Would you like to do something exceptionally quaint this holiday season? Then, come to Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site and spend some time by a charming Dutch-style fireplace during Winter Welcome Week. Tours of this headquarters, used by General and Mrs. Washington for 16 ½ months, will be given from Tuesday, December 27th until Friday, December 30th at 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM.
The home of Mrs. Hasbrouck served as Headquarters Newburgh for the Washingtons during the winter of 1782. General and Mrs. Washington acknowledged the yuletide here in a far less extravagant way than they did in their Virginia home, prior to the Revolutionary War. Yet, within the farmhouse, they maintained a warm and welcoming environment towards all who entered.
That feeling of welcoming warmth is continued to this day. The house is decorated for the holidays using nature’s bounty. Greens, berries and holly are simply and tastefully arranged throughout the rooms.
During guided tours of those rooms you’ll also meet some folks who pass their time, 18th Century-style, engaged in the telling of some fanciful, yet entertaining, stories by a cozy fireside. Listen and see how the ambiance of a winter’s fire can bring these tales to life.
Admission is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and students and children 12 and under are free. Call 845-562-1195 for details and directions.
Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site is a registered national historic landmark. It is located at the corner of Liberty and Washington Streets within the city of Newburgh’s East End Historic District. The site is one of 35 historic sites within the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is one of 24 facilities administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in New York and New Jersey. For further information contact: (845) 562-1195. For more information about New York State Parks, please visit our website at www.nysparks. com.
