Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site, in the town of New Windsor in

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

, New York, consists of the

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

house of the Ellison family, built in 1754 by immigrant William Bull E. M. Ruttenber, "Historic Homes in Orange County," ''Historical Papers'' XI, (Newburgh, NY: Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands, 1904), 69of Hamptonburgh, NY, and the grounds around it. The site is located on Old Forge Hill Road, just south of

Route 94 The following highways are numbered 94: International * European route E94 Australia * List of road routes in Western Australia#94, National Route 94 in Western Australia * Burley Griffin Way (New South Wales) * Dohertys Road (Victoria) (New ...

east of Vails Gate. Although most closely associated with

Henry Knox Henry Knox (July 25, 1750 – October 25, 1806), a Founding Father of the United States, was a senior general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, serving as chief of artillery in most of Washington's campaigns. Following the ...

, who used it as his headquarters as the Revolutionary War drew to a close in the early 1780s, it was used as a

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

's headquarters throughout most of the war, by

Nathanael Greene Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependab ...

and

Horatio Gates Horatio Lloyd Gates (July 26, 1727April 10, 1806) was a British-born American army officer who served as a general in the Continental Army during the early years of the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory in the Battl ...

. The site was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1972. and While owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation the Ellison House is administered and operated by the

Palisades Interstate Park Commission The Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) was formed in 1900 by Governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the quarrying operations along the Palisades Cliffs of New Jersey. The Palisades, a Na ...

, like many other state parks and historic sites in the mid and lower Hudson region. Today, the house can be toured when the site is open. It is used to educate visitors about how 18th-century families such as the Ellisons actually lived. On holidays and special occasions staff dress in reproduction period clothing and give special events. Staff dressed as the 2nd Continental Artillery frequently demonstrate cannon use on the grounds during special events, as Knox was best known for his command of Continental

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

. The house and its grounds were the setting and subject of the children's haunted-house novel ''Buried Treasure'' (1919), by the best-selling children's author Henry Everett McNeil. The book is illustrated with McNeil's own photographs (made circa 1911 or 1912) of the various buildings and bridge at the Knox site. The

Jane Colden Jane Colden (March 27, 1724 – March 10, 1766) was an American botanist,Makers of American Botany, Harry Baker Humphrey, Ronald Press Company, Library of Congress Card Number 61-18435 described as the "first botanist of her sex in her country" ...

Plant Sanctuary along some of the trails in the nearby woods memorializes America's first female botanist, who also resided in the area. Stone Bridge at Knox Headquarters

References

External links

Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site (Official site)
{{Authority control Houses completed in 1754 New York (state) in the American Revolution New York (state) historic sites National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, New York Tourist attractions in Orange County, New York Palisades Interstate Park system American Revolutionary War sites Georgian architecture in New York (state) New Windsor, New York National Historic Landmarks in New York (state) Museums in Orange County, New York Houses in Orange County, New York Historic house museums in New York (state) Living museums in New York (state) American Revolutionary War museums in New York (state) 1754 establishments in the Province of New York Buildings and structures in New Windsor, New York Homes of United States Founding Fathers

See also

References

External links