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Bicentennial of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour Visits Fishkill, NY

September 21, 2024 @ 10:00 am 3:00 pm

Your tour in Fishkill on the 19th will begin at The Van Wyck Homestead.  The Homestead was built in 1732 by Cornelius Van Wyck; this early 18th-century Dutch colonial house served as the headquarters for the Fishkill Supply Depot during the American Revolutionary War.   At the Homestead, you can see the desk the Marquis gave to the Brinckerhoff family in 1824 as a thank-you for the time he spent recuperating at their home during the Revolution.   The Fishkill Historical Society will serve lunch and provide tours of the Homestead with its Revolutionary War artifacts.  You can also find information for the self-guided tours of Fishkill’s Revolutionary War historical sites.  You will walk in the same steps the Marquis de Lafayette took during his visit in 1778 and 1824.
 
With your day pass, you can visit historic sites such as Mt. Gulian, Rombout Rural Cemetery, and several sites within the Village of Fishkill.  Rombout Rural Cemetery was the site of the Presbyterian Church, which served as a field hospital during the Revolutionary War.  It is next door to the Brinckerhoff mansion.
 
Greeters or walking interpreters will give you the historical context of major sites like the Trinity and Dutch Reformed churches, Rombout Cemetery, and Brinckerhoff Inn.  The quaint, old-fashioned shops and restaurants can be an enjoyable diversion from your tour. 
 
*Bus transportation will be available between the three historical site clusters.  You are invited to an optional fundraiser dinner for the Fishkill Historical Society, a 501(3)(c) nonprofit to further their preservation efforts.