Hasbrouck House, Newburgh "... time will pass heavily on in this dreary mansion in which we are fast locked by frost and Snow." — George Washington, Jan. 10, 1783.

eorge Washington established his longest residency during the Revolutionary War in Newburgh, New York. It was here that he founded the Order of the Purple Heart, and in 1850 Washington's Headquarters became the first Registered National Historic Landmark in the United States.

Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site encompasses seven acres and includes three structures: the 1750, eight room Hasbrouck House rented by the Continental Army for Washington's Headquarters from April 1782 to August 1783; the Museum Building, constructed in 1910; and the Tower of Victory, a monument to peace erected 1886-1897 to commemorate the centennial of Washington's accomplishments while headquartered at Newburgh.

History and Significance

Newburgh was first settled by Europeans in the winter of 1708-1709 by a party of 53 refugees from the war-torn Rhine region of Germany. In 1750, Jonathan Hasbrouck, a gristmill operator, built his house at the fringe of the Newburgh settlement. This house is the one used by Washington as his headquarters between April 1782 and August 1783 and is the only mid-18th century building remaining in the East End Historic District.

This Headquarters was used by Washington between the last battle at Yorktown and the signing of the Paris Peace Treaty. He stayed here 16 1/2 months, making it the headquarters — out of 125 total — at which he stayed the longest. He shared the quarters with staff, servants, slaves from his home, and his wife Martha.

On April 19, 1783, General Washington's order for a "cessation of hostilities" was announced from his headquarters in Newburgh. Washington's purpose here was to maintain a strong army after the British surrender while planning to disband it at the signing of the peace treaty. During this period Washington wrote letters to each of the 13 state legislatures setting forth his ideas for the federal government. These Circular Letters, which were reprinted at that time throughout the states and in London, eventually influenced the development of the U.S. Constitution.

The Newburgh Address is also associated with a renowned episode in Washington's career in which he defused the mutinous feelings of some troops who were discouraged by Congress's turnaround regarding pension promises. At a meeting to discuss the issue, Washington stood up to respond to the anonymous letter of complaint and said as he began his remarks, "Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but blind in the service of my country." It is an often-cited example of Washington's ability to lead by his own example.

It is here that Washington initiated the Badge of Military Merit, to recognize unusual acts of gallantry by soldiers below the rank of officer (previously, only officers had been eligible for honors). The badge itself eventually died out but was revived in 1932 as the Purple Heart, which bears Washington's profile and crest.

The Headquarters site, purchased by the State of New York in 1850, is the first publicly operated historic site in the United States (Mount Vernon is the second). A few of the items still in the Hasbrouck House are things that George Washington really used — a desk, a chair, and the Purple Heart. Most of the articles are replicas. When he moved out of the house, he took most of the things with him.

The Museum Building, built in 1910, houses Washington's expense book and a collection of his original papers including a letter to Member of Congress William Duer informing him that Washington was still having trouble getting supplies for his troops and expressing the wish that appropriations would be forthcoming. Also there are the papers of Quartermaster General Timothy Pickering, which reveal administrative details of the military.

The Tower of Victory was erected in the 1980s to commemorate Washington's order to cease hostilities and the peace that resulted. The project to build the tower was chaired by Secretary of War Robert T. Lincoln.

• The Hasbrouck House needs a new roof and repairs to the chimney. The roof is on verge of leaking onto the attic floorboards that form the ceiling of the original living and working quarters.
• The monument needs a new roof. The original one was blown off in a hurricane in 1950 and the beams supporting the second floor are rusting from exposure.
• The Museum Building needs to be enlarged and made handicapped accessible.
• An ongoing conservation cycle to preserve the original papers of Washington and Quartermaster General Timothy Pickering needs to be established.
• The 1876 wrought iron "centennial" fence that surrounds the property needs to be restored.
• Landscape restoration is needed, including historic plantings, laying pathways, and reinstalling the 37 cannons that were on the site.
• Plans are in place to erect a National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, part of which would be at a site six miles away at the location of a Continental Army encampment.

Related Resources

Virtual Trip Up the Hudson: Newburgh

A website for students, educators, and those interested in the history, culture, and conservation of the Hudson River Valley. Includes a brief description and history of Newburgh and Washington’s Headquarters based upon William Wade's 1846 book Panorama of the Hudson River.

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