Historic Kingston Home Was Once a Headquarters for George Washington

At the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. there is a collection called the American Memory Collection. Within this collection, under architecture, are thousands of pictures and descriptions of historic locations throughout the country compiled from 1933 to 1936.

The Judge John Berrien, originally standing in Rocky Hill and now located in Kingston, was surveyed in 1933. This home, known as Rockingham today, was used as a headquarters by General George Washington and his wife Martha.

It is documented here that many of General Washington’s friends stayed at this home, including Thomas Paine, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and John Paul Jones. The survey goes on to describe the home as being built in 1760.

The surveyors found the second floor to be the most interesting part of the home. In a room there, it is said George Washington wrote his farewell address to the army, made notations on peace establishment and the location of the capital, and terms of treaties.

The Berrien family were French Huguenots who fled to Holland, then to America. Hand drawings of the various sections of the home are included in this report, as well as pictures at the time. Thankfully Rockingham is preserved and open to visitors in Kingston.