Page 14 - Westchester - 2024 Travel & Meeting Guide

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+ HISTORY & HERITAGE +
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Above: John Jay Homestead
LITTLE DID ANYONE know when Westchester was established as one of New York’s original counties in 1683 that it would one day be blessed with a wealth of amazing historic sites and landmarks to visit! Lace up your walking shoes and get ready to explore 340+ years of history in the County...
as George Washington’s headquarters during the 1776 Battle of White Plains. This farmhouse dating to the 1720s is available to tour
by appointment only and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Saunter up to Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, another Philipse family property. This mill and trading complex was home to generations of enslaved people owned by the family. The National Historic Landmark contains a stone manor house, grist mill, barn, slave garden, and reconstructed tenant house. Before lunch, stop by the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to see gravesites from four centuries including those of Washington Irving, William Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Brooke Astor, and Samuel Gompers.
Then, head north to Katonah’s John Jay Homestead. This farm
served as a retirement retreat for Founding Father John Jay. Though a slaveholder himself, Jay signed legislation leading to the abolition of slavery in New York State during his years as governor. The homestead includes his Federal-style home (currently under renovation), carriage barns, and a visitor and discovery center.
End your day on a historical note with dinner at Peter Pratt’s Inn in Yorktown Heights. The restaurant is housed in a Revolutionary War-era homestead and situated at the battle site of General George Washington’s Northern Continental Command Post against the British Tories in 1781.
For more on Westchester’s Revolutionary War Trail
and African American History Trail, go to www.visitwestchesterny.com. Also, look for the icons
and identifying trail sites throughout this guide.
ST
Y
TAKE A TOUR
THROUGH THE PAST
The Westchester landscape is dotted with historic
sites and museums from
the southernmost city of Yonkers all the way up to Peekskill. Begin your tour at the oldest house in Yonkers, Philipse Manor Hall. This state historic site was built in three stages from the 1680s to the 1750s by the Philipse family, once one
of the wealthiest families in New York, notorious for their embrace of slavery. The family were Dutch colonists who built their wealth trading fur with the indigenous Munsee Lunaape people. Today this historic site houses a museum and features a scavenger hunt for younger visitors.
Next up, travel to White Plains to visit the Jacob Purdy House, which served
12 WESTCHESTER DESTINATION & MEETING GUIDE
OR
Lives Here
Happy 250th Birthday America!
Although the 250th anniversary of our nation is still a few years away, events are already underway to showcase the important role that Westchester County played in the American Revolution and the founding
of the United States. From colonial wool spinning and dyeing events to historic home tours, be sure to check out RW250.org to gear up to commemorate America’s 250th birthday across Westchester in 2026.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN JAY HOMESTEAD