General George Washington planned key military campaigns, and one of the war’s most infamous acts of treason took place here. As America marks 250 years of independence, Rockland invites you to honor the courage that sparked and won a revolution—and celebrate the enduring spirit that still defines us today.
By summer of 1779, the Revolutionary War was in its fourth grueling year, and the fight for independence was far from won. When British forces fortified Stony Point on the Hudson River, they threatened a key supply route to West Point and the interior colonies.
In a daring midnight assault, General Anthony Wayne led handpicked Continental soldiers in a stealth attack—muskets unloaded to maintain silence, bayonets fixed for close combat.
In less than half an hour, they stormed the British defenses and reclaimed the fort in one of the war’s swiftest and most decisive victories. The success at Stony Point boosted American morale and reaffirmed confidence in George Washington’s army at a crucial moment in the struggle for independence.
Today, visitors can explore a museum filled with artifacts, watch lively reenactments with musket and cannon firings, and experience demonstrations of 18th-century camp life, cooking, and crafts. The site also boasts the 1826 Stony Point Lighthouse—the oldest on the Hudson River—set against sweeping river views.
On September 20, 1780, Rockland’s Hudson River shoreline set the stage for one of the Revolution’s most notorious betrayals. General Benedict Arnold, once hailed as a patriot, plotted to hand over West Point to the British in exchange for money and a British command post. Arnold and his British go-between, Major John André, met in secret at Haverstraw Beach.
André slipped away with plans for the fort hidden in his boot but never reached safety. He was stopped near Tarrytown, exposed as a spy, and taken to Tappan. At his DeWint House headquarters, George Washington reviewed the case and signed André’s death warrant. The young officer was executed as a spy, while Arnold escaped aboard a British warship, his name forever linked with treason.
Local lore adds one final twist. At the ’76 House in Tappan, the colonial tavern where André was confined, Washington is said to have ordered Arnold’s portrait turned upside down in disgust. More than two centuries later, it still hangs that way—a silent reminder of betrayal.
Follow in the footsteps of America’s fight for independence at these two remarkable sites in Rockland County, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Find a full list of historic places in Rockland here.
The DeWint House in Tappan is the oldest surviving structure in Rockland County and one of the most important Revolutionary War sites in the Hudson Valley.
George Washington used the Dutch sandstone home as his headquarters on four occasions, including during the 1780 trial of British spy Major John André. Washington also met here in 1783 with British General Sir Guy Carleton to begin planning the British evacuation of New York City.
Today, visitors can tour the carefully preserved house and grounds, view period furnishings, and explore exhibits that bring Rockland’s pivotal role in the Revolution to life.
Located in Tappan, the ’76 House is one of America’s oldest taverns still in operation and a landmark of Revolutionary War history. In 1780, it served as the prison for Major John André after his capture in Benedict Arnold’s treason plot.
Today, visitors can dine where patriots once gathered, enjoy the tavern’s famous Yankee Pot Roast, and see an original portrait of Benedict Arnold said to have been turned upside down by George Washington. Some say a few spirits still linger…of the ghostly kind.
America’s 250th anniversary celebration kicks off in 2026, but in Rockland County the commemoration won’t end there. From Revolutionary War milestones to community festivals, the region will be marking historic anniversaries beyond 2026 to celebrate Rockland County’s rich and diverse history.
Check back for updates as events are scheduled, including:
Rockland’s geography made it strategically vital in the Revolutionary War. It was situated along the Hudson River, the main artery between New England and the rest of the colonies.
It was also home to the vital Ramapo Pass, one of the few routes through the mountains during the war. Close to British-held New York City but also a staging ground for Continental forces in the Hudson Highlands, its position meant that George Washington and tens of thousands of Continental troops often used the region that is today Rockland County as a base for encampments, planning, and defense.
Widowed and mother to twelve, Mary “Mollie” Sneden kept her ferry running between Sneden’s Landing and Dobbs Ferry through the turbulence of the Revolutionary War. In an era when a “ferry” meant a wooden boat rowed or sailed by hand, she braved the Hudson’s tides to move people, wagons, and news across the colonies. Though a Loyalist, she is said to have ferried Martha Washington in 1775, a moment that forever anchors her story in Rockland County’s revolutionary past.
At Yoast Mabie’s house in Tappan, local patriots adopted the Orangetown Resolutions—early calls for liberty passed on July 4, two years before the Declaration of Independence.
Rockland County was a vital crossroads between the northern and southern colonies during the Revolutionary War. Troops were stationed throughout to guard river crossings and mountain passes. Forts at Stony Point and Bear Mountain (Fort Clinton), along with blockhouses at Hillburn and Sneden’s Landing, anchored these strategic defenses.
In 1781, French General Rochambeau and 5,000 troops camped at Suffern on their march to Yorktown. Today, a marker recalls this encampment. Washington and other luminaries of the revolution lodged nearby at Suffern’s Tavern.
A plaque on a boulder in Hillburn marks the site of extensive Revolutionary entrenchments and “Camp Rampough,” which protected the vital Ramapo Pass, a major transportation corridor back then as well as today.
The Sloat House Inn in Sloatsburg served as a post and stopping place for Washington and his officers as they moved through the Ramapo Valley. The house still stands today on Orange Turnkpike as a private residence.
Rockland’s mountain passes and river crossings carried entire armies and vital supplies, linking New England with the southern colonies. The King’s Ferry crossing between Stony Point and Verplanck was a key route for Washington’s troops, while the Ramapo Pass and the roads near Tappan provided crucial connections between New Jersey and the Hudson Highlands.
Today, trails through Harriman State Park trace much of this same terrain, offering a glimpse into the landscape that helped shape America’s independence.
King’s Ferry at Stony Point carried Washington’s army and French allies on their way to Yorktown in 1781, and visitors can still stand at Stony Point Battlefield to see where the crossing took place. Downriver, Mollie Sneden’s ferry at Sneden’s Landing transported travelers across the Hudson, and today the quiet cove still reflects the history of Rockland’s riverfront past.
In Tappan, British Major John André was tried and executed after conspiring with Benedict Arnold to surrender West Point. Visitors today can dine at the ’76 House, where André was held, and tour the DeWint House, Washington’s headquarters.
General Anthony Wayne’s daring nighttime assault secured a morale-boosting victory. The battlefield features a museum, interpretive programs, and the Hudson’s oldest lighthouse.
At the DeWint House, Washington met British commander Sir Guy Carleton to begin peace talks. Soon after, the British navy fired its first salute to the American flag.
