New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site
MID HUDSON
http://nysparks.com/historic-sites/22/details.aspx
P.O. Box 207
Vails Gate, NY 12584
Hours: Open April- October Sunday 1 PM – 5 PM Wednesday through Saturday 10 AM – 5PM Tel.: (845) 561-1765
Phone: (845) 561-1765
Historical Description: The New Windsor Cantonment was the final encampment of Washington's army during the Revolutionary War and at that time was a thriving community of 8,000 soldiers as well as their families and skilled artisans. The army arrived here in October 1782 and left in June 1783. By late December 1782 the soldiers had constructed some 600 log huts. Officers of the Continental Army challenged Washington and Congress in the so-called Newburgh Addresses, but these challenges were defused with General Washington's famous speech at a meeting held in the Cantonment's Temple of Virtue on March 15, 1783. The "Proclamation of the Cessation of Hostilities," effective on April 19, 1783, which was the cease-fire that ended the American Revolution, disbanded the army and sent its soldiers home shortly thereafter.
The Site: The New Windsor Cantonment is positioned on 120 acres of the original 1,600 acres. There are many buildings located on the grounds including the Temple of Virtue, the Mountainville Hut, and the Temple Hill Monument. A Visitor Center and exhibit galleries explain the historical significance of the camp and features military
Directions: New Windsor Cantonment is located in the town of New Windsor at 374 Temple Hill Road (Route300) just three miles south of I-84 exit 7-S and Thruway (I-87) exit 17 for Newburgh.
Research Patron: Peter Stern