General John Burgoyne and Taylor Swift - "Built To Perfection"

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In my first post on this blog, I reserved the right to stray now and then from the 1777 line of march of the Convention Army.  I didn't expect that it would take me to pop music star Taylor Swift.  It has though, by way of a report that she was purchasing a house in Kinderhook, New York, that hosted British Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne after his surrender at Saratoga, while on his way to confinement in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

1774 Kinderhook home rumored to have been bought by Taylor Swift
First off, the story is said to be false.  An August 15, 2023, article in the Albany Times Union clarified that it was only a rumor that Swift was buying a house in Kinderhook, where a historical marker out front indicates Burgoyne stayed on October 22, 1777.

According to the Times Union article, a local middle-school principle posted on his Facebook page that: “It appears that Taylor Swift may become our neighbor. If the rumor is true, she has recently purchased the historic Burgoyne House across from the old Martin Van Buren Elementary School...” That post was deleted at some point before the newspaper article appeared, but not before it was shared almost 500 times, liked almost 200 times, and generated almost 100 comments.

The house, at 24 Broad Street in Kinderhook, had been listed for sale at $2,695,000.  The realtor's description began: "With a colorful provenance dating back to the American Revolution and the distinction of housing British General Burgoyne after his defeat at Saratoga, this iconic brick Georgian manor creates a remarkable setting for today's style of living..."  The home today is described as having five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, 5,796 square feet of living space set on 6.8 acres of land.  With an estimated annual property tax of $26,000, it appears suited for the lifestyle associated with General Burgoyne.

When the house first went on the market, the Times Union questioned whether Burgoyne had actually stayed there or not.  A caption for a photo of the house on Flicker indicates Burgoyne "reportedly" stopped there.  For those familiar with Burgoyne's activity after his surrender at Saratoga, that's a reasonable doubt in light of what appears on the historical marker.  After leaving Saratoga, Burgoyne stopped in Albany at the home of Major-General Philip Schuyler.  Most accounts indicate that he enjoyed the Schuylers' hospitality for ten days, which would make it impossible for him to have stayed in Kinderhook on October 22nd.

New Hampshire Militia Brigadier-General William Whipple's journal confirms that the "company", as he referred to his travel companions, stopped in Kinderhook while escorting Burgoyne to Cambridge - though not on the 22nd.  Whipple noted on October 22nd that "... Mr. Burgoyne desires to to [sic] tarry [in Albany] until the 24" and that Major Gains, who accompanied Whipple would "... set out & is to wait for me at Kender Hook."  On the 24th Burgoyne asked for two additional days, but it being late on the 26th before all were ready to travel, they did not leave Albany until October 27th. [1]

On the 27th, Whipple, with Burgoyne and the others, "set out from Albany at seven o’clock reached Kendar Hook about 11 o’clock which is 20 Miles - it rained hard all the way."   Whipple's journal leaves no room for doubt that they stayed overnight in Kinderhook, as he indicates for the 28th: "set out from Kendar Hook in the morning". [2]

Perhaps the October 22nd date was based on the assumption that Burgoyne was traveling with the German column when he passed through Kinderhook.  What is now referred to by many as the "Burgoyne House" was built for David Van Schaack in 1774.  The Specht Journal notes the German column was in town the night of October 22nd and 23rd, and that the Van Schaak home was "especially noteworthy; it was built to perfection in its beauty both outside and inside and decorated with modern and precious furniture." [3] 

Did Burgoyne actually stay in the Van Schaack's home?  It's not clear if there is sufficient documentation to support that claim, but he did stay in Kinderhook, and the brick Georgian style home looks like a reasonable choice after spending nearly two weeks at the Schuyler's home in Albany.  Likely he would have been welcomed by its owner.  According to the Germans, when they passed through "This man showed us many niceties and was one of our friends." [4]

Cover page of Burgoyne's play "Maid of the Oaks" from the Library of Congress collection, reprinted in 1884
Had Taylor Swift bought the Van Schaack house, she would have become the most recent musical talent to stay there.  Though not as famous as Swift for his artistic endeavors, Burgoyne was a creative spirit in his own right.  He was the author of poems, plays and opera lyrics, including his 1774 play "The Maid of the Oaks", sufficiently popular to have been re-printed and produced again in London in 1884.  

[1] Whipple Journal Transcription, entry for October 22, 1777, p. 6.
[2] Whipple Journal Transcription, entries for October 27 and 28, 1777, p. 7.
[3] Specht Journal, p. 104.
[4] Specht Journal, p. 104.





Next Week: The Riedesels - "My Hard Won Reputation Is Sacrificed"

For more on the Convention Army's 1777 march from Saratoga to Boston, see:


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