Van Buren, a founder of the
Democratic Party, purchased the home and approximately of land in 1839 for $14,000 (equal to $ today) while he was still president. However, Van Buren did not move into the home until 1841 (after he was defeated for his second term by the
Whig candidate
William Henry Harrison in 1840). Eventually, his four living sons,
Abraham,
John, Martin Jr., and Smith, had rooms in the mansion. The home was previously owned by the Van Ness family and was where
Washington Irving wrote most of his books
A History of New York and
Sketch Book. Irving and Van Buren later became friends. Van Buren ran two United States presidential campaigns from Lindenwald. In 1844, he based his ultimately unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination at the estate. That year, Van Buren lost a hotly contested fight to nominee and eventual President
James Knox Polk. In 1848, in opposition to the extension of slavery into territories captured from Mexico as a result of the
Mexican–American War, Van Buren ran for president on a third-party ticket (The
Free Soil Party), again directing his campaign from Lindenwald. Van Buren's campaign drew enough votes away from the Democratic nominee,
Lewis Cass, to allow Whig candidate
Zachary Taylor to prevail. Van Buren named the estate Lindenwald, which is German for "linden forest", after the American Linden (American Basswood or
Tilia americana) trees lining the
Albany-to-New York Post Road, which is still located in front of the home. The section of the road on the property remains unimproved to this day. Some replanted Linden trees also remain by the side of the road. Van Buren died at Lindenwald on July 24, 1862. He was 79. ==Recognition==