The Wappingers, part of the Lenape People, lived along the Hudson River, forming the foundation of the region’s heritage. Their land, Lenapehoking, spanned from the Catskills to New Jersey. European settlers later expanded farming, commerce, and politics. Visitors today can explore historic sites ranging from colonial homes and Revolutionary War landmarks to 19th-century schools and churches.
These are a few of the sites that offer glimpses into the rich historical and cultural legacy of Dutchess County.
Akin Free Library
Pawling, NY
Victorian stone building from 1898.
Beekman Meeting House
LaGrangeville, NY
Quaker meeting house and cemetery from 1809.
Madam Brett Homestead
Beacon, NY
Oldest building in southern Dutchess, early 18th century.
Bykenhulle
Hopewell Junction, NY
Greek Revival house, mid-19th century.
Dover Stone Church
Dover Plains, NY
Notable 17th-century geological and cultural site.
Innisfree Garden
Millbrook, NY
Chinese-inspired public garden from 1930.
Friends of Spencer’s Corners Burying Ground
North of Millerton, NY
One of the oldest cemeteries in Dutchess County, with burials dating back to 1701.
John Kane House
Pawling, NY
George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolution.
Irondale Schoolhouse
Millerton, NY
Late 1850s one-room schoolhouse, relocated to the rail trail and restored for community use.
Oblong Friends Meetinghouse
Pawling, NY
1764 Quaker meetinghouse.
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Hyde Park, NY
Val-Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt’s home.
Coleman Station.Natalia Zukerman
Coleman Station Historic District
North East, NY
A 3-square-mile historic farming area.
Troutbeck
Amenia, NY
Historic estate hosting key civil rights meetings.
Vanderbilt Mansion
Hyde Park, NY
Beaux-Arts mansion, built 1896-1899.
Wethersfield Estate
Amenia, NY
Public garden with over 20 miles of trails.
Howland Library
Beacon, NY
Now The Howland Cultural Center, the original Howland Library was designed by Richard Morris Hunt in the 1870s.
Graham-Brush Log House
Pine Plains, NY
A historic two-room log structure with a wood frame lean-to, built around 1776.
Hiddenhurst
North East, NY
This home was the estate of businessman Thomas Hidden and built in the early 20th century
Parker Training Academy Dutch Barn
Red Hook, NY
One of the last New World Dutch barns in the Hudson Valley, built between 1790 and 1810.
Elmendorph Inn
Red Hook, NY
1750s house is oldest building in Red Hook; now a community center.
Ezra Clark House
Millerton, NY
Intact 1780 brick farmhouse is second-oldest in Coleman Station.
Beth David Synagogue
Amenia, NY
A 1929 synagogue built by a small, local community of Russian Jewish emigrants.
Tioronda Bridge
Beacon, NY
One of the last bowstring truss bridges in the U.S., built between 1869 and 1873.
The Village Diner
Red Hook, NY
Originally built in 1951, this diner reflects the mid-20th-century diner style.
Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.L. Tomaino 
