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History of Orange County
Town of Newburgh
Page 33
Our next remark is, that these meetings were not held, nor intended to be held, at the old Stone House. True it was Head Quarters, and had been repaired in 1770, as was previously stated, some thirteen years before; still, it was at the private residence of Washington and his family, and of the family also of Mr. Hasbrouck—a place wholly unfit for such a meeting, and where it could not, and would not have been held by him with any propriety. The fact of being repaired thirteen years before would scarcely authorize Washington, whose authority sanctified every thing, to call it the new building in a public order. We conclude that the publics building was not the old glebe school house, and that the new building was not the old stone house. Having objected to these opinions as erroneous, the public have a strong claim on us for a better one, true to the very letter, and against which no serious objections can be urged. We proceed to discharge the claim, and, if not correct, will thank any gentleman better acquainted with local and general history pertaining to the point to set us right in this matter. Originally, we supposed it was a matter of opinion about which there was no historical certainty, principally resting on tradition, and could not, at this day, probably, be made certain by the testimony of living witnesses: but in that we were mistaken. As connected with the various localities of the army at Snake Hill, New Windsor, the Square, etc., and for convenience in the discharge of Christian duty, General Washington erected a large temporary building, expressly for the officers to worship in from Sabbath to Sabbath. This building was on the height of land on the farm of Jabez Atwood, deceased, near and south of Snake Hill, and was called the Temple, herein-after mentioned under the name Snake Hill in the town of New Windsor. The elderly persons in the vicinity of the Hill, and the descendents of those who owned this farm, recollect well and distinctly, hearing from their fathers about the size, locality, and building of the temple, and the objects for which it was intended, and about the fact there can be no doubt. This was a new region of country; there were no large or public buildings either in the towns or villages of New Windsor or Newburgh, suitable to accommodate the army in this respect. The very locality of the edifice is favorable to its existence. A portion of the camp was near and directly west of it, and the stones of their fire places are yet to be seen. This is known as the camp ground to-day, and is on the edge of what was called the rice meadows.— We derive additional proof that there was a building there at that time from the fact that when General La Fayette visited Newburgh, it was part of the arrangements of the committee appointed to dispense the hospitalities of the country to that veteran and patriot chief, to convey him to the different places where he bad so frequently seen the army encamped, and to the site of the Temple, where he had so often went to worship God with his compatriots, and the friend and father of his country. Many of our citizens, who had a part in the transactions of that most grateful day, may remember the facts here stated, though, in consequence of the non-arrival of the General till after night-fall, this duty remained unperformed by the committee.
But we are not confined to this indirect and circumstantial proof, for we have it of the most direct and positive character from a living witness, as previously remarked. Robert R. Burnet, Esq. of New Windsor, during the War of the Revolution, was a Lieutenant in Capt. Stephen's company, and stationed at West Point, in command of Redoubt No. 3, and was sent a delegate to the meeting of officers called by Washington to put down time effect of the Newburgh Letters. He attended and heard the unsurpassed address made on that occasion, and says it was held at a building called the Temple, erected and seated as a place of worship for the army, situate on the farm between Major Morton's and Mr. David Munn’s, south of Snake Hill, which is the farm of Jabez Atwood, deceased.
For the evidence of this fact, we are indebted to our friend Thomas McKissock, Esq., who kindly volunteered to procure
it. Though this building was erected as a place of worship for the, army it was called the Temple, as we have been informed, because the fraternity of free and accepted masons, very popular at that day, and of which body of respectable men, most of the officers were probably members, used and occupied it as the place of meeting.
Washington was initiated into the mysteries of free-masonry in the winter of 1779-80, while he had his Head Quarters in Morristown, New Jersey. They built there, as here, a large commissary’s store house, and reserved the upper part for a ball room, and a mason’s lodge. This building is still standing and used as a tavern, called the Morris Hotel.
We are therefore of opinion, and most firmly believe, that this Temple, considering its location—surrounded by the army, its magnitude, time, and purpose of erection—was emphatically both the public building and the new building referred to in the Newburgh Letters, and order of General Washington. All the facts here stated conspire so establish this opinion, and we leave it in the full belief it never will, nor can be questioned. In this point of view, the old glebe school house has no very interesting or patriotic associations connected with it, growing out of the war of the Revolution, or station of the army in Newburgh; and although we regret to part with it, as we would with an old and dear friend, from whom we had experienced a thousand kindnesses, and for years held sweet converse together—we are this day compelled by the force of tradition and veritable history, to discard and rob it of all its historic glory. The effort to do so is rendered less painful from the fact, that the guardians of the glebe have overthrown and demolished the fabric, and we now come in at this late day, to execute the easy deed of blighting its heretofore good character and reputation.