National Historic Landmark · house · Rensselaer, New York

Fort Crailo

State historic site of New York. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.

Open to visitNational Historic LandmarkListed 1966
Archaeological dig display (34662571304)Building with closed shutters, Fort Crailo, Rensselaer, New York LCCN89706166Crailo State historic site (Fort Crailo) RensselaerDutch colonial items (34694091673)
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

What it is

The Crailo State Historic Site is a historic fortified brick manor house in Rensselaer, New York, which was built in 1707. The word Crailo is derived from kraaien bos and refers to Kiliaen van Rensselaer's estate in Huizen, Holland, which is also named "Crailo". Fort Crailo is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Property typeBuilding
AddressS of Columbia St. on Riverside Ave., Rensselaer, NY
CountyRensselaer County
ListedOct 15, 1966
Listed forExploration and settlement, Architecture
Level of significanceNational
Reference number66000563
Type of placehouse, museum, historic site
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark
Contributing resources1 building
StandingYes

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

AddressS of Columbia St. on Riverside Ave., Rensselaer, NY
Websitenysparks.com/historic-sites/30/details.aspx ↗
Coordinates42.6346° N, 73.7494° W · Directions ↗
Nearest national park unitMartin Van Buren National Historic Site · 19 miles · on Park Atlas
This one you can go inside. Hours and admission change with the season; the website above has the current schedule.

Explore

Map

Local history books for Rensselaer County

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Guidebooks to historic places in New York

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was Fort Crailo listed on the National Register?

Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

Can I visit Fort Crailo?

Yes. Fort Crailo is recorded as open to the public, and hours are on the official website.

Source: Official website

Where is Fort Crailo?

S of Columbia St. on Riverside Ave., Rensselaer, Rensselaer County, New York. The nearest national park unit is Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, 19 miles away.

Source: Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

Where is the nomination form for Fort Crailo?

The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.

Source: National Archives

Is there cell service at Fort Crailo?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000563. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.