Washington's Headquarters in Newburgh

Book excerpt: In April 1782, Gen. George Washington rode into Newburgh and found a sprawling town. At the end of what is now Library Street was the fieldstone house of the late Col. Jonathan Hasbrouck. From April 1782 to August 1783, Hasbrouck's house became Washington's home and his longest-occupied military headquarters. At the end of the American Revolution, Washington left "headquarters," as it came to be known, and the Hasbrouck family reclaimed the house. A period of extended decline followed, until the Hasbrouck family could no longer maintain the property, and it was ultimately purchased by the State of New York. On July 4, 1850, Washington's Headquarters was named a state historic site and became the first of its kind in the nation.