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added its indorsement, making the third Common Council to approve of State ownership with custody in this Society.

On January 7, 1908, the Hon. Francis W. Carpenter introduced in the Senate the bill to provide for the acquisition of the Manor Hall property by the State, and on January 9th the Hon. Harry W. Haines introduced it in the Assembly. With a few verbal changes, the Assembly passed the bill with only one dissenting vote on February 19th. The Senate Finance Committee made a slight further amendment and reported the bill favorably as follows:

AN ACT to provide for the acquisition by the people of the state of New York of the Philipse Manor house and grounds in the city of Yonkers, Westchester county.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. The city of Yonkers is hereby authorized and empowered to convey by its deed, to the people of the state of New York, all that certain parcel of land situated in the city of Yonkers, Westchester county, New York, with the buildings and improvements thereon, known as the Philipse Manor house property, or the manor hall property, which is bounded on the east by Warburton avenue; on the south by Dock street; on the west by Woodworth avenue, and on the north by the southerly line of the property of the Warburton Hall Association, upon payment to said city, at any time within two years after the passage of this act, by any citizen or citizens of this state, of the sum of fifty thousand dollars, contributed and given for the purpose.

§ 2. Upon delivery of such deed, duly executed, to the comptroller of this state, in form approved by him, title to such said premises shall be and is hereby accepted by the people of the state of New York; the purpose and object of such deed and acceptance being that the said manor house and grounds shall be preserved and maintained forever intact as an historical monument and a museum of historical relics and for such historical and patriotic

uses.

3. The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society shall be and is hereby constituted and appointed custodian of said

property for the state upon conveyance thereof to the state as herein contemplated; and said society, as such custodian, shall have control of and jurisdiction over said property to preserve and maintain the same in accordance with the purpose and object stated in section two of this act until the legislature shall otherwise direct.

4. The city of Yonkers is authorized to use and occupy the said property as it is now used and occupied, until the completion of the new municipal building or city hall, now in course of construction in said city, unless other provision shall sooner be made for the public business now transacted therein, and during such occupation and use shall maintain and preserve the property.

§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.

The Senate passed the bill without opposition on Monday, March 30, 1908, and the Assembly passed it in concurrence. On April 13, the Yonkers Common Council accepted the bill, and on April 27, Governor Hughes signed it. It is chapter 168 of the Laws of 1908.

Appended to this Report is an extended historical sketch of the Manor Hall and its site. Allusions to the subject will also be found in previous Reports as follows: 1900, pp. 19–21; 1901, pp. 28-29; 1902, pp. 32–34; 1903, pp. 52–56; 1904, p. 82; and 1905, p. 89.

SCENIC AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN NEW YORK STATE.

The increased interest in scenic and historic preservation throughout the United States has been indicated during the past year by the unusual number of inquiries from Members of Congress, public officials, historical and civic societies and individuals in various States concerning the subject generally and concerning what has been done in New York State particularly. As some of these inquiries have come from members of the New York Legislature, and as there appears to be in print no collation of facts on the subject, we will endeavor to make a brief statement concerning each place of scenic or historic interest in the State of New York acquired by the State either by purchase or gift, or, as in one

case at least, maintained by although not owned by the State. This statement does not include several monuments like the McKinley Monument in Buffalo or the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument in Brooklyn for which the State has made contributory appropriations but which it does not own or maintain.

The last three reservations mentioned in the following list, namely, the Adirondack, Catskill and St. Lawrence Parks, were not created primarily from scenic or historic considerations. Utilitarian motives were probably predominant in their establishment, but the beauty of their landscapes is such a large element in their value that they have been mentioned for the sake of completeness. Those marked * are in the custody of this Society. Those marked were advocated by the Society and in a large measure secured by its efforts, but the custody has been placed elsewhere as stated. The scenic and historic reservations of the State, in the order of their creation (except the last three), are as follows:

1849. Washington's Headquarters, Newburgh. (See page 44.) 1883. Niagara Falls. (See page 46.)

1887. Senate House, Kingston. (See page 50.)

1895. Saratoga Battle Monument. (See page 51.)

1895. John Brown Farm. (See page 53.)

1896. Grant Cottage, Mount MacGregor. (See page 54.)

* 1897. Stony Point Battlefield. (See page 18.)

† 1898. Lake George Battlefield.

(See page 56.)

1900. Palisades Interstate Park. (See page 58.)

1900. Clinton House, Poughkeepsie. (See page 61.)

1903. Spy Island. (See page 62.)

*1904. Fort Brewerton. (See page 35.)

† 1906. Sir. Wm. Johnson Mansion and Blockhouse, Johnstown. (See page

63.)

*1906. Watkins Glen. (See page 23.)

* 1907. Letchworth Park. (See page 28.)

* 1908. Philipse Manor Hall, Yonkers. (See page 36.)

1908. Fire Island State Park. (See note below.)

1885. Adirondack Preserve. (See page 64.)

1885. Catskill Preserve. (See page 69.)

1896. St. Lawrence Reservation. (See page 70.)

Fire Island State Park was created by chapter 474 of the Laws of 1908, which became a law May 22d-after this report was written. This brief reference is inserted for the sake of completeness. A fuller description will be given in our next report. The park consist of 125 acres of Fire Island lying off the south shore of Long Island, and % of an acre of land under water in the neighboring Long Island coast. The commissioners are: John H. Vail of Islip, president; Edward C. Blum of Brooklyn, Samuel L. Parrish of Southampton, John C. Robbins of Babylon, and Col. Henry W. Sackett of New York, a trustee of this society. The secretary is Elliott J. Smith of Islip.

Following is a brief description of each one which has not already been described in the preceding pages.

Washington's Headquarters, Newburgh.

The policy of historic preservation in the State of New York appears to have been inaugurated in the purchase of Washington's Headquarters at Newburgh in 1849-50. This property consists of about six acres of land and the structure thereon, bounded on the north by Washington street, on the east by Colden street, on the south by Lafayette street and on the west by Liberty street. The property stands on high ground commanding an extensive view of the Hudson river, is surrounded by an iron fence, and includes the Headquarters Building, the Tower of Victory erected jointly by the State and Federal governments, a score of old cannon, pyramids of cannon balls, and an old brick toilet-house.

The Headquarters Building is a structure of rough stone, with an eastward frontage of fifty-six and one-half feet and a depth of forty-six and one-half feet. The walls are about two feet thick. The building is one-story high, with a high shed roof rising in the center to a height of about thirty feet. It contains six rooms and kitchen on the ground floor and has five rooms in the attic. The timbers are rough hewn. The northeastern portion of the building, measuring about thirty-six and one-half feet front by twenty-six feet deep was built in 1750 by Jonathan Hasbrouck, who acquired the land in 1747. In 1760 it was extended by building what is now the southeast corner, adding twenty feet to the frontage, the depth being the same as that of the original part. In 1770, the whole was enlarged by the addition of the western half, making the total dimensions as above stated.

On account of the prominence of the owner, the substantial character of the building, and its eligible situation, it early became an important meeting place. Beginning on the first Tuesday

of April, in 1763, the meetings of the precinct of Newburgh were held here for many years. During the War for Independence, the Committee of Safety met here; and here also military companies were organized and assembled. From April 4, 1782, until August 18, 1783, while the inactive army lay in its cantonment at New Windsor awaiting the conclusion of the negotiations for peace with Great Britain, Washington made the building his headquarters. It was while residing in this building in May, 1782, that he received from Colonel Nicola the famous letter in which the latter, expressing the unrest in the unpaid army, asked Washington to assume the title of King, an offer which Washington indignantly refused.

The property was purchased by the Land Commissioners of the State of New York in 1849, but it was not until 1850 that the appropriation of $4,191.02 was made for that purpose, by chapter 265 of the laws of that year. This act provided that the title to the property should vest in the State, and that the trustees of the then village of Newburgh should have possession and custody. Chapter 426 of the Laws of 1874 provided specifically "for the care of the lands and buildings known as Washington's Headquarters in the city of Newburgh and the property connected therewith." It placed the care in the hands of ten trustees, appointed by the Governor. The trustees serve for five years each and are divided into five classes of two members each, the terms of the classes expiring on consecutive years. Chapter 147 of the Laws of 1875 amended the law of the preceding year in some particulars. It provides that a Superintendent shall reside on the premises and keep the Headquarters open for visitors at all reasonable hours. It also provides that the Superintendent shall receive a salary not exceeding $500 and that $500 more shall annually be appropriated for repairs and care. Chapter 19 of the Laws of 1876 authorized the city of Newburgh to pay $233 to the caretaker for

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