The Van Hoesen House Historical Foundation began in 2005 when local citizens gathered to address the deterioration of the Jan Van Hoesen House (c 1740) in the Town of Claverack, NY. The house holds special significance as being one of only a handful of existing buildings exemplifying Dutch vernacular architecture. Abandoned in the 1960s, when the land it occupies was acquired by a local businessman who developed the adjoining fields into a mobile home park, it has since remained undisturbed at the edge of this community. Although the house’s metal roof and brick walls have protected the building’s integrity, over time mortar joints, footings and other areas have become increasingly unstable. Throughout this time, general maintenance has been performed by VHHHF President, Ed Klingler. However, lacking substantial ongoing support, and given the accelerated deterioration of the building, the prospect of preservation became dim.

In 2024, the VHHHF was reformed and reorganized to become the Van Hoesen - Marriott House Project. The new name reflects research done in the last decade, associating the house with a later owner — noted abolitionist Charles Marriott. It is believed that Marriott used this location as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Research has also shown that the Van Hoesen family enslaved several people while living in the home, thus making it one of few surviving places of enslavement in Columbia County. The new Board of Directors and Advisory Committee have made it their mission to preserve the building, that it may serve as an educational and historic site for the community to learn about Dutch history, architecture, and the history of enslavement and the Underground Railroad in the Hudson Valley.