Our History

The Tryon name has been synonymous with early American history dating to the 1600’s when we arrived from England. In fact, our overseas family continues to be an influential part of Great Britain from their centuries old estates in Bibury, Bulwick, and Surrey. 

Around 1660 a branch in the family tree headed to America and purchased a swath of prime farm land in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Their estate, Tryon Farm, encompassed the majority of riverfront property in Glastonbury. They were successful stewards of the land and their roots grew deep in the community. To this day, Tryon Farm is still owned and operated as a self-sustaining estate by descendants.

Over the next few centuries, the Tryon family grew. While much of the family lived in Glastonbury and Wethersfield, Connecticut, one branch in the family tree ventured west and settled in Dutchess County, New York. Similar to what the family did in Connecticut, they bought prime farm land and made a successful career in farming. Further down the line, some descendants ventured a bit further north and settled in Coxsackie, Greenville, and Rensselerville, New York. Just like earlier members of the family, their careers were in farming. Unfortunately, the last active Tryon family farm in the Hudson Valley was sold in 2016 as family members diversified their interests away from agriculture thus ending generations of family farming in New York. 

A few of the most notable members of the Tryon family include former Royal Colonial Governor William Tryon of North Carolina and then later of New York, American painter Dwight William Tryon, author and actor Thomas Tryon, Surgeon General James Rufus Tryon, and General Benjamin Tryon. These members of the Tryon family were part of our strong ancestral German and Dutch roots. 

Throughout the centuries the Tryon's married into some notable families thus passing down strong family values and responsibilities. Many branches exist in the family tree and include the Van Rensselaer, Schuyler, Beekman, Livingston, Roosevelt, and Vanderbilt families. The main blood line has remained strong and includes the Van Buren, Schermerhorn, and Astor families, just to name a few. 

Much of our family legacy is dotted across the east, most notably in North Carolina, Connecticut and New York.  From the town of Tryon and Tryon Peak in North Carolina, to the former Tryon County in New York,  plus numerous street names and historic sites such as Tryon Palace in North Carolina, Fort Tryon Park in New York City, Tryon Farm in Connecticut, and ties to numerous charities. Our legacy will continue to live on as it has endured for hundreds of years.