Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site

09/02/2026

🇺🇸 The Revolution Came to Newburgh.

Join us September 17 at 7 PM at the Crawford House for an evening exploring Newburgh’s role in the Revolutionary War.

Liam Mitchell of Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site will take us into the people, places, and events that put Newburgh at the center of the final years of the Revolution.

🍸 Cocktails & mocktails
📅 September 17 at 7 PM
📍 Crawford House
🎟️ Free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.

Come for the history. Stay for a drink. Leave knowing a little more about the revolutionary history in our own backyard.

09/02/2026

On this week's edition of we're bringing you something exciting: a view of the historic Headquarters from just last Friday! Notice anything different?

If you've visited us at all this year, you will have certainly noticed the perimeter fencing that was put up to protect visitors from the ongoing restoration work. We're so pleased to announce that the fencing is now finally removed! PLEASE NOTE: the Historic Headquarters remains CLOSED as restoration continues inside the structure. Visitors can now walk around the exterior of the House, but we kindly ask you to remain on the pathways as the soil around the House has been freshly seeded with grass.

Restoration is ongoing, but I'm sure you'll join us in celebrating this progress towards reopening! Unfortunately we do not yet have a firm date for reopening, so stay tuned here for any news.

➡️To see the progress and take in the history, come visit us at Washington's Headquarters from Wednesdays-Saturdays from 11am-5pm and Sundays from 1pm-5pm!

08/30/2026

08/29/2026

📜FROM THE COLLECTIONS: Ancient Sumerian Cuneiform Tablet, c. 2500 BCE. WH.1990.58.A

This week in our ongoing series, we're so excited to showcase this ancient clay tablet from the ancient Mesopotamian city of Sumer! Inscribed in the very earliest known writing system, cuneiform, the tablet is a receipt for a royal garment and three other festival gardens, with the weight noted of each. It is signed, "sealed by Gal-ti-mi, scribe, son of Mamre," and tells us that it was made "In the year of Dnigir T. bil dnigir En su" [King of Ur, Second Dynasty]. If this translation is correct, the tablet would date to circa 2500 BCE, or roughly 4500 years ago. Closer inspection shows that the top layer has broken off, revealing another inscription underneath that sadly cannot be translated. Adding a new layer of clay over an existing inscription like this was a common way of recycling used tablets in ancient Mesopotamia.

This fascinating artifact of the ancient world was donated to us in the late 19th century by a woman named Addie E. Burns; her connection to Washington's Headquarters is unknown, however it is believed that she traveled extensively through the Middle East and likely acquired this object at that time. How the tablet survived so long, and how it ended up in Ms. Burns' possession, is sadly unknown. It is now proudly on display in our award-winning "Unpacked and Rediscovered" gallery, available on the second floor of the museum.

➡️ To see this object and many more like it, follow us here on Facebook and come visit us at Washington's Headquarters from Wednesdays-Saturdays from 11am-5pm and Sundays from 1pm-5pm!

08/26/2026

This week in we're throwing it back to 2008 and this beautiful view of the Hasbrouck House in Autumn! Just visible between the House and the tree to the left is the still-incomplete Tower of Victory, and notice the event tent to the far left. 18 years later, the trees are a bit larger and Autumn at Headquarters is even more beautiful!

➡️To take in the gorgeous views and the exceptional history, come visit us at Washington's Headquarters from Wednesdays-Saturdays from 11am-5pm and Sundays from 1pm-5pm!

08/23/2026

Join us on September 12th for special programing!

08/22/2026

📜FROM THE COLLECTIONS: Double-Lens Octagonal Eyeglasses and Felted Case, mid-19th century. WH.1991.42.1 & WH.1991.2

This week in , we're showcasing this exquisite pair of eyeglasses and its case. Crafted in the mid-19th century by a local Newburgh optician, these eyeglasses have an octagonal shape and two lenses, with one behind the other! The outer blue lens helps protect the wearer from the sun, while the inner prescription lens provides the necessary correction to the wearer's vision. Interestingly, the corrective lens is also on a hinge, so the wearer could flip them up and out of the way if they were not required.

Alongside the eyeglasses is of course its beautiful case. Made of felted red fabric on the exterior and soft white cotton inside, it is beautifully decorated with seeds and flowers dyed in blues, greens, and yellows.

These eyeglasses and its case would've been quite the statement piece for a fashionable Newburgher at the height of the Industrial Revolution! Donated to Washington's Headquarters in the early 20th century, it is now on display in our award-winning "Unpacked and Rediscovered" gallery!

➡️To see this object and many more like it, follow us here on Facebook and come visit us at Washington's Headquarters from Wednesdays-Saturdays from 11am-5pm and Sundays from 1pm-5pm!

08/21/2026

08/19/2026

A very happy everybody! This week, we're excited to share this image of our museum's West Gallery as it appeared in 1950. Most prominently seen is the rotating display case that featured prominent letters, broadsides, newspaper articles, essays, and other manuscripts relevant to Headquarters. Along the exterior of the room are a number of glass display cases that feature a variety of our extensive collections, each with small index cards explaining their provenance. Eagle-eyed viewers may recognize the large spike in the center case - our famous chevaux-de-frise!

➡️To enjoy our collections and udpated galleries, come visit us at Washington's Headquarters from Wednesdays-Saturdays from 11am-5pm and Sundays from 1pm-5pm!