Newburgh

While passing through Newburgh Bay in 1609, explorer Henry Hudson’s shipmate noted that the locale would be ideal for a village. True to his prediction, some 200 years later Newburgh was incorporated as a village and has since become the Queen City of the Hudson. It is a city of historical reputation. Here, Gen. George Washington awarded the first Purple Heart and wrote his famous letter refusing to become a king. The Newburgh site known today as Washington’s Headquarters is America’s first historic preservation building—the 1750 Hasbrouck House. Newburgh provides a glimpse into the city’s past, with chapters that tell the story of a city of industry and innovation. Newburgh had telephone service as early as 1879 and was the second city to have a street illumined by an electric light bulb. Its East End contains the largest historic district in the state, covering a total of 445 acres from the Hudson riverfront westward. Within the district are rare examples of Greek Revival, Federal, Italianate, and Second Empire designs.Barrett, Kevin is the author of 'Newburgh' with ISBN 9780738503387 and ISBN 073850338X.