COMMENDATION: 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MOUNT GULIAN HISTORIC SITE

DUTCHESS COUNTY LEGISLATURE Commendation: 50 Anniversary of Mount Gulian Historic Site Resolution No. 2025092 The Dutchess County Legislature offers the following and moves its adoption: WHEREAS, the Dutchess County Legislature seeks to acknowledge the contributions of those individuals and entities whose actions serve to enhance the quality of life in Dutchess County, and WHEREAS, June 14, 2025, marks the 50"* Anniversary of the Mount Gulian Historic Site, and WHEREAS, Mount Gulian opened to the public as a historic site and museum in 1975. In the 50 years since its opening day on June 14, 1975, hundreds of thousands of adults and children have visited. learning about colonial times, the American Revolution, the Society of the Cincinnati, and the relevancy of these issues to their daily lives, and WHEREAS, in the 1630s, Abraham Isaac Verplanck emigrated from the Netherlands to explore the Hudson Valley's fur and lumber trades. He established a home on Wall Street, Manhattan for his family, and built Mount Gulian as a secondary home on land purchased by the Verplank's from the Wappinger People through the Rombout Patent of 1683. The land Mount Gulian is built on was situated in Fishkill Landing, known today as Beacon, overlooking the Hudson River, and WHEREAS, Mount Gulian was built during the 1720's as the homestead of the prominent Dutch Verplanck family. The home was later given to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and became the headquarters of Patriot General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben in 1782-1783. On May 13, 1783, the Society of the Cincinnati, our nation's first veteran's organization, was formed at Mount Gulian, at its first meeting attended by Patriot Generals including von Steuben, Knox, and Heath. Today, Mount Gulian serves as the headquarters of the New York State Society of the Cincinnati, and WHEREAS, the home was almost destroyed by an arsonist's fire in 1931 and remained in ruin for over 40 years. The Mount Gulian Society, governing authority of Mount Gulian Historic Site, was formed by Bache Bleecker, a Verplanck descendant, and his wife Connie, in 1966 for the purpose of reconstructing the original structure and serving as a historic site and museum, and WHEREAS, this year, Mount Gulian Historic Site opens its doors to the public for the 50 year. Visitors from across the globe continue to visit the site to learn about New York's Dutch roots, the Hudson Valley's importance in the Revolutionary War, and the notable individuals who helped shape our nation's history. Mount Gulian offers educational programs for students to engage with history in a hands-on way, allowing them to participate in activities in an experiential manner, now, therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature, on behalf of all the people of Dutchess County, is proud to commemorate the 50" Anniversary of the Mount Gulian Historic Site and its continued education of the public, particularly the youth, on the important history of our nation, to live up to our civic duties, and to keep history alive. sis: This is to corsity that I, the undersigned Ceck of the I egisaruse of the County of Dutchess, have compared the foregoing resolutio wich the original resolution now on life in the office of sad clerk, and which was adopted by said Legislaure on the 9 day of June 2025, and that the same is a rue and chercet tansceips of said original resolution and of the wink thereaf IN WITNESS WHEREOF ! have hercunto set my hand and seal of said legislaure this the clay of June: 20025