About

This time it was my wife who said, “Who’s that statue?” So, we made a U-turn and went back to find out.

What was George Washington doing off route 9D in Beacon, New York?

According to the plaque, he was honored on the 200th anniversary of his death. It also mentions that he visited the nearby Madam Brett Homestead. Now we have a mystery. Who is she? I did see a sign a bit south that mentioned a museum in her name. We had to check it out.

The house is the oldest standing homestead in Dutchess County. It is also an excellent example of Dutch architecture with scalloped shingles, Dutch doors, and sloping dormers. What I found interesting were Mme. Brett’s guest list which included George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, and Baron Von Stuben.

According to the plaque, Mme. Brett inherited the property when her father died. The plaque says 85,000 acres, but that is a bit misleading. Her Royal Patten was subsequently divided among the Cortlandts, the Verplanks, and Catherine Rombout who was only 16 at the time and had not married Roger Brett. She still ended up with a sizable amount – 28,000 acres. The plaque also mentions that she operated a grist mill. Another place to visit.

Couldn’t find the grist mill. But I did find out that the Verplank family, that also benefitted from the division of the Royal Patten, had a family estate nearby. So, I set out through the town of Beacon to go a few miles north to my new destination Mt. Gulian in Fishkill. Mt Gulian (Mr. Verplank’s first name was Gulian) was the Continental Army Headquarters for General Fredrick Von Steuben from 1782 to 1783.

However, there were more statues and plaques in front of the Beacon American Legion Post that I had to investigate.

A patriotic display of red, white, and blue flowers.

A marine monument surrounded with names of those who served. And behind this…

A statue saluting those marines who were members of this American Legion Post.

The Beacon War Memorial with names of servicemen from four wars: WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Veterans are well remembered in this corner of Dutchess County.

I once again sat behind my wheel and headed out of town. Wouldn’t you know it, another statue caught my attention,

Who is this Lady? The only clue was the words on the side that said “Hudson-Fulton 1909.”

This really piqued my interest. I was able to discover that 1909 was both the 300th Anniversary of Henry Hudson discovering the River that bears his name and the 100th Anniversary of Robert Fulton’s commercial application of the paddle steamer. It was a big deal! New York Cities along the Hudson River had a two-week celebration that included a regatta up the Hudson River. Two of the distinguished ships that participated were replicas of the Half Moon and the Clairmont.

The Half Moon or Halve Maen

Now that that mystery has been solved, it’s time to rest the GPS and head north on 52 just past I-84. And there is the sign I was looking for –

I turn left and drive trough a development that once must have been farmland. I spot the house I am looking for –

The Mt. Gulian estate of the Verplanks.

And there is my plaque –

I knock on the door and am greeted by a tour guide in period costume. I am only going to point out one interesting factoid from the hour-long house inspection. The Society of Cincinnati was instituted here in 1783. Once again, I was intrigued. Who was this Cincinnatus whose name I recognize from the city in Ohio?

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was a Roman statesman and military leader in the 5th century B.C. who was tending his farm when Rome was invaded and the Roman citizens asked him to come out of retirement and lead the defense. He assumed dictatorial powers, defeated the enemy, and then relinquished command and went back to farming. His sense of civic duty was inspirational to the officers in the American Revolutionary military, especially General George Washington.

So, Major-General Henry Knox hosted a dinner with Washington, Hamilton, Lafeyette, and Von Steuben and proposed the establishment of a hereditary society to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the officers of the Continental Arm who served in the revolutionary War. It was a veteran’s association for Revolutionary War officers and their future sons.

I find it interesting that Aaron Burr was a member at the same time Alexander Hamilton was the president of the Society.

Thus, ends our Sunday ride through Beacon with stops on the Hudson River and in Fishkill. I hope you enjoyed the ride.