"You see, gentlemen, that I have not only grown gray but blind in your service…" George Washington

     Probably not a schoolkid in the Hudson Valley hasn't made a field trip to George Washington's headquarters in Newburgh. It is one of Newburgh's most well-known landmarks, and the reason why—not including the mall, the waterfront, and Stewart Airport—outsiders might recognize the city's name. In fact, it is the first publicly operated historic site in the country and also where the Purple Heart award originated. Perhaps it should be a national landmark, since some argue that America was born in this little house, and not in Philadelphia's Independence Hall.

     Also known as the Hasbrouck House, the building in the images above served as George Washington's headquarters. Here, Washington made the decisions that changed the course of our history. "We can see him sitting in his office in the Hasbrouck House with knitted brow and flushed face as he peruses the letter" (Haines 13). The letters in this quote refer to the one sent to him by a Colonel suggesting Washington become King. Following that letter, the anonymous "Newburgh Letters" circulated through his army, encouraging soldiers to rebel against Congress and Washington.

     Aghast at the suggestions in these letters, on March 14, 1783, Washington gave his Newburgh Address. Thankfully, his words quelled the tensions, and today we are a democracy.

It all happened in Newburgh.