Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site Pathway and Site Improvements

Project Overview

Acquired and opened by the State of New York in 1850, Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site is the first publicly owned and operated historic site in the nation, a National Landmark, and a contributing property within Newburgh’s 445-acre East End Historic District. From April 1782 to August 1783 General George Washington, Commander-In-Chief of the Continental Army, made his headquarters and residence at Jonathan and Tryntje Hasbrouck family’s fieldstone farmhouse in Newburgh. To commemorate the centennial celebration of Washington’s stay, the Tower of Victory monument was erected in 1890. The museum building was added to the property in 1910 to expand collections and archives.

The $1.8M improvement project consisted of the design of a continuous pedestrian pathway circulation system from the Museum, Hasbrouck House, and Tower of Victory; new and refurbished bluestone pathways; chip seal pavement pathways; a new accessible parking and drop-off area located adjacent to the Museum; a dedicated maintenance and emergency access route; stormwater rain garden; period appropriate decorative lighting; and various aesthetic improvements, including landscape plantings, a new decorative metal perimeter fence and access gates, and interpretive signage panels.

The new pathways were designed in compliance with the NYS Building Code, New York State Parks Statewide Trails Plan, and the Federal Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas, providing full accessibility to all site elements and points of destination. The scope of work consisted of site analysis, schematic design alternatives, construction/bidding documents, cost estimating, and construction administration. The project was completed on schedule and on budget.