Talk:Van Alstyne Homestead

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Frank.Conover (talk · contribs)

On 22 April 2026, it was proposed that this article be moved from Van Alstyne House to Van Alstyne Homestead. The result of the discussion was moved.

Rename

I am a member of the Van Alstyne Homestead Society and have edited this page in the past. We would like the title to change from House to Homestead. That was a mistake by the original creator of this page and we never knew how to change it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Frank.Conover (talk • contribs)

Requested move 22 April 2026

Latest comment: 4 months ago14 comments6 people in discussion

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: moved. (closed by non-admin page mover) m s k 18:16, 26 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Van Alstyne House → Van Alstyne Homestead – House is incorrect. Frank.Conover (talk) 20:23, 22 April 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. Feeglgeef (talk) 21:48, 29 April 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. Jeffrey34555 (talk) 23:09, 6 May 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. ⹃Maltazarian ^{ᚾparley $\lor$ investigateᛅ} 02:16, 14 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Comment What name is used by reliable secondary sources? See WP:COMMONNAME. 162 etc. (talk) 20:59, 22 April 2026 (UTC)Reply
Our web sites: Org

Facebook

Other

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=22527 Frank.Conover (talk) 21:15, 22 April 2026 (UTC)Reply
sorry on that last one:

Historical Marker Frank.Conover (talk) 21:17, 22 April 2026 (UTC)Reply
I note your use of the word "our" in this reply; please see WP:COI. 162 etc. (talk) 21:59, 22 April 2026 (UTC)Reply
Okay. Noted.

The name of the page is wrong. I gave references. What else do you need? Frank.Conover (talk) 22:49, 22 April 2026 (UTC)Reply
Any conflict of interest should be WP:DISCLOSEd.

The discussion is open; editors are welcome to comment, support or oppose. An uninvolved editor will close the discussion in no less than seven days. 162 etc. (talk) 23:29, 22 April 2026 (UTC)Reply
I am a member of the VAHS. We own the property. Is that a conflict?

One of the links I sent shows an official government market with the correct name. Frank.Conover (talk) 23:41, 22 April 2026 (UTC)Reply
Comment. Its NRHP listing calls it the Van Alstyne House. -- Necrothesp (talk) 10:26, 28 April 2026 (UTC)Reply
You can see Homestead in two specific places managed by the National Park Service:

1. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Database

In the NPS "National Register Information System," the property is listed with the Reference Number 83001711.

Primary Name: Van Alstyne House

Other Names: Van Alstyne Homestead

While the digital entry title often defaults to "House," the official Nomination Form (the "proof" document) submitted to the NPS and the Secretary of the Interior frequently uses "Homestead" to describe its historical function as both a home and a tavern.

2. The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)

This is a specific National Park Service program (established in 1933) to document America's architectural heritage.

In the HABS records (which are archived by the Library of Congress but conducted by the NPS), the survey for this site is indexed as NY,20-CANA,2-.

The documentation and archival photographs within this NPS program frequently refer to the building as the Van Alstyne Homestead to reflect its 18th-century origin.

Summary of Source Links

NPS Digital Asset Management System (NPGallery): This link takes you to the official registration document. You will see that while the header may say "Van Alstyne House," the text often references its status as a homestead.

Van Alstyne Homestead Society Official Site: While not an NPS site, this is the organization that actually owns and operates the building at 42 Moyer Street. They use "Homestead" exclusively in their legal and public identity.

Essentially, the "House" designation is a modern administrative label used by the National Register, while "Homestead" is the historically accurate name recognized by the NPS's own survey teams (HABS) and the New York State Historic Preservation Office. Frank.Conover (talk) 12:52, 28 April 2026 (UTC)Reply

Note: WikiProject National Register of Historic Places and WikiProject Architecture have been notified of this discussion. Jeffrey34555 (talk) 23:09, 6 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Support Preponderance of evidence indicates that "Homestead" is most commonly used in the present day, and the name has historical precedence. Although the NRHP defaults to "House" as the primary name, they tend to choose the name they think was most common at the time of greatest historical significance, and NOT the name that is most common today. Andrew Jameson (talk) 13:01, 8 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Additional Sources (Publications):

1 April 26, 2025

News Article • Daily Gazette

"Democratic congressional candidate Blake Gendebien greets supporters at the Van Alstyne Homestead Museum in Canajoharie."

Regional Press: The Daily Gazette consistently uses the name in regional reporting (e.g., covering community town halls at the "Van Alstyne Homestead Museum").

2 The Collaborative Magazine

"Sassi, like Scherer, worked in the biz, including an eight-year stint with Schenectady Historical Society and rounds at Fulton County Museum and the Van Alstyne Homestead Society in Canajoharie."

3 Internal Wikipedia Consistency & Regional Context: On the primary Canajoharie (village), New York Wikipedia page, the site is explicitly referred to multiple times as the "Van Alstyne Homestead" — including in its history section regarding George Washington's visit and its listing of individual historic landmarks.

Cultural Cohesion: Regional museum networks and local Chamber of Commerce historic trail mappings consistently group the village's two major cultural anchors together, directing visitors to "The Arkell Museum" and the nearby "Van Alstyne Homestead" (located 0.3 miles away on Moyer Street).

4 Local Government: The Montgomery County Business Development Center's Village Comprehensive Plan explicitly refers to the site as the "Van Alstyne Homestead" (Page 39).

State Tourism: The official New York State tourism site (ILoveNY.com) designates the property as an official Path Through History landmark under the name "Van Alstyne Homestead".
Regional History Context: Collaborative regional networks, including local Chamber of Commerce historical directories and the Mohawk Valley History index, exclusively list the site as the "Van Alstyne Homestead".

Given that "Homestead" is the standard designation used by state tourism, local planners, regional press, and the public, relocating the page to Van Alstyne Homestead fulfills WP:COMMONNAME while a redirect can easily handle the technical NRHP registry name. Frank.Conover (talk) 17:38, 24 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.