Johnson Hall State Historic Site

Johnson Hall, built in 1763, was the center of a 700 acre estate and the home of William Johnson and Molly Brant, a Mohawk Indian, and their eight children. Johnson formed close ties with the Six Nations of the Iroquois and was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs by the British government after England won the French and Indian War. When Sir William died in 1774, Molly with her children returned to her hometown Canajoharie, a large Mohawk settlement, in west central New York. Johnson left 25,000 acres of the land, in addition to money and slaves, to Molly, The house and the rest of the land went to his eldest son by his first common law wife. The house and land were abandoned by the family when, as loyalists to the British crown during the Revolutionary War, they fled to Canada.

Molly Brant was an interesting person, She managed the household and ran the estate when Johnson was absent. After returning to Canajoharie, she established a successful fur trading post, supplied the loyalists with arms and munitions, and was influential in keeping the Six Nations on the side of the loyalists. After the Revolutionary War both Canada and the US wanted her to reside in their respective countries because of the good relationship she had with the Six Nations but she chose to stay in Canada where she was given a house, land, a pension, and compensation for her loses in the war.

A tour of the hall was being conducted when we arrived and, with only one employee on site, the visitor center was closed. A note on the window indicated that the next tour would be on the hour but when we returned the time had been pushed forward a half hour so we left without touring the buildings. The visitor center is in one of the two buildings that flank the hall. I think the building may have housed British soldiers at one time. It was also used for storage. The doorway is gated off so visitors can view the interior but not enter.

Paved paths lead to the building entrances. The patio is very bumpy cobblestone and hard to push along. The two buildings are accessible. The first floor of the house appears to be accessible.

The parking lot is large enough for any RV.  Hall 43.01559, -74.38335