Schuyler Mansion, where Alexander Hamilton got married
Hamilton fans know it as the house where Alexander Hamilton got married, but for nerds who specialize in obscure presidential trivia, it's where Millard Fillmore married his second wife. We stopped by the Schuyler mansion in Albany, N.Y., which was built in 1761 for Philip Schuyler, a Revolutionary War general, U.S. senator — and father-in-law to Alexander Hamilton.
Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler, seen in the portrait on the wall, came from a very wealthy and prominent family. She had 15 children, the first and last of whom were born on the same day, 25 years apart. She lost 7 children, among whom where twins and triplets. Of her eight surviving children, four of them eloped! Eliza's marriage was OKed.This first-floor room was originally a bedroom and later turned into a dining room, after the French made dining rooms fashionable.The portico in front was a later addition. You can see the attic dormers, which is where slaves slept. Yes, New Yorkers had slaves too — history books gloss over that! — and the wealthy Schuyler family had many slaves.The lobby was dressed to impress. The wallpaper alone cost the equivalent of 13 years of wages from a tenant farmer.The bannister and spindles are original to the house, and you're allowed to touch them.One of four large bedrooms upstairs. This one was for the children.The yellow parlor was very… yellow. This was the "informal" gathering space. The portrait on the wall is of the youngest Schuyler daughter and her baby.The best parlor was the fanciest room in Albany, and it's where Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler were married. (And later, Millard Fillmore!)
