Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) announced a $750,000 federal grant award to support historic preservation work for Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site in OPRHP's Palisades Region in Newburgh. The grant is from the National Park Service (NPS), which has awarded $10 million in the third round of funding for their Semiquincentennial Grant Program commemorating the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Created by Congress in 2020 and funded through the Historic Preservation Fund, the third round of grants supports 19 historic preservation projects across nine states, including historic preservation work at Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site, managed by the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission (PIPC).

OPRHP Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said, "New York set a precedent in 1850 when it acquired and opened Washington's Headquarters as the first publicly owned historic site in the nation. This space has a legacy to tell, not just the significant story as a key location for General George Washington during the Revolutionary War, but as a location where the public has come to gather, reflect, and explore what it is to be American. Through the assistance of this grant and the programs of the ‘Our Whole History' initiative, it will continue to be a place for enlightening discussions about our past and our collective future." 

PIPC Executive Director Joshua Laird said, "We cannot think of a better location for the investment of Semiquincentennial Grant Funds than Washington's Headquarters in Newburgh. As General Washington's longest serving headquarters, as the nation's first publicly owned historic site, and as home to the majestic Tower of Victory, the site has many important stories to tell about the American Revolution, its successful conclusion, and the birth of our new nation. This grant will help ensure that the Hasbrouck House and Museum Building are preserved for future generations to learn about the events that helped shape our country. Thank you to the National Park Service for making this award and to our colleagues at New York State Parks for their stewardship and support of the site." 

This round of funding will support restoration and preservation of two historic buildings at Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site, a National Historic Landmark in Newburgh. The first, the Hasbrouck House, is a vernacular stone building constructed between 1750 and 1770 that served as the longest headquarters of General George Washington during the American War for Independence. It was here that the Commander-in-Chief drafted three crucial documents in which he reaffirmed the fundamental principle of the subordination of the military establishment to civilian control and helped to lay the foundation for an orderly transition of the nation from war to peace. Here also, Washington established the Badge of Military Merit, which we know today as the Military "Order of the Purple Heart."

The house was acquired by New York State in 1850, becoming the first publicly owned and preserved historic property in the nation. The 1910 Museum Building was built as a museum and archive to commemorate the site's history and house the site's ever-growing collection of "invaluable relics and records" that had been stored at Washington's Headquarters and to provide fireproof protection and "better care than was possible to give them in the old structure" as stated by the trustees at the time.  

The preservation work, which is slated to start in spring 2025, is being supported in part by a $750,000 Semiquincentennial Grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The project scope for the $1.6 million restoration project includes stabilizing and repointing masonry, treating ancient timber frames, and improving site drainage at the Hasbrouck House and restoring wood windows and doors and repointing the brick masonry at the Museum Building. The restoration work will ensure the buildings are weathertight, stable, and period-appropriate, and will prevent unnecessary and costly damage by water penetration. Projects are projected to be completed by spring 2026. 

Washington's Headquarters is a site that tells a historic narrative of General George Washington, but it is also a site that reflects the evolution of American commemorations of the Revolutionary War. This duality has become part of the history of this space and this preservation work will ensure that this rich, layered story can be accessible and interpreted for generations to come. 

OPRHP has received Semiquincentennial grant funds for two other preservation projects, including masonry preservation at Old Fort Niagara State Historic Site in Niagara (2022) and rehabilitation work at Senate House State Historic Site in Kingston (2023). 

About the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation 

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which saw a record 84 million visits in 2023. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit the NYS Parks website, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app, or call (518) 474-0456. Join us in celebrating our Centennial throughout 2024, and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and the OPRHP Blog. 

More about the Semiquincentennial Grant Program: Congress appropriated funding for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program in FY2021 through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). The HPF uses revenue from federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, assisting with a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars, with the intent to mitigate the loss of a nonrenewable resource to benefit the preservation of other irreplaceable resources.