Listing Category: Historic , House , Locations , Newburgh ,
Description:
Acquired and opened by the State of New York in 1850, Washington’s Headquarters, State Historic Site, is the first publicly owned and operated historic site in the Nation, a National Landmark, and a contributing property within Newburgh’s 445 acre East End Historic District. From April 1782 to August 1783 General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, made his headquarters and residence at Jonathan and Tryntje Hasbrouck family’s fieldstone farmhouse in Newburgh. It was the longest he stayed at any headquarters throughout the 8 1/2 years of the Revolution. The Hasbrouck house is furnished to reflect Washington’s stay and is open for guided tours. Here, the General, his wife, his officers and servants lived and worked in close quarters, while a steady stream of guests met with the Washington’s.
In the critical months that General George Washington spent at Newburgh, he made some of his most important contributions to shaping the American republic.
It was here that Washington:
- Rejected the idea that he should be king after the war ended the Newburgh
- Conspiracy Prevented military control of the government
- Created and awarded the Badge of Military Merit, forerunner of the Purple Heart
- Circulated a letter to State Governors that influenced the writing of the Constitution.
- Announced the Cessation of Hostilities (Armistice)