The Hudson Valley is one of the few places in America where you can actually feel history every day. The broader Northeast has plenty of historical sites from Colonial settlers, Revolutionary War generals, and Gilded Age estates, but the concentration and accessibility of those places in the Hudson Valley is largely due to preservation efforts made by New York State Parks. The state organization that administers parks and historic sites celebrates its centennial this year, offering a chance to explore some of the popular and lesser-known historic sites in the region. Some, like Washington’s Headquarters, capture watershed moments in the struggle for American independence. Others mark the development of New York’s state government, as the capital bounced between cities before landing in Albany. But they all present the opportunity to reflect on the region’s legacy as a place to live, work, make change and, sometimes, make history.
Clinton House State Historic Site | Poughkeepsie
Named in honor of George Clinton, the first governor of New York State and vice president under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the Clinton House still stands in the center of Poughkeepsie, the state’s second capital after Kingston was burned by the British in 1777. The stone, Georgian-style house was likely built around 1765 and was used by state legislators from 1777 to 1783 during Poughkeepsie’s tenure as the administrative center of the state. Partnered with the Dutchess County Historical Society, the site is now used for research, housing archives, and as a library.
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site | Fort Montgomery
History comes with a view at this site of a Revolutionary War battle. Visitors can tour the 14-acre remains of the fort, built in 1776 near today’s Peekskill, where a battle was fought between American and British soldiers in 1777. The British won the battle and burned the fort in their wake, but efforts by historians and archaeologists have turned the site into a museum filled with artifacts and recreations. Weapons, models, and mannequins tell the story of what the battle could have been like—a chance to learn something before enjoying the view from the fort’s Grand Battery.
Knox’s Headquarters State Historic Site | Vails Gate
Henry Knox, the Revolutionary War general known for commanding the army’s artillery, stayed at this 1754 Georgian-style home over a few periods during the war. Though it bears his name, other generals, such as Nathanael Greene and Horatio Gates, also stayed at this lower-Hudson Valley estate, which was built and owned by John Ellison. Today’s site preserves some of the Ellison family history, recreating their lives in the 1700 and 1800s as millers and traders. Just mind the artillery demonstrations while walking across the lawn.
Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site | Newburgh
Perhaps the most famous historical site in the state, Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh was also the first historical site in the nation. In 1850, New York State purchased the property, making it the first location anywhere in the country to be preserved for historical value. George Washington stayed at the site in the final year of the war, from 1782 to 1783. During this time, he both famously rejected murmurs that he could become an American king and put down the Newburgh Conspiracy, when a group of disgruntled, unpaid soldiers almost launched a military coup that could have ended the fledgling republic just as it began.
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site (includes National Purple Heart Hall of Honor) | New Windsor
While Washington camped in Newburgh, his 8,000 troops, staff, and some of their families lived at this site, which is just 60 miles north of British-occupied New York City. At the time, some 600 log huts housed the soldiers through winter. At the site, Washington issued the first Badge of Military Merit, the forerunner to the Purple Heart, which is given to US service members killed or wounded in the line of duty. The site is also home to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, which catalogs, preserves, and tells the stories of recipients of the award.
Senate House State Historic Site | Kingston
Kingston was the first capital of New York, and much of the early political history of the state took place here. As the oldest site on this list, built in 1676, it boasts notable moments from history that include its being the sire of the ratifying New York’s first state constitution and the first meeting of New York’s Senate. There’s a full museum that commemorates those political moments as well as housing artifacts from the city’s early days as a haven for the Dutch settlers who predated the English colonists.
This article appears in Spring/Summer 2024.
