Historical Weather Display at Lindenwald

We will be setting up an historical weather station at the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site featuring a number of antique and replica weather instruments dating from the early to mid-nineteenth century through to the early to mid-twentieth century.

The Historical Weather Display will be an opportunity to learn about and interact with these earlier weather instruments, many of which were manufactured and/or used locally. Some, like the De Witt Rain Gauge (circa 1830) and Kendall Thermometer (circa 1860), were part of a 19th century meteorological network throughout New York State that included sites in Kinderhook, Hudson, New Lebanon, Chatham, and Spencertown.

Visitors will be invited to try their hand at reading the weather conditions like observers from the past on some of the still-functional instruments, and also can peruse a daily almanac of meteorological and seasonal observations made historically by 19th century observers in Kinderhook and nearby towns. These historical observations offer a fascinating window into how weather and climate has changed since Martin Van Buren’s time, and some of the local effects of those changes.