Joshua Hett Smith House facts for kids
The Joshua Hett Smith House was an important historic house in West Haverstraw, New York. It was also called Treason House. The house sat on a hill with a great view of the Hudson River crossing at Stony Point. During the American Revolutionary War, a famous event happened here. General Benedict Arnold secretly met with British Major John André at the house. They were planning for Arnold to give up the American fort at West Point to the British. Later, General George Washington even used the house as his main office for a short time. Sadly, the house was torn down in 1929.
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Early Days of the House
The Joshua Hett Smith House was built around 1770. It was on land owned by Thomas Smith, a lawyer from New York City. He received the land after his father, Judge William Smith, passed away in 1769. Judge Smith owned a lot of land in the area. His property was divided among his six sons and several daughters. One of his sons, Joshua Hett Smith, lived in this house in 1780. He called his home "Belmont."
Benedict Arnold's Betrayal
General Benedict Arnold was a famous hero early in the Revolutionary War. He was badly hurt in 1777 during the Battles of Saratoga. His leg was so injured that he could not ride a horse or walk without pain. In June 1778, he became the military leader of southeast Pennsylvania, based in Philadelphia.
Arnold enjoyed a fancy lifestyle and used soldiers for his own tasks. This made him unpopular. In April 1779, he married Peggy Shippen. Her father was a well-known supporter of the British. That same month, Arnold started secretly writing to British General Henry Clinton. By the summer, he was telling Clinton where American troops were and how strong they were. He was also trying to get paid to switch sides.
Arnold resigned from his military job in Philadelphia in March 1780. This happened because Congress was looking into his spending from a failed attack on Quebec in 1775–76. He was also facing a military trial, though he was mostly cleared of charges. In mid-July 1780, he wrote to Clinton. He offered to give up the important fort at West Point for £20,000. It wasn't until July 31 that he asked General Washington for command of the fort. He became its commander on August 3.
The fort at West Point was very important for defending the Hudson River. It was on a hill above a narrow bend in the river. The British believed that if they controlled the river, they could cut off New England from the other colonies. This would cause the American rebellion to fail.
While traveling to West Point, Arnold met Joshua Hett Smith again. Smith had worked as a spy for both sides. By September 10, they were working together. Arnold stayed overnight at Smith's house, which was about 15 miles south of the fort. A meeting with Major André was planned for September 11. But it had to be canceled when Smith's boat was shot at.
Arnold and André finally met before dawn on September 22. André sailed up the Hudson River on a British ship called HMS Vulture. A small boat with Arnold and Smith (and two of Smith's helpers rowing) met the British ship in the middle of the river. They took André to the western shore. Arnold and André talked all night at Smith's house. But the Vulture ship was fired upon and moved downriver. This left Major André stuck behind American lines.
André was captured even though he had a pass signed by Arnold. He was tried as a spy and hanged. Arnold safely escaped to New York City. There, he was given a job in the British Army.
Joshua Hett Smith's Role
Joshua Hett Smith (born May 27, 1749 – died 1818) was the son of Judge William Smith. He was also the brother of William Smith, who was a Chief Justice in the Province of New York.
Joshua Hett Smith was tried by a military court after the meeting between Arnold and André. He was found not guilty. However, he was soon arrested by other authorities and put in jail. He managed to escape and made his way to New York City. After the war ended, Smith went to England with the British army. He later wrote a book about the events, but it is not considered very accurate. He passed away in New York in 1818.
Washington's Headquarters
The Joshua Hett Smith House served as General Washington's main office from August 20 to 25, 1781. At this time, the American and French armies were marching towards Yorktown, Virginia. It took four days to move all the troops, horses, wagons, and cannons across the Hudson River.
Because of the secret meeting between Arnold and André, the house became known as "Treason House." The hill overlooking the Hudson River was also named "Treason Hill."
The House in the 1900s
By the mid-1910s, the house was in poor condition. People tried to raise money to buy and fix it up. A hospital for children with disabilities, the New York State Hospital for Crippled Children, was next door. They wanted to expand their property. So, the Joshua Hett Smith House was torn down in 1929 to make room for the hospital's growth. The hospital was later renamed in 1974 to honor the actress Helen Hayes.
