotiations, Sir Carlton invited Washington for supper on board the HMS Perseverance, and honored Washington with a 17-gun naval salute acknowledging the American nation for the first time.
