New Windsor Cantonment | |
 Reconstructions of the Temple and another building. | |
   | |
| Location | Temple Hill Rd.,Vails Gate,NY |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Newburgh |
| Coordinates | 41°28′22″N74°03′36″W / 41.47278°N 74.06000°W /41.47278; -74.06000 |
| Area | 2,275 acres (921 ha) |
| Built | 1782 (1782) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000898[1] |
| Added to NRHP | July 31, 1972 |
TheNew Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site, also known asNew Windsor Cantonment, is located alongNY 300, north one mile ofVails Gate, in theTown of New Windsor,Orange County,New York. The site features areconstruction of theContinental Army's finalmilitary encampment.
Between June 1782 and October 1783 7,000 troops were boarded here in 600 log huts, over 1,600 acres (650 ha). Although theSiege of Yorktown had ended most hostilities the year before, the British still occupiedNew York City and other ports, andGeorge Washington believed that there was still strong sentiment inBritain for restarting the war and taking the colonies back. Thus it was necessary to keep the army here, within striking distance of New York and next to the vitalHudson River, until all the British forces were withdrawn. On April 19, 1783, Washington issued acease fire order, officially ending the war for the Army.[2]
They were still uncertain times, however, as theNewburgh Conspiracy, where Washington persuaded his officers not to march on theContinental Congress and demand back pay at gunpoint, would demonstrate. The Temple, where he made his famous speech revealing his vision problems for the first time, is among the reconstructed buildings.
ThePurple Heart was first awarded here, and theNational Purple Heart Hall of Honor was opened November 10, 2006 in recognition of that history.
After the war, the vacated huts were sold. Some of the stone walls on the site may be made from stones that came from the fireplaces of the original buildings. In 1963 the town acquired 167 acres (68 ha) of the original site, which it runs on the opposite side of Route 300 as the Last Encampment, and along with the National Temple Hill Association has kept it up as a monument. The Temple itself and its vicinity are owned by theNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation but operated by thePalisades Interstate Park Commission.[2]
The site is open Wednesdays through Sunday from mid-April through October. Admission is free. Activities and events withreenactors inperiod costume are scheduled frequently.
