Mount Gulian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mount Gulian
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The rebuilt Mount Gulian manor house.
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| Location | Town of Fishkill, NY |
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| Nearest city | Beacon |
| Built | 1730s |
| Architect | Philip and Guilian Verplanck |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001152 |
| Added to NRHP | 1982 |
Mount Gulian is a historic house built in the Dutch style of the 1700s. It sits by the Hudson River in the town of Fishkill, New York. The original house was very important during the American Revolutionary War. It was used as a headquarters by a top general, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben.
This is also where the Society of the Cincinnati, a special club for army officers, was created. Because of its history, Mount Gulian is a National Historic Landmark, one of the most important historic sites in the United States.
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History of the Land and House
Long before the house was built, Native Americans lived on the land. Archaeologists have found evidence that people were there as far back as 6,000 BC.
In 1683, two fur traders named Francis Rombout and Gulian Verplanck bought the land from the Wappinger tribe. They paid with goods that were worth about $1,250 today. In return, they received a huge piece of land—85,000 acres! This deal was made official in 1685 by King James II of England.
Building Mount Gulian
The land was later divided among Gulian Verplanck's family. His grandson, also named Gulian, built the first house on the property between 1730 and 1740. He named it Mount Gulian to honor his grandfather.
At first, it was a small house with a simple A-shaped roof. Around 1767, the house was made larger. A new type of roof, called a gambrel roof, was added. This roof has two slopes on each side, making the top floor bigger.
A Headquarters in the Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary War, Mount Gulian played a key role. In 1783, Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben used the house as his headquarters. Von Steuben was a skilled Prussian officer who helped train the American soldiers.
At the same time, General George Washington had his headquarters in Newburgh, just across the Hudson River. The two generals could easily communicate with each other.
On May 13, 1783, a group of high-ranking officers from the Continental Army met at Mount Gulian. They gathered to create the Society of the Cincinnati. This was an organization for officers who had fought in the war. It was created to preserve their friendships and memories of the revolution. Today, Mount Gulian is still the headquarters for the New York branch of the Society.
Changes After the War
In 1804, the house was expanded by Daniel Crommelin Verplanck, a grandson of the builder. He also designed the beautiful garden. When the famous French general Marquis de Lafayette visited America in 1824, he stayed in this new part of the house.
The Story of James Brown
James Brown was a man who had a remarkable life at Mount Gulian. He was born into slavery in Maryland in 1793. As a young man, he escaped to New York City using the Underground Railroad, a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom.
In New York, he worked for the Verplanck family. The family learned he was an escaped slave and paid his former owner to grant him his freedom. Brown became the family's coachman. He also learned to read and write, likely taught by one of the Verplanck daughters.
From 1826 to 1864, James Brown worked as the head gardener at Mount Gulian. He even saved enough money to return to Maryland and buy his wife's freedom. Brown kept a journal about his daily life, which is very rare. It gives us a special look into the life of a free Black man in the North during that time.
Fire and Restoration
Sadly, the original Mount Gulian house was burned down by an arsonist in 1931. For many years, only the ruins were left.
In 1966, a descendant of the Verplanck family, Bache Bleecker, and his wife Connie decided to save the historic site. They started the Mount Gulian Society to raise money and rebuild the house.
The restoration was finished in 1975. The house was rebuilt to look exactly as it did during the Revolutionary War, when it was von Steuben's headquarters. Today, Mount Gulian is a museum open to the public. Inside, you can see furniture and items that belonged to the Verplanck family. There is also an 18th-century Dutch barn on the property that was moved from a nearby town.
Visiting Mount Gulian
The museum is open for tours from April to October. Its street address is 145 Sterling Street, Beacon, NY 12508.
See also
