Pruyn House Curator
The Town of Colonie will be hiring a Curator for the Pruyn House Historic Cultural Center which falls under the purview of the William K. Sanford Town Library. Applications are available on the Town's Employment page: https://www.colonie.
This beautifully restored home situated on 5 ½ acres is a connection to the Dutch heritage of this area. Built by Casparus Pruyn about 1830 as a country home for his wife, Ann, and their eight children, it is a blend of Federal and Greek Revival architecture. Along with his job as land and business agent for Stephen Van Rensselaer III, the last patroon, Mr. Pruyn used a portion of his over 170 acres for farming. Over the years, the property had many owners, the longest being members of the Henkes family. John and Carrie Henkes purchased the property in 1893. In 1983, the Town of Colonie purchased the home, began extensive repairs and opened it to the public in 1985 as a historic and cultural center.
The interior original Greek Revival details include doors, moldings, grey marble mantles, newels, balusters and a majestic staircase. There are ten outbuildings including the Buhrmaster Barn reconstructed on the grounds in 1987 and the Verdoy Schoolhouse which arrived in 1996. Other structures include a smokehouse, a potting shed, a woodshed/privy building, a carriage house, wellhouse and restroom facility. The lovely herb and flower gardens maintained by the Fort Orange Garden Club, are a focal point for this site. The gardens grace the grounds of the complex complete with brick walks, painted fences, and a sun dial.
