Myndert Van Schaick (September 2, 1782 inAlbany, New York – December 1, 1865 inNew York City) was an American politician fromNew York and co-founder ofChildren's Village with 23 others.^[1]

He was the son ofBrigadier GeneralGoose Van Schaick (1736–1789), aContinental Army officer during theAmerican Revolutionary War,^[2] and Maria (née Ten Broeck) Van Schaick (1750–1829).

His paternal grandparents wereSybrant Van Schaick, who served asMayor of Albany, New York from 1756 to 1761, and Alida (née Rosebloom) Van Schaick.^[3] His mother was the eldest of ten daughters born to John Tobias Ten Broeck (himself the son ofDirck Wesselse Ten Broeck).^[4]

Van Schaick was a member of theNew York State Assembly (New York Co.) in1832, and anAlderman of New York City (5th Ward) in 1832-33. At the same time he was Treasurer of the Board of Health of New York City, while acholera epidemic ravaged the city.^[5]

He was a member of theNew York State Senate (1st D.) from 1833 to 1836, sitting in the56th,57th,58th and59th New York State Legislatures. He was also an Assistant Alderman of New York City (5th Ward) in 1835-36. He resigned his seat in the State Senate on May 22, 1836.^[5]

During his tenure in the City Council, Assembly and State Senate, he was the driving force behind the planning, and enacting of the pertinent legislation, of the construction of theCroton Aqueduct.^[6] When the aqueduct was inaugurated in 1842, Van Schaick was appointed to the Water Board, and remained in office until 1848, part of the time as Chairman.^[7] He was President of the Board of Commissioners of the Croton Aqueduct Department from 1855 to 1860.^[8]

In 1815, he married Elizabeth Hone, daughter of John Hone and niece ofPhilip Hone (1780–1851), also aMayor of New York City. Together, they were the parents of:^[9][10]

• Mary Van Schaick, who married William B. Oddie in 1849.^[11]
• Joanna Van Schaick (d. 1819), who died young.^[9]
• John Hone Van Schaick (d. 1841).^[10]
• Henry Van Schaick (1825–1914), who married Charlotte Sargent Gray (1832–1912), daughter of Samuel C. Gray.^[9]

Van Schaick died at his residence on December 1, 1865.^[12] He was buried at theNew York Marble Cemetery.^[13]

Through his daughter Elizabeth, he was the grandfather of Elizabeth Van Schaick Oddie, who married Grenville Winthrop (1837–1869), the son of Thomas Charles Winthrop (1797–1873) and brother ofRobert Winthrop (1833–1892).^[14]

Through his son Henry, he was the grandfather of Mary Van Schaick (1858–1858), who died young, Henry Sybrant Van Schaick (1859–1901), who died unmarried, George Gray Van Schaick (1861–1924), who married Alice Monson (1871–1953), Elizabeth Van Schaick (b. 1863), who married Count Alexander inFlorence, Italy on June 8, 1886, and Eugene Van Schaick (1865–1916), who married Minnie Delamater Haulenbeck (1863–1922), daughter ofPeter Delamater and Ellen (née Kronkjeit) Haulenbeck.^[9]

• Portrait of Van Shaick at theNew York Marble Cemetery

• 1782 births
• 1865 deaths
• New York (state) state senators
• New York (state) Jacksonians
• Members of the New York State Assembly
• New York City Council members
• Burials at New York Marble Cemetery
• 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature

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