DeWint House
NYC, New York, USA
20 Livingston St, Tappan, NY 10983, USA
MUSEUM
VISITOR INFORMATION
TICKET REQUIRED
Open Tuesday–Sunday 10am–4pm. Admission is free; confirm seasonal closures on the official listing before visiting.
FREE PUBLIC PARKING
Admission is free. The site is open by appointment only; call ahead to arrange a visit.
SITE FEATURES
Surviving Structures
Summer travel, autumn outings and public programmes may add demand (New York regional inference). Site-specific peak months unconfirmed.
May-June or September-October for the grounds and a confirmed house visit in generally moderate weather. Check current interior access and open days before travelling.
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
7
George Washington
Alexander Hamilton
Marquis de Lafayette
Benjamin Tallmadge
John Laurens
James McHenry
John André
About DeWint House
It was built using brick and indigenous stone in 1700 by Daniel DeClark, a Hollander, who emigrated to America in 1676 and bought the land from Native Americans in 1682. The date of construction is marked by glazed bricks incorporated into the façade. In 1746, West Indian planter and American patriot Johannes DeWint and his spouse Antje Dewint bought the house. His daughter, Anna Maria, and her husband, Major Fredericus Blauvelt, lived in the house.
The original 1700 Dutch Colonial stone house survives as a furnished museum in Tappan. The Masonic-owned historic site protects period rooms, collections, architectural fabric, reconstructed outbuildings, gardens, and grounds associated with Washington’s headquarters and the nearby proceedings against Major John André.
History happened here at DeWint House
Washington first stayed at the Dewint House from August 8–24, 1780, while inspecting a redoubt on the Hudson River. Washington returned from September 28 to October 7, 1780, for the nearby trial of British spy Major John André. Washington signed the execution warrant in the house and Andre was subsequently hanged. Andre had been captured in Tarrytown after plotting with Benedict Arnold to surrender West Point to the British. André was held in the Old '76 House in Tappan, a tavern which is now a restaurant. Washington provided meals from his table at the DeWint House to André at the '76 House. A stone on André Hill Road at Gallows Hill marks the site of André's hanging.
Washington and his key staff headquartered at the DeWint House from May 4–8, 1783, while negotiating the final withdrawal of British troops from New York City with British General Sir Guy Carleton. It was said to have been a friendly conference combined with an elegant dinner prepared by Samuel Fraunces, owner of Fraunces Tavern in New York City, who came up to prepare the dinner for Washington and his guest.
From November 11–14, 1783, a terrible snowstorm forced Washington to seek shelter in the DeWint House on his trip to visit West Point and later New York City, where he tendered his resignation.
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
National Park Service, De Wint House landmark: https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/66000568
Library of Congress, historic building survey: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/ny0684/
New York State Parks, Dutch heritage: https://parks.ny.gov/history/dutch-heritage
Grand Lodge of New York Masons, DeWint House: https://nymasons.org/philanthropy/
Historical Marker Database, De Wint House: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=7294