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Blauvelt clan proud of ‘Dutch’ identity after 363 years

Ancestor Gerrit settled on Manhattan land grant


Tags: Genealogy

CHERRY HILL, New Jersey - The Blauvelt family association hopes to release its own film for the occasion of the groups’s 75th Diamond Jubilee Reunion in September 2001. They want the clan to fully appreciate the story of its 363-year presence in the USA which started with the arrival of Gerrit Blauvelt on the tallship Kalmar Nyckel at Swede’s Landing in Delaware. Gerrit settled on Manhattan Island where he had received a land grant.

The film will trace Gerrit’s journey from Rensselaerwyck to New Amsterdam and the town Blauvelt where there are still seven of the original Blauvelt homes. Other sites connected with the Blauvelt clan are the Tappan, NY church, the DeWint House, the Greenbush church and the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum. A notable Blauvelt descendant is well-known U.S. artist Edward Hopper.

The Association of Blauvelt Descendants (ADS) publishes Blauvelt News, maintains website www.Blauvelt.org and holds a growing membership of 685 of which about 300 reside in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The group’s genealogy project currently is processing the 8th generation (since founder Gerrit) database.