Valatie is a village with several waterfalls in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,785 at the 2020 census. The village is at the center of the town of Kinderhook on US 9.
The First Presbyterian Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Main Street, Valatie, 1914
Kinderhook is a town in the northern part of Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 8,330 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous municipality in Columbia County. The name of the town means "Children's Corner" in the language of the original Dutch settlers (Kinderhoek). The name "Kinderhook" has its root in the landing of Henry Hudson in the area around present-day Stuyvesant, where he was greeted by Native Americans with many children. With the Dutch kind meaning "child" and hoek meaning "corner", it could be that the name refers to a bend in the river where the children are. The eighth president of the United States, Martin Van Buren, was born in Kinderhook and retired to it.
Main square in Kinderhook
Historic marker commemorating Kinderhook as the birthplace of President Martin Van Buren.