Another historical excursion

After a short dental visit this morning I decided to look for more historical sites and headed for the town of Beacon, to Mount Gulian Historical Site. This is a reconstruction of an 18th Century Dutch farmhouse, and served as headquarters for Maj. Gen. Friedrich von Steuben, drillmaster of the Continental Army in 1783. Baron von Steuben and other officers founded the Society of the Cincinnati, a fraternal veterans organization. I had heard of the Society back when I lived in Cincinnati, but never really knew anything about it. I believe "Cincinnati" has to do with something from the ancient Roman days rather than the Queen City of Cincinnati, Ohio. I checked and found out that the Society is named after Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, who left his farm to accept a term as Roman Consul and served as Magister Populi (with temporary powers similar to that of a modern-era dictator). (This is from Wikipedia.)

Supposedly the interior of the house is filled with artifacts related to the Gulian Verplanck family, who owned the house. I didn't get to see anything of the interior because, if I had read the information closely, I would have known that it is open Wednesday to Friday, and on Sunday. I just walked around and took a few pictures. This is the house as seen when you drive up.


And this is the front of the house that faces the Hudson River.




And this is a typical Dutch barn that was dismantled from another property and rebuilt here.


I'd like to return one of these days when the house is open to the public. Another interesting feature is the first person diary of escaped slave, James F. Brown, who wrote of his years as a gardener at Mount Gulian, and is one of the very few African-American written records of this period.

On another note, I need to make a correction, and that is my grandson weighs 50# and not the 65# I reported earlier. Now 50 is more like it! Since I left CA I have neglected the stretching exercises that kept me in decent shape, and now after the fall my quadriceps are killing me! I must have tensed them coming slowly down the stairs carrying 50#. More parts of me hurt as well, but I know it will all go away eventually.

I will have to go back to the dentist for a filling on Thursday. I hate to even think about it and know I probably need more than one filling, but this will suffice for now.