Van Rensselaer Family Plot in East Greenbush

Earlier today with warmer weather upon us, I decided to take a walk/hike to the original burial plot of the van Rensselaer family.  It is located in East Greenbush.  But it will not be found easily.  The only way to get there is to drive to Hayes Road (off Route 9J south to Castleton) & the railroad tracks.  At the tracks, you need to walk along the tracks for approximately 1 mile north and the small family plot will be found on the west side of the railroad tracks.

The plot is just off the tracks about 100' feet in and is surrounded by a wrought iron fence and gate.  I do not know if it is on private property or on property owned by the railroad.  There are many stones located within the fence.  Many are very hard to read.  I believe that many of these individuals have been re-interned at the family plot in Albany Rural Cemetery.

Some of the burials here include Killian van Rensselaer (died 1845), Gerrit van Rensselaer, Harriet S. van Rensselaer, Cornelius van Rensselaer, and Maria Genet wife of Cornelius.  Without undertaking any research I am assuming that Maria Genet is a relative of Citizen Genet (1763-1834) who was a prominent Greenbush resident who also lived in the vicinity of Hayes Road.

Citizen Genet home, Prospect Hill on Hayes Road in East Greenbush.  Could it be that this family burial plot was located on Genet's land?

Killian van Rensselaer grave stone.

Harriet S. van Rensselaer grave stone.

Maria Genet wife of Cornelius van Rensselaer.

A great summer project would be to find out who owns the property and contact them to ask if it is OK to clean up and restore this old family plot before it disappears.