Why Does This U.S. President Have The Least Visited Gravesite? 

I visited Martin Van Buren's grave on a very hot, humid August day. That morning, I visited Chester Arthur's in Albany, New York, and after I left Kinderhook, I made my way to Hyde Park to see Franklin Roosevelt's final resting spot.

He is also one that people say they tend to forget most often when trying to name the presidents...interesting as always...I miss the many graveyard visits!

_Goes to least visited gravesite._ _Has to wait for another visitor to leave._ 😆

Martin Van Buren’s grave was a sad but quaint sight to see when I visited it in 2010. We came out too late to visit his house just down the road, but of course, we were the only ones who were at his grave that day.

Thank you so much for plugging my book, Steve! And wow, my 4 times at Van Buren’s grave (2004, 2009, 2014, and 2016) I did not see another visitor. And you saw one in a single visit.

I've been watching you since I believe 60k subscribers, before your mother passed. You make great content, and in my opinion, you are rather underrated. I am surprised you don't put more pictures on Find A Grave.

I visited the gravesite of President Van Buren in 2018. When I arrived it was so eerie. I never saw one car or one person moving in the whole town. It was like the Twlight Zone. But, it was significant because his grave visit completed my journey of visiting every presidential gravesite. Loved your video!

Cool Steve. Pretty Country 🌲🌳Thank you for the road trip to the past .🎚🪦💨💨💨

The English actor, Nigel Hawthorne did a remarkable portrayal of President Martin Van Buren in the the movie, "Amistad". With Matthew McConaughey and Morgan Freeman. Great historical movie.

I remember President Van Buren because growing up in Chicago there is a street named after him

Enjoyed again, Steve, you collected alot of content on your road trip back East😊

I'm glad u pointed out that he was the 1st President born in the U.S. not many people know that. I remember that because i did a book report on Martin

Thanks for sharing his grave

Thanks for reminding us of our past presidents. It's interesting how different each president has been laid to rest and remembered (or not).

Thank you for providing some presidential history on President VanBuren. Enjoy the history you give behind burial sites you visit. Peace be with all the families of loss loved ones.

Wow! Typical Northeast, cloudy, dark, and cold. Thanks so much for the video, Steve. I watch all of your videos I can find. Thank you once again.

Hi Steve from the UK. Another great, respectful video. I have to admit, I've never heard of him before watching your video. Am very interested and am going to do some online searching to learn more. Thanks again and keep up the good work 👍. Andy from Southampton UK.

I really enjoy your page. I just watched the VAN Buren film. I also immediately went to Amazon and bought the Kindle version of the book. I have only read the first few pages but will go back to it after I have finished a book that I gave to check out first. Thank you for your page.

I love your dedication to finding the Presidents. I've been to 10 only. I Envie you for getting all of them!

Rutherford B. Hayes is also a “forgotten” president.

Interesting video Steve. Things I did not know.

I loved this video, Steve, thank you!

Steveeeee…..great to see you again…..we love ya.

Hi Steve nice to see you, hope u are fine 🤗👍

THANKS STEVE , ENJOYING THIS VLOG AS USUAL. SEE YOU NEXT TIME.💖 K,💜

That's neat Steve I didn't know that about Martin van Buren.. today is my birthday 🎂 🥳 today Steve..very good vlog.

I'm a recent subscriber, and I find your videos entertaining and educational.

Wow. I’m glad you shared this with us, Steve. 💁🏻‍♀️

Your comment about living next to a cemetary reminded me of something my mother used to say. "The dead don't hurt you, that's only the living. They kept to themselves, they don,t get the police called on them for their parties, and they usually have nice lawns.

Hi Steve...Peter Bain was an early successful merchant. I'll see if I can find more info in some old newspapers.😊

Always a pleasure to watch your videos, Steve.

My 2nd Great Grandfather’s name was Martin Van Buren Estes and was named after President Martin Van Buren. When the Civil War broke out my 2nd Great Grandfather was very young and fought in the Army of Northern Virginia as a member of 44th Georgia, as that is where he was from. (he was originally in the 2nd Georgia but transferred to the 44th I assume to be with his older brother). I should probably read a book on President Martin Van Buren to get perspective on his life and why my 3rd Great Grandparents named their son after our 8th President. Great video!

Calvin Coolidge does have a simple grave but the entire village of Plymouth Notch is preserved as a museum just a short distance from his grave. In fact, his son could be seen daily at the cheese factory in the village through the 90s. While Presidential libraries didn't come into vogue until Franklin Roosevelt, this one goes a bit further than many of the Presidential libraries in showing what life was like when Coolidge took the oath of office in his father's front room. While in Kinderhook, I hope you visited Martin Van Buren's home. It's beautifully preserved and fascinating to see.

Interesting video, thanks Steve! 😊

Decades ago, Marshall Hall Amusement Park was right across the river from Mount Vernon. I used to ride the Wilson Line down the river where they would first stop at the dock at Mount Vernon and then cross the river to Marshall Hall.

Thank you for this visit. I appreciate it.

Another Great Video Steve. Looking forward to the next one. God Bless and take care.

Glad to see you back l haven't seen anything from your channel in awhile, oh l guess l need to hit the bell

This is my first time on your channel and I have subscribed. You give good information and are respectful.

I lived in town that had the association with President Polk, they cared more about the annual Mule Day Parade then the President that lived there?...lol

Thank you for another great video Steve 😊

Love your channel. I especially love this series on the presidents

Thank you for sharing very interesting.

Thank you Steve for sharing the memories with us.

I’ve been there as well. It really is off the beaten trail. Thanks for the post Steve. Always nice to hear your insight.

Steve, you can use a flashlight to read some of the stones that are hard to read.

Surprised The Van Buren Boys aren't out there more often.

Nice to see you in New York again! Love your channel. I always look forward to your new content ❤.

Excellent Steve. Thank you for sharing this visit, of still an historical figure yet the same. I especially, liked the facts you read about him. Safe travels, Friend.

Thanks Steve for this video.

Thank you so much for the wonderful videos. 😊

Those old overgrown roadways in the cemetery were probably never meant for cars since that cemetery is so old. Interesting video Steve. Thanks!

When I first seen the title, I guessed Coolidge because it’s so far out of the way. Great visit.. Thanks Steve

Thanks Steve...very interesting

He said it's the least visited...yet when he got there there was a visitor requiring him to wait his turn.

So interesting. Thank you, Steve!❤

Hello Steve, lm fairly new to your channel, and always look forward to your videos which are well researched and narrated.. Thanks for sharing a UK fan 🇬🇧👏.........

What a great "bucket list" trek it would be, to visit the grave of every US President, and to use those travels to learn the biographical details and historic essentials of each. Thanks for the reference to the book "Presidential Grave Hunter", I'll be looking for it.

1:31 I'm frankly amazed that the historical marker has "Governor" misspelled.

Nice visit. 👋 to you and Jim

You have helped so many people find their way to the Presidents gravesites!! Thank you for that !!!

I'd love to live by a cemetery. To me they are peaceful places as well as historical and the names and epitaphs can be most interesting as well. You are always respectful and informative as well. I'm waving back, Steve!!!

Interesting video. Thank you.

I grew up near Albany NY on a deadend street right next to a cemetery. Loved it !!

I have not visited the Van Buren grave site but I have been to the grave sites of the following presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Adams, WH Harrison, Lincoln, Hayes, Garfield, McKinley, Taft, Wilson, Coolidge, FDRoosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy. On a trip to eastern Iowa about ten years ago I was all pumped to visit the grave of Herbert Hoover only to learn of its closure because of another government shut down. And FYI the "parking lot" at the grave of William Henry Harrison has room for only four cars. Thanks for this informative video!!!

Love the history, thanks for sharing this story! ❤🇺🇸✌🏼

Mt Vernon is my old stomping grounds. And yes the whole thing is spectacular and informative to us history nerds. And the cemetery you're at does look small and out there.

Glad to see you bkk out there Steve🎉 😊 keep them coming ❤

RIP Mr. Prisdent

Nice video

I'm glad you're back to showing these, Steve. You stopped doing your tribute to who died each month; as you said you were going to. And I guess the algorithm decided I wasn't interested anymore 😕 Drat! Who else was gonna tell me Shecky Green died? 🤷‍♀️

Thanks for this. He was for the most part viewed as a Mediocre president but that said he deserves respect for taking the hardest job on the planet. He deserves our respect, so THANKS!

Hey Steve, long time no see. I don't know if it's because of RU-vid algorithm or you haven't been doing much. But anyhoo, I just visited General James Longstreet grave here in Gainesville, GA. A lot of old markers that are hard to read. Including some revolutionary war ones. If you can make it here, it would be cool. Not sure if you ever did. Cheers 🍻

To me thats a large cemetery in my area

Very nice cemetery, thank you Steve for sharing.

enjoyed this video

The Graveyard Channel Keep Up Excellent Work Enjoy Watching You Videos Everyday Have A Blessed Day

Thank you Steve, bless you brother.

Love all your videos Steve , I’m from Scotland and didn’t know anything about this president, thank you for the mini history lesson , much appreciated 😊

Hello Steve! Several very interesting facts on this President that I didn't know. It is a lot quieter when you have a cemetery as a neighbor. I live right next to a cemetery currently and also lived right across the street from one years ago. Unfortunately, I was reading Stephen King's "Pet Cemetery" on Halloween one year and came across the name of the cemetery - it was the same as the one across the street. Nope, too much for me. I had to move...LOL. Thank you for this video and have a great day Steve. Blessings - Judith 🎤🎭

Hi Steve. I live in Columbia County, NY where Martin Van Buren is from and live about a half an hours drive from Kinderhook and I graduated from U-Albany with a degree in history. I think one of the reasons why Van Buren's grave isn't frequently visited is not only the remoteness of where Kinderhook is located but Van Buren didn't do anything significant during his one time as President that would have made him stand out in the history books. Also, the Panic of 1837 occurred during his presidency which caused him to only have one term because many people blamed him for the economic panic. One last thing; don't depend on GPS or Google maps to get you where you need to go. Go to a visitor's center instead.

Great job Steve ❤❤❤😮😮😮😊😊😊

Thank you

It is pathetic with all the money they waste they can't have some sort of Presidential Historical Society that would promote and take care of these grave sites, no matter how much they were hated they were still public servants? Thank you for bringing this too our attention.

Martin Van Buren

Very good work. Greeting from Argentina

I wish the cemetery was better kept. Those who have passed deserve better. Van Buren has a well kept grave. Thank you Steve. I appreciated this upload. Hope you are doing well. 🕊️❤️🙏

Good job as usual, Steve. In a roundabout way, I think you answered your own questions about why this might be the least visited of all presidential graves: It's in an out-of-the-way location; parking is a chore; and he was a one-term president from nearly two centuries ago who didn't do anything particularly noteworthy during his time in office.

Thanks!

I did a book report on him in 8th grade. It was 1978. I learned more about him from you then I ever did in the ancient junior high school library. Last month I cleaned out my late mother's stuff and SURE enough that book report was in it. Even the 3x5 poster board that I paid 50 cents to my buddy to draw him. Guess what. The drawing of MVB looked nothing like the better photos you can access now. My buddy copies the drawing out of the old encyclopedia. I felt bad recycling it. I was fun to look back into the past.

At 9:15 you mention what you thought was a road. It is actually a maintained pathway for use of cemetery equipment for digging graves and moving the cement boxes that will house the actual coffins. Depending on what organization maintains the property and the budget they have for caring for said property, headstones may or may not be cleaned. Thanks for your interesting video.

This is from your trip back east isnt Steve

I don't forget about Martin Van Buren because that's the name of the high school I graduated from..😏🎓

Interesting video as always. So sad that the cemetery is in bad need of repair. 👩

Herbert Hoover must be the most visited. He's buried right beside Interstate 80 in West Branch, Iowa. Thousands of cars pass his gravesite every day.

I lived across the street from a cemetery and my mom still does. They used to let us play hide and seek in there as long as we didn’t damage anything and we didn’t lol

I've been to visit President Van Buren's grave and toured his home. Van Buren is a distant cousin on my mother's side, and I've got a lot of relatives buried in the area. Many of these early settlers were Dutch, and they made many contributions to our society. True, Van Buren wasn't one of our more illustrious presidents, but he still has the title and deserves respect.

Interesting video

Kinderhook, NY is on US Route 9, approximately 50 miles north of Hyde Park, NY which is also on Route 9. Hyde Park (Springwood) is where FDR is buried.

Sadly, when the last children of a faithful departed person have themselves died, there is often nobody left to visit the gravesite. The cemetery workers have all they can do just to mow the grass, trim around the monuments, and attend to funerals of the recently departed. As a result, the elements take over, obscuring grave markers. In the case of fallen monuments, they are often constructed too vertically, with an insufficiently large base. Time might eat away at whatever base had been laid, making these vertical monuments subject to toppling. I used to work as a seasonal groundskeeper at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, west of Chicago. Dedicated in 1900, Mt. Carmel is one of the oldest cemeteries in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The permanent field staff is kept busy, resetting fallen monuments. I could only imagine what the situation is like in an even older cemetery such as the one where President Martin Van Buren and his family are laid to rest.