Architecture

Kingston Stockade District in Kingston, NY

The Kingston Stockade District is an eight-block area in the western section of Kingston, New York. It is the site of the mid-17th century Dutch settlement of Wiltwyck, which was renamed Kingston when it passed to English control. Within the Kingston Stockade District are many buildings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, including the original Ulster County courthouse and the Senate House, which is where the state of New York was established in 1777. Most of the older buildings were restored and rebuilt in the years following the 1777 burning of Kingston by the [...]

Daniel Boone Homestead in Birdsboro, PA

Located near Reading, Pennsylvania, the Daniel Boone Homestead is a state historic site which preserves a number of historic structures from the Oley Valley in southeastern Berks County, Pennsylvania. Daniel Boone’s parents first inhabited the site in 1730, and Daniel was born there in 1734. He spent his first 16 years in this homestead before his family migrated to North Carolina. Today’s Daniel Boone Homestead tells the story of Daniel’s youth and the saga of the region’s 18th century settlers, contrasting their lives and cultures. In addition to the historic residence, visitors can see a smokehouse, blacksmith shop, a homestead barn and a log [...]

Peter Wentz Farmstead in Worcester, PA

The Peter Wentz Farmstead was established in present-day Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in 1744 by Peter and Rosanna Wentz. By 1758 they had completed the large, Georgian-style stone house with many architectural features reflecting their German (“Pennsylvania Dutch”) heritage, including interior paint decoration throughout. The Wentz Farm served as headquarters for General George Washington during the fall of 1777, while planning his attempt to prevent British forces from occupying Philadelphia. The farm was purchased in 1794 by Melchior Schultz, whose descendants continued to live and farm there until 1969, when it was purchased by the County of Montgomery. The site has been restored and the house furnished to demonstrate how it would have appeared at the time of the American Revolution. The Wentz Farmstead is located on a ninety acre plot that is managed as an eighteenth century working [...]

Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, NY

Overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, Westchester County, NY is Lyndhurst, one of America’s finest examples of the Gothic Revival architectural style. Designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis, the architectural brilliance of the residence is complemented by a park-like landscape and a comprehensive collection of original decorative artwork. Its noteworthy owners included former New York City mayor William Paulding, merchant George Merritt and railroad tycoon Jay [...]

The Historic Railroad Station at Gettysburg

As fighting in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, broke out on July 1, 1863, wounded and dying soldiers flooded into town, and the Gettysburg railroad station became one of the battle’s first field hospitals. After railroad service was resumed, traffic consisted primarily of wounded soldiers being shipped away, and by the end of July, nearly 15,000 wounded troops had passed through the Gettysburg station. The entire first floor is currently used as a museum, open daily and free to the general public. It contains models, diagrams, exhibits, and artifacts found during renovation [...]

United States Military Academy at West Point, NY

Established in 1802, the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York is the oldest of the United States’s five service academies. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River at the southern gateway to the Hudson Valley. The entire central campus is a national landmark and home to a large number of historic sites, buildings and monuments, although visitors are not free to walk around on their own. The military garrison at West Point was the western terminus of the Great Chain across the Hudson River during the Revolutionary [...]