Discovering History: Washington’s Headquarters at Newburgh

It was here that he rejected the idea of an American monarchy. It was at this little home that he wrote the governors of the states and shared the key principles he felt necessary for the new republic.

Here he ended the Newburgh Conspiracy, an apparent planned military coup by the Continental Army in March 1783, ensuring that civilians would run the American government. Subsequently, Washington drafted three memorable documents in which he reaffirmed the fundamental principle of subordination of the military to civilian control and helped lay the foundation for the Nation’s orderly transition from war to peace.

And it was here that he created the Badge of Military Merit — the forerunner of the Purple Heart.

The Hasbrouck family’s modest fieldstone farmhouse in Newburgh was preserved to reflect the period that Washington was there. This fairly small farmhouse provided both living and working space for Washington and his wife, officers, servants and enslaved individuals, along with a steady stream of guests.

It was the longest he stayed at any headquarters throughout the 8 1/2 years of the Revolution. 

The purchase of the house by the state of New York in 1850 established another precedent, whereby public authorities preserve, provide and maintain historic sites; it was New York’s first historic park.