George Washington Slept Here

Van Cortlandt House is the centerpiece of a 1,000-acre urban park in the Bronx,  It encompasses what was once the estate of the Dutch Van Cortlandt family, who settled here in 1694 and developed the area as a wheat plantation.  The present house was built in 1748 and has been beautifully preserved. The house's location gave it a strategic importance during the Revolutionary War.  Alternately both the British and Colonial armies occupied the plantation and house.  General George Washington is known to have stayed in the house at least twice, as did British General Sir William Howe.

We enjoyed walking the grounds which were in their fall glory. Maples, oaks, sycamores, poplars, and elms had put on their finest colors.

This lovely park is one of hundreds of others, large and small, planned and preserved around New York City. They are all well-used, appreciated, and loved.

Careful restorers studied microscopic samples of the original paint used to decorate this family dining room. These are the same brilliant colors of the 18th Century original.

 The house was built in the Georgian style out of native fieldstone, and its elegant interior speaks to the family's wealth and refinement.  The Van Cortlandt House Museum is a National Historic Landmark.

Though English in design, the house has some wonderful Dutch features, like the Delft tile fireplaces and black-and-white painted floors in some rooms.