General George Washington established his military headquarters on the banks of the Hudson in Newburgh in 1782 and 1783, during the final years of the Revolutionary War. He, his wife, Martha, and his principal aides and their servants occupied a 1750 farmhouse donated to the army by a prosperous family, the Hasbroucks. Washington stayed here 16 months (and Martha 12 months), longer than at any other headquarters during the war. In 1850 the property was declared the nation's first public historic site. The farmhouse displays Washington's office (where he wrote the famous "circular letter" and Newburgh addresses) and the original tables and chairs of the general's aides de camp. A museum, opened in 1910, across the lawn displays memorabilia such as medals of honor (including a 1783 original badge of military merit), locks of Washington's hair, and Martha's pocket watch from her first marriage. Revolutionary War buffs may also wish to visit the New Windsor Cantonment (tel. 845/561-1765), a few miles away on Route 300. The staff at Washington's Headquarters can give directions to reach this site where Washington's 7,500 troops and their families camped during the winter of 1782 and 1783. There are living-history presentations and military demonstrations in season.