A Brief History

  Johnson Hall was built in 1763 as the home of Anglo-Irish immigrant Sir William Johnson (1715 - 1774) and Molly Brant/ Konwatsi'tsiaienni of the Mohawks (1736-1796). They lived here with their eight children, numerous Native and European guests, and a large number of free, indentured, and enslaved servants. Their combined influence made them the most powerful family in the colonial Mohawk Valley, deeply impacting the diplomacy of the region and the wider world.

  Johnson's relationship with the leadership of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee greatly contributed to England's victory over France for control of colonial North America. For his service, the British Crown bestowed upon Johnson the title of Baronet, and later appointed him Superintendent of Indian Affairs, a position to which he devoted himself for the rest of his life.

  Differing cultures, traditions and languages combined to create a unique life for the Johnson family, with the Hall bustling with daily activity intermingling home and business life. Visitors included members and representatives of various Native American nations, sometimes numbering in the hundreds at Council gatherings. The elegant Georgian-style mansion was the centerpiece of a 700-acre working estate, with elaborate formal gardens, vegetable plots, orchards, a mill, blacksmith shop, Indian trade store, barns, enslaved and tenant housing, and other support buildings.

  Following the death of Sir William in 1774, Molly and her children left Johnson Hall, and his eldest son John inherited both the property and title of Baronet. By 1776, the new Revolutionary government forced this Loyalist family and many of their supporters to flee to Canada under threat of imprisonment and violence. Johnson Hall was seized and looted, with most of its remaining contents subsequently sold at auction following the war. Johnson Hall remained a private residence through 1906, when it was acquired by the State of New York and opened to the public as a State Historic Site. 

Today, Johnson Hall continues to welcome visitors and interpret the site's colonial history through guided tours, on-site and outreach educational programs, and special events