Philip Schuyler Historic Sites and Dredging PCB's in the Hudson

Bookshelf in library at Schuyler's Mansion

Today was a  busy, long day! In the morning, we visited Philip Schuyler's mansion that he occupied from

Wallpaper on second floor

1806 to 1917. This property was never used in the revolutionary war. He lived there with his wife and his 8 children, he had 15 but 7 of his children died. He was well known for land speculations, trading, negotiations, and politics with the Indians as well a revolutionary war hero. In 1760, he chose a site in southern Albany to build his English Gregorian house. When he married Catherine, he was given a dowry also and he used this money to build their home. He sailed to England and purchased window glass, wallpapers, and furniture for his new home while he stayed in London. And I noticed how highly decorated the house was, especially the parlor rooms, which were used for weddings, celebrations, and entertainment of guests.  My favourite part of the house was the library room. It seemed like the only peaceful room in the house  and it was not highly decorated as the other rooms. Philip did not expect anyone to come to this room; this was a place where he can be by himself reading his legal collection and writing private letters. The story that intrigued me was about the soldier he took as his prisoner of war and he treated him very nicely in his home after burning down some a few buildings that Philip owned. It was so surprising to me how forgiving Philip must have been to treat the wounds of his enemy. I probably would not have done so. I also would have not have expected him to give his children, including his daughters, an equal share of the land since it was uncommon for girls to inherit land from their families.

Saratoga Monument

Afterwards, we visited Philip's other house in Saratoga. This room was very different from his mansion - it
was smaller, and the architecture and style of the rooms were simpler. After the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, he rebuilt the house that was in this area after it was burned down. I never knew that for the portraits, boys held swords and girls held flowers in their hands. I did not like how most of the pieces in the house were just copies or replicas, it made the house less interesting to me for some reason. I rather see original pieces instead of copies. And I did not really like the tour guide, she was just like that other tour guide - "No pictures, no phones, no texting, stay on the carpet. Don't breathe." Ugh, give me a break!
The Saratoga Mounement took eleven years to built, and it was built 100 years after the Battle of Saratoga to honour the Americans and British soldiers who fought. It cost almost a million dollars to build it and $3 million dollars to repair it over the years from stone deterioration. And I, that's right, I made it all the way to the top! But I only stayed there for like 2 seconds then I decided to head done. I was done for

Dredging in the Hudson River

the day. Oh, and Toby gave me a sticker for my accomplishment.. I will cherish it with my life forever.
Then we went down to the Hudson River and learned about dredging in the area. There has been PCB contaminant that has settled in the sediment below the Hudson River. General Electric primarily used PCB's for insulation and electrical systems. About 1.3 million pounds of this chemical was dumped into the Hudson over a 30 year period. Since the, PCB has been a hazardous waste problem in the river and dredging is the only solution to remove the contaminated sediments. I think it's time they start dredging the Hudson River to remove the PCB's before it affects the wildlife in the river by ingestation. Dredging will help dispose the contaminated sediments without disturbing other areas and prevent the PCB's from running throughout the river.This project is essential in reducing any risk to our health and for the protection and restoration of the environment.

Lunch at a Blockhouse