Exciting News from OHRH
Under the contract between the Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters and Amaze Design, the first phase of the museum planning process has been completed. The final layout shows the space usage within the house, including ADA accessibility to the first floor.
The plans are the result of a months-long collaborative effort between Scott Rabiet, principal designer of Amaze Design, the executive committee of the Friends and Steve Tilly Architects. Scott visited OHRH twice, took multiple measurements and held several Zoom sessions with us to discuss many options for the use of the rooms of OHRH. Since it is a very old building—expanded several times in the 18th and 19th-centuries—there are different floor levels, different ceiling heights and many structural issues to consider. We discussed several options for the newly reconstructed north addition, such as where the ADA-compliant bathroom, storage and a new exterior door would best be located. Considerations included details like the best layout of chairs for watching our introductory video and where to store those chairs so the room can be cleared for other uses.
The house will have eight rooms open to the public and some space will be flexible for special exhibits and events. Many options and ideas were discussed and modified during the meetings. A draft was sent to the entire OHRH board and to our Academic Advisory Committee for comments. Scott produced several versions of the plans before we agreed to this final layout. It has now been sent to Steve Tilly Architects to be incorporated into the architectural drawings for the final phase of the restoration. You can see the plans here.
While the last phase of the physical work is underway, the job of the Friends, the Academic Advisory committee and community stakeholders is to establish the goals and priorities of the museum. This 292-year-old building holds so many stories—from its first construction in 1732 to its role as the headquarters of General Rochambeau and the post-Revolution purchase by John Odell to the life in late 19th and early 20th century suburban Westchester to the present day. The remainder of this year will be spent working together planning how to best present the story of the house and the people who lived there.
Restoration Work Continues
During the past few weeks, the rotted exterior shingles of the house have been removed and temporary Tyvek sheathing installed. New, period-appropriate shingles will replace the Tyvek. The window frames are being repaired in preparation for the installation of new windows. The sill plates along the exterior walls are being replaced so that the temporary support structures inside the house can be removed. All the vertical beams are being sistered and will now meet the floor! The framing of the north addition will begin in the next few weeks.
St. Paul’s Church Event Honoring Susan Seal
On May 11 OHRH president Susan Seal will be the honoree at a benefit event held at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site in Mt. Vernon, N.Y. (General Washington and General Rochambeau rode by the church in the fateful summer of 1781 as they surveyed various options to attack the British in New York City.) Susan is being honored for her work to save the OHRH from collapse and coordinating the many people and organizations working towards its restoration.
The event is sponsored by the Society of the National Shrine of the Bill of Rights, a non-profit organization that helps administer St. Paul’s through a co-operative agreement with the National Park Service. It is a fund raiser for the site as well.
Regular tickets will be $60, but for a donation of $100 you can be a member of the event Host Committee. This way you can register your support for the work of the Friends of OHRH and St. Paul’s, and receive special recognition on the event program and at the festivities on May 11 at 5 p.m.
Donations should be payable to: “St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site,” and mailed to St. Paul’s Church N.H.S., 897 S. Columbus Avenue, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550, attn: May benefit event. Please submit your contribution by May 1.
New Research Information
Char Weigel, a member of the RW250 Management Committee, has been investigating the story of Gilbert and Sarah Bates, the second owners of Odell. While her research is ongoing, she has established that Gilbert was a loyalist who left Greenburgh around 1778 and that Sarah followed him to New York City. There will be more details forthcoming, but it is fascinating to know that the stories of Sarah being General Rochambeau’s hostess were likely fables. Instead, the house holds the story of the divided loyalties in Westchester when brothers fought brothers.
More Discoveries in the House
An old cardboard box recently found in the house included a cache of jewelry and a beaded patch that looks to be Native American. None of the jewelry has great monetary value, but it will add to the way we can talk about the people who lived in the house. And we definitely want to learn more about the beaded item. We continue to make exciting discoveries as we sift through the contents of so many centuries of life in the house. (We found something else yesterday but will save it for the next newsletter!)
Start the Year with a Donation to OHRH
Help us continue our work by making a tax-deductible contribution.
Please click here.
If you want to donate by check, make it payable to Friends of OHRH and mail it to OHRH, c/o Seal, 14 Rochambeau Drive, Hartsdale, NY 10530.
Thank you for your support!
2023 Ended on a High Note!
December was a busy month, packed with accomplishments and awards for the Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters (OHRH).
It began on December 2 when our President, Susan Seal, was awarded the Bronze Medal for Good Citizenship by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). Ken Stevens, the President of the Westchester Putnam Chapter of the SAR, and longtime supporter of the Friends, noted in his speech that the SAR was pleased to see OHRH moving swiftly towards completion. He praised the Friends’ efforts to make Odell House an important site to learn about the history of the Revolutionary War and the crucial alliance with France.
Following that event, we learned that OHRH will receive funding for museum design planning from the Westchester County Board of Legislators and the Scarsdale Historical Society (SHS). A big thank you to David Imamura, County Legislator, and the Board of SHS!
Immediately after that announcement we signed a contract with Amaze Design of Boston, Massachusetts, for the first phase of the planning project. Amaze designed the permanent interpretive exhibits for the wonderful new Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site in Yonkers. We are thrilled to have them as part of our team and look forward to sharing their designs with you later this year.
The Friends are honored to have four prominent scholars join our newly-created Academic Advisory Committee in December.
Travis Bowman, the head of museum collections for the New York State Bureau of Historic Sites, where he coordinates the Curatorial, Conservation, Museum Security, and Collections Management units. He is a scholar of slavery in New York and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Leiden.
Dr. Iris de Rode, the author of many publications about the French role in the American Revolution, who was recently awarded the Guizot Prize by the Academie Française for her publication in France of the writings of the Marquis de Chastellux, who served as a major general in Rochambeau’s French expeditionary forces during the Revolutionary War. The book, revised for American audiences and in English, will soon to be published by the University of Virginia Press.
Dr. Roger Panetta, who taught history at Fordham University and has authored numerous articles on the history of Westchester County and New York State. He served as Adjunct Curator for History at the Hudson River Museum and is currently Visiting Professor of History at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus.
Emily Yankowitz, current Ph.D candidate in American History at Yale University, was our researcher on the history of the Odell farm and the enslaved people who worked on the farm. She also created the finding aid for the Odell family document collection at the Westchester County Historical Society. Emily is currently an editorial assistant for the Papers of Benjamin Franklin at Yale.
On December 12 Susan Jainchill, principal of Aspect 120, presented the OHRH Cultural Landscape Plan to the annual meeting of the Landscape Design Students and Alumni Association at the New York Botanical Gardens. The presentation was warmly received, and the design may be submitted to the New York Association of Landscape Architects award program. We will post her plans on our website in the coming months.
The following evening, the Greenburgh Town Board approved the final contract with Steven Tilly Architects for the last phase of the restoration of the house. This contract is fully funded by grants from New York State and will include the execution of the Landscape Plan.
Next, the Friends were happy to submit the final report to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) about the restoration of the French doors in the stone section of the house. The eight glass panels of the doors were restored to meet modern safety regulations by a master carpenter, Padriag Brehony, through a grant from the National Society of the DAR. Sponsored by the Hudson River Patriots Chapter of the NSDAR—thank you Philomena Dunn for your support—this grant was one of the first awarded to the Friends. We are grateful for the DAR’s continued encouragement and support.
December ended with the return of an important OHRH artifact. In 1976, a group of women from the Scarsdale Woman’s Club spent hundreds of hours creating a beautiful bicentennial quilt commemorating the role of OHRH in the American Revolution. It was presented to the NY Chapter of SAR forty-seven years ago and displayed briefly, but it was not among the items in the house. Last summer, OHRH board member Marc Cheshire discovered that the quilt had just been sold at auction in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. After much negotiation, the Friends were able to buy it back from the purchaser. We are thrilled to have it safely home and intend to display it prominently in the museum.
Happy Holidays!
My Christmas Wish: Health and Wealth and Joy be thine, prays the Friend of “Auld Lang Syne”. L. Prang & Co., Boston, 1884
This year the Friends continued to work to restore Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters and create an exciting and fabulous museum. We have been very actively researching all the stories the museum can tell and the best way to share them. While the story usually starts with the most famous event—the decision in 1781 between Comte de Rochambeau and General George Washington to attack the British in Virginia, not in New York City—that’s only one part of the history of the house. We want to tell the whole story of the people who lived here before, during, and after the Revolutionary War, into the 20th century. There is much to research, to learn, and to share. Stay tuned!
For now, we’ll look back to this last year and be thankful for all the wonderful things that happened in 2023. With the help of grants given to the Town of Greenburgh by New York State, the house has a new roof and a safe chimney. The restoration continues, with new exterior shingles, restored windows and French doors and permanent stabilization underway. An exciting Cultural Landscape Plan, funded by the Friends, is ready to be shared with everyone. We hosted two fantastic events: Follow the French in May and Colonial Day in September. Our mini museum, which was set up at both events, also helped several social studies classes in local schools studying the Colonial era. We published the article, Enslaved People at the Odell House, which is available on our website here. With the help of a grant from the Scarsdale Historical Society, we created a free audio tour on the app Travel Storys about the sites of the 1781 French encampments in Westchester. You can download it here.
Looking to the future, the Friends and the Town are formalizing an agreement that will allow us to work collaboratively to run the finished museum. The Town and the historic preservation architect are preparing the final phase of restoration, interior finishes, and utilities. The Friends have formed an Academic Advisory Committee of historians expert in the eras the house encompasses, and are interviewing museum planning consultants to define the stories to share in the finished building and how to create exciting exhibits. We are actively seeking grant money for this all-important last step. Next year’s newsletters will let you follow along with this work.
The 18 members of the OHRH Board wish to thank the wonderful partners who are helping us do this work—Town of Greenburgh officials and employees, the Greenburgh Parks Department team, state, county and local elected officials, all the reenactors and historic interpreters, our dedicated volunteers, and the many supporters and donors who made our year and our events so special. Thank you so much! We could not have done it without you!
Make a Year-End Donation!
Help us continue our work by making a tax-deductible contribution before the end of the year. Please click here.
If you want to donate by check, make it payable to Friends of OHRH and mail it to OHRH, c/o Seal, 14 Rochambeau Drive, Hartsdale, NY 10530.
Thank you for your support!
Like the one we shared last year, the holiday card above is one of the exciting finds in the boxes of documents we rescued in the house. It’s part of a collection of Victorian Louis Prang cards that were saved by one of the Odell family members—now safely stored in the archives of the Westchester County Historical Society. Prang was a 19th-century Boston-based printer, considered the father of the American Christmas Card. His cards are prized for their beauty and history, and we are proud that they will be part of a future exhibit when the museum is ready.
News from Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters
A Great Day!
Despite torrential rains the day before, our Colonial Day was a great success, drawing more than 200 visitors. Over 50 children and their parents followed our scavenger hunt, learning first-hand about the history of the American Revolution. They saw the replica of George Washington’s tent and met historic interpreters from Philadelphia’s acclaimed Museum of the American Revolution, along with General Rochambeau, Ben Franklin, re-enactors of the 5th NY Regiment and Hearts of Oak, a blacksmith, doctor, spinner, broom maker, and, of course, General George Washington. They also watched our video about Westchester’s Philipsburg Encampment and visited our mini-museum for more hands-on experience. Parents even told us that they had learned more than what they were taught in school when they were young!
Thanks to the Greenburgh Town Parks Department, the historic Geisman Barn at Hartsbrook Park was transformed into a beautiful space for the children’s table, the broom maker, the wool spinner and our mini-museum. We so appreciate their help and professionalism.
We are grateful that so many elected officials joined us during the day. Thank you to the Honorable Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Leader of New York State Senate; George Latimer, Westchester County Executive; Mary Jane Shimsky, New York State Assemblymember; David Imamura, Westchester County Legislator; Paul Finer, Greenburgh Town Supervisor; Greenburgh Town Council members Ellen Hendrickx, Gina Jackson, Ken Jones, and Francis Sheehan. Your continued support of the work to create a first-class museum at Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters is immeasurable.
Cultural Landscape Plan
Susan Jainchill and her firm, Aspect 120, have completed the Cultural Landscape Plan. It has been submitted to the Town Board for their review. The Town will schedule a hearing for a presentation of the plan by Susan Jainchill, to which the public will be invited.
Restoration Progress
The second phase of restoration has begun. After a competitive RPF (request for proposal) was issued by the Town, the contract has now been signed with Abbott and Price, the lowest bidder. This phase will cover a great deal of work. The exterior shingles of the 18th-century sections of the house will be replaced. The windows will either be restored or replaced with period-appropriate windows. The missing north addition, that faces away from the street, will be rebuilt to accommodate bathrooms and storage. The temporary shoring inside the building will be replaced with a permanent infrastructure. In the photo below you will see how deteriorated the structure was and how close the building came to collapse! The interior of the 1855 stone wing will be restored and useable first for events. All this work is scheduled to be completed within 10 months from the time the materials arrive—and they are on order now.
Interior Renovation and Creation of Museum Exhibits
While phase two work is underway, the plans for the interior spaces are begin prepared by Steve Tilly and Associates, architects (STA). This includes careful studies of original paint colors and finishes. The Friends are working closely with the Town and STA on plans for how the interior of OHRH will be used. Which areas will contain exhibits open to the public? Where will offices and storage space be located? Can some space be flexible so events can be held there?
The Friends are creating an academic advisory group to help us tell the many exciting stories the households. From 1732 when the first section was built to 1990 when the last Odell passed away, the house is a microcosm of life in Westchester from 18th-century tenant farms, through the Revolutionary War to today’s suburbia. We are also interviewing museum design consultants to advise us how to create the exhibits. There are many new, exciting, and interactive ways to tell the stories we hope to tell. We will work with the chosen firm to use the newest and best methods available to make our museum an exciting place to visit again and again.
Thank you to all who came to Colonial Day and all who donated to our work. We are so grateful for your enthusiasm and support! It is the fuel that keeps us moving!
A Great Day!
Despite torrential rains the day before, our Colonial Day was a great success, drawing more than 200 visitors. Over 50 children and their parents followed our scavenger hunt, learning first-hand about the history of the American Revolution. They saw the replica of George Washington’s tent and met historic interpreters from Philadelphia’s acclaimed Museum of the American Revolution, along with General Rochambeau, Ben Franklin, re-enactors of the 5th NY Regiment and Hearts of Oak, a blacksmith, doctor, spinner, broom maker, and, of course, General George Washington. They also watched our video about Westchester’s Philipsburg Encampment and visited our mini-museum for more hands-on experience. Parents even told us that they had learned more than what they were taught in school when they were young!
We are grateful that so many elected officials joined us during the day. Thank you to the Honorable Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Leader of New York State Senate; George Latimer, Westchester County Executive; Mary Jane Shimsky, New York State Assemblymember; David Imamura, Westchester County Legislator; Paul Finer, Greenburgh Town Supervisor; Ellen Hendrickx, Greenburgh Councilwoman; Gina Jackson, Greenburgh Councilwoman; and Francis Sheehan, Greenburgh Councilman. Your continued support of our work to create a first-class museum at Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters is immeasurable.
Colonial Day
Featuring George Washington’s Revolutionary War Tents & Encampment, from the Museum of the American Revolution!
Come see what life was like during the 1781 Encampment of American and French troops in Greenburgh!
Tour Washington’s Revolutionary War Tents & Encampment, guided by historic interpreters from Philadelphia’s acclaimed Museum of the American Revolution.
Meet George Washington, Le Comte de Rochambeau, and Ben Franklin.
See military marching and drills by re-enactors of the 5th New York Regiment and Hearts of Oak.
Toys, games, and activities for kids; demonstrations of Colonial cooking, wool spinning, blacksmithing, and more!
Learn about the role Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters played in the encampment and how this historic site is being restored.
242 years ago, in the summer of 1781, the Continental Army under the command of George Washington and the French Army under the command of Le Comte de Rochambeau, marched into Greenburgh with 9,000 soldiers and camped for six weeks. Rochambeau stayed at the Odell House and it was there that the two generals made a crucial decision that resulted in the final victory that won the Revolutionary War.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 10 A.M. TO 4 P.M.
In case of rain, most activities and demonstrations are under tents or indoors.
Admission is $10 for ages 13+; $5 for ages 3-12 and active service members/veterans (with ID). Children under 3 are free.
Pay when you park with cash, check or Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards. No electronic payments.
Hart’s Brook Park & Preserve, 156 Ridge Road, Hartsdale, N.Y.
Parking at Ridge Road Park, 287 Ridge Road, Hartsdale, N.Y. Free shuttle bus service to the nearby event. Handicap parking available at the Hart’s Brook Park site.
This event is brought to you by Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters and the Town of Greenburgh. It is part of the Hudson River Valley Ramble, an event series that celebrates the history, culture, and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley.
Funding provided by Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters, Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, Town of Greenburgh and Westchester County.
Watch a short film about Washington’s War Tent
The cornerstone of the Museum of the American Revolution's collection is Washington’s original war tent. The tent coming to Colonial Day is an exact replica.
News from Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters
OHRH President Susan Seal showed Town Supervisor Paul Feiner the proposed Cultural Landscape Plan.
Follow the French Tour
We survived the deluge! May 20th, the day of our wonderful tour of the three places in Westchester County where the French Army camped in 1781, was the only rainy day all month. But, just like the French soldiers who had to bivouac in the rain in 1781, nothing stopped us or history enthusiasts from coming to Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters. We had over 80 stalwarts come to see the pop-up museum, meet General Rochambeau, and learn how to make a paper model of the house created by Pierre Fontaine. Our Board members and volunteers wore 18th century costumes and told the visitors all about life on the farm. Don O’Dell, OHRH board member, brought his brother Carl from South Carolina; they are direct descendants of Colonel John Odell. The Town of Greenburgh Parks Department lent us their big tent to hold the mini-museum and a display about the French encampment. The display included a drawing of the preliminary landscape plans for the property, completed by Susan Jainchill of Aspect 120 in Ardsley. She was there to discuss the details with Westchester County Executive, George Latimer, and Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. Both were excited to learn about the progress we have made toward the creation of the museum, and both are eager to help implement the landscape plan. Westchester County Legislator David Imamura (and his adorable son Leo) enjoyed a long visit with Greenburgh Town Board members Gina Jackson and Ellen Hendrickx.
If you haven’t had time to listen to the audio tour of the French Encampment in 1781, it’s not too late. The audio tour will stay on the Travel Storys app for several years, allowing you to listen to the story of the three sites at your leisure. Here is the link to download the app.
David and Leo Imamura with Generals Rochambeau (Tom Hay) and Washington.
Save the Date for Colonial Day
Our excellent Board is moving ahead with an even bigger Colonial Day this Fall. The event will be held at Hartsbrook Park, just down the road from Odell House on Ridge Road. It will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 30, 2023, and will feature all manner of re-enactors.
The highlight this year will be replicas of George Washington’s tents from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. The MAR will have several staff members, dressed in Revolutionary War uniforms, and allow visitors to go into the tents and imagine Washington living in the main tent when his army was camped in Ardsley in 1781!
More details will follow soon but put the date on your calendar now!
Peaches, Peaches, Peaches!
The peach trees on Board President Susan Seal’s front lawn in Hartsdale are loaded with fruit this year. It reminded us of the peaches grown by the Odells in the 19th century and we wanted to share two things from the Odell family document collection. The first is a recipe for Peach Cordial that sounds so simple! We might just try it if we can learn how many peaches are in a peck! The second is the notice of the sale of an Odell family peach farm in the Finger Lakes area of New York being auctioned off in 1865. There is more information about John S. Odell and some of his brothers farming in upstate New York in the letters we deposited at the Westchester County Historical Society. Any research volunteers ready to read old script and find more stories?
Follow the French Tour
Washington Reviewing Our Ally—the French—1781 by Henry Alexander Ogden. The Society of the Cincinnati, Washington, DC.
Visit three historic Revolutionary War sites in Westchester, where French troops camped during the final year of the war.
Listen to the FREE AUDIO TOUR about the crucial French alliance with General George Washington and the Continental Army.
Come learn about the French role in winning our war for independence, see their encampment sites, visit a historic tavern, meet Generals Rochambeau and Washington, tour a pop- up museum, and pet animals from the colonial period.
The FREE family-friendly event will take place May 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can go at your own pace and visit the sites in any order.
The three sites are Smith’s Tavern in Armonk, Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters in Hartsdale, and Rochambeau Park/Yorktown Grange Fair Grounds—where there will be a re-creation of a French campsite. Each location will have family activities.
FREE AUDIO TOUR!
Download the free TravelStorys Follow the French audio tour and learn about the sites as you drive to each location. The audio launches automatically— hands-free—as you approach each site, without the need for cell service or Wi-Fi. Click here to download the free audio tour. (The tour will be available long after the event for tourists and history lovers to use.)
TOUR SITE LOCATIONS Audio tour works best in this order.
Smith’s Tavern Educational Complex
Smith’s Tavern Educational Complex
440 Bedford Road, Armonk, NY
Smith’s volunteers, in period costume, will welcome you with lots of fun for the whole family. There will be an optional self-guided tour of four ancient buildings: Historic Smith Tavern (a National Register of Historic Places site), a 1798 Quaker Meeting House, Brundage Blacksmith Shop and East Middle Patent One-Room School. Here you can see the correspondence between Washington, Rochambeau and Lauzun, pretend you are a soldier of Lauzun’s Legion or stand with Rochambeau. Learn about the Daughters of the American Revolution and all it does to promote American history.
Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters
Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters
425 Ridge Road, Hartsdale, NY
See artifacts from the museum-in-the-making, meet General Rochambeau and many of the camp followers. Costumed volunteers will offer children’s activities, a selfie booth and teach you how to make a model of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters. Learn about the nearby encampment of the French and American armies, the crucial decision that was made at the house by Washington and Rochambeau and the ongoing restoration of this National Register of Historic Places site.
Rochambeau Park/Yorktown Grange Fair Grounds
Rochambeau Park/Yorktown Grange Fair Grounds
99 Moseman Road, Yorktown Heights, NY
Meet French, Continental and British forces in uniform performing drills and firing muskets, participate in an encampment setup (for both adults and kids), learn to use a model musket, greet reenactors in period dress, and see farm animals from the period.
Tour organized by the Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters, in collaboration with the North Castle Historical Society and the Yorktown Heritage Preservation Commission. Funding for TravelStorys audio tour provided by the Scarsdale Historical Society.
Saving a National Treasure - the Story of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters
This afternoon presentation at Fraunces Tavern Museum, sponsored by Manhattan Chapter, NSDAR, will be held in-person and streamed via Zoom. Click here to register.
In the summer of 1781, after spying on the British troops in Manhattan for six weeks, General Washington and General Rochambeau made a critical decision. They would not attack the British in New York but instead would take their troops across the Hudson River and march to Yorktown, Virginia to confront General Cornwallis’ army in the South. That decision changed the war and it happened at Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters.
In the spring of 2020, The Town of Greenburgh, NY, at the urging and leadership of Susan Seal took possession of Odell House to save it from collapse. Amazingly, this house, listed on the National Register, retains most of its original details and it is now in the process of restoration. By 2026, in time for the 250th commemoration of the Declaration of Independence, it will be open to the public as a museum.
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
12:30 PM 1:30 PM
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl Street, New York, NY
Follow the French Tour
Washington Reviewing Our Ally—the French—1781 by Henry Alexander Ogden. The Society of the Cincinnati, Washington, DC.
Visit three historic Revolutionary War sites in Westchester, where French troops camped during the final year of the war.
Listen to the FREE AUDIO TOUR about the crucial French alliance with General George Washington and the Continental Army.
Come learn about the French role in winning our war for independence, see their encampment sites, visit a historic tavern, meet Generals Rochambeau and Washington, tour a pop- up museum, and pet animals from the colonial period.
The FREE family-friendly event will take place May 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can go at your own pace and visit the sites in any order.
The three sites are Smith’s Tavern in Armonk, Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters in Hartsdale, and Rochambeau Park/Yorktown Grange Fair Grounds—where there will be a re-creation of a French campsite. Each location will have family activities.
FREE AUDIO TOUR!
Download the free TravelStorys Follow the French audio tour and learn about the sites as you drive to each location. The audio launches automatically— hands-free—as you approach each site, without the need for cell service or Wi-Fi. Click here to download the free audio tour. (The tour will be available long after the event for tourists and history lovers to use.)
TOUR SITE LOCATIONS Audio tour works best in this order.
Smith’s Tavern Educational Complex
Smith’s Tavern Educational Complex
440 Bedford Road, Armonk, NY
Smith’s volunteers, in period costume, will welcome you with lots of fun for the whole family. There will be an optional self-guided tour of four ancient buildings: Historic Smith Tavern (a National Register of Historic Places site), a 1798 Quaker Meeting House, Brundage Blacksmith Shop and East Middle Patent One-Room School. Here you can see the correspondence between Washington, Rochambeau and Lauzun, pretend you are a soldier of Lauzun’s Legion or stand with Rochambeau. Learn about the Daughters of the American Revolution and all it does to promote American history.
Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters
Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters
425 Ridge Road, Hartsdale, NY
See artifacts from the museum-in-the-making, meet General Rochambeau and many of the camp followers. Costumed volunteers will offer children’s activities, a selfie booth and teach you how to make a model of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters. Learn about the nearby encampment of the French and American armies, the crucial decision that was made at the house by Washington and Rochambeau and the ongoing restoration of this National Register of Historic Places site.
Rochambeau Park/Yorktown Grange Fair Grounds
Rochambeau Park/Yorktown Grange Fair Grounds
99 Moseman Road, Yorktown Heights, NY
Meet French, Continental and British forces in uniform performing drills and firing muskets, participate in an encampment setup (for both adults and kids), learn to use a model musket, greet reenactors in period dress, and see farm animals from the period.
Tour organized by the Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters, (www.odellrochambeau.org), in collaboration with the North Castle Historical Society (www.northcastlehistoricalsociety.org) and the Yorktown Heritage Preservation Commission (www.yorktownny.org/hpc)
Funding for TravelStorys audio tour provided by the Scarsdale Historical Society.
New Grants and New Research
Grants
We are starting the year with news of more funding for OHRH. Thanks to the advocacy of former Assemblyman Tom Abinanti and Leader of the NY State Senate, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Town of Greenburgh has received two $500,000 grants.
Senator Stewart-Cousins relayed her firm support for Odell House with these words: “I am happy to announce a new capital grant of $500,000 that I secured to support the restoration and renovation of the Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters that played such an important role in the Revolutionary War. It had been in a state of continuous disrepair, unprotected and vandalized for over 30 years until the Town of Greenburgh assumed ownership in 2020. Since then, with my support, the Town has received other State funding to renovate this historical structure. I applaud the formation of The Friends of OHRH and its leadership who have led the charge and done so much to restore the property so it can be turned into a public museum by 2026 in celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary.”
Enslaved People at Odell House
An essay that tells the story of the relationship between the Odell family and the four enslaved people living on the farm in Greenburgh during the period from 1800 to 1830 is now posted on our website.
This project took over a year to complete and involved the research talents of Emily Yankowitz, American History PhD candidate at Yale University (whose work was funded by a grant from the Westchester County Board of Legislators) and primary researchers Dan Weinfeld, OHRH Board member, and Susan Seal, President of OHRH.
As historian Jon Meacham wrote recently in the New York Times, “The messy, difficult, unavoidable truth of the American story is that it is fundamentally a human one. Imperfect, selfish, greedy, cruel—and sometimes noble.” So too is the story this essay tries to address. We conducted extensive research about the individuals enumerated in the census. While we found little specific information about these people, we were able to draw conclusions about their lives from other narratives and from the physical space of OHRH. We are optimistic that other sources of information will become available, and we will be able to update the story; we welcome receiving comments and more information from other scholars.
OHRH in New Book About the American Revolution
In 2021 Bob Thompson contacted OHRH President Susan Seal and asked to see the house for a book he was writing about important sites of the American Revolution and how their physical properties contributed to our victory. The book has just been published and we are proud that Chapter 21 begins with his visit to OHRH. It is a very readable book that makes history accessible to even the casual student. Learn more about the book at the publisher’s website.
Save the Date
On May 20 the Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters will welcome the public to our site as part of the Follow the French tour of three important places where the French forces encamped in Westchester in 1781. The French arrived first in North Castle/Armonk, then came to OHRH and then marched to present-day Yorktown (New York) on their way to Yorktown, Virginia. Each location will be part of the May 20 event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More details will come soon.
THANK YOU for Your Donations to Our 2022 Campaign
It is because of you that we are able to plan events like Follow the French and our upcoming Colonial Day on September 29 and 30. As the cultural landscape plan for OHRH reaches completion, your funding will pay for its execution. We look forward to welcoming you to walk along new paths and see recreated gardens soon.
For those of you who would like to contribute this year, please use this link or mail your check to Friends of OHRH, 14 Rochambeau Drive, Hartsdale, NY 10530.
Christmas Came Early!
We’re thrilled to announce two wonderful awards!
The Town of Greenburgh was awarded $500,000 in New York State Environmental Protection Funds for another phase of restoration for OHRH. The Town will match this grant, providing a total of $1,000,000 for the physical restoration of the house. This is the second successful Consolidated Funding Award the Town has received from NYS. The first award was for $600,000 which was matched by the Town. Some of these funds were used for temporary shoring and the current roof restoration. There are two more grants pending, each for $500,000. If they come through there will be enough money to completely restore the house. Raising the funds to make the restored house into a museum—with modern, interactive exhibits—is still ahead of us.
The second happy announcement is a new grant from the Scarsdale Historical Society. SHS—an early and generous supporter of OHRH—has agreed to fund the creation of an audio tour for Follow the French, an event we’re organizing for May 20, 2023. The event will cover three major stops the French forces made in 1781 as they came to the aid of George Washington, Smith’s Tavern in North Castle/Armonk, Odell House in Hartsdale, and their final encampment in Yorktown. As people travel from place to place and visit each stop the audio tour will allow everyone to listen to the stories of the arrival, encampment, and departure of the French troops as they marched with the continental army. The audio tour will be used to build other audio tours for Revolutionary War sites in Westchester. This continues our work to educate the public on the French/American alliance and the important role Westchester played in the creation of the independence and democracy we celebrate today.
One of the projects we have funded, the Cultural Landscape Plan, is underway with the firm of Aspect 120. They are developing plans for exciting spaces on the grounds, including an outdoor classroom and lecture areas, a kitchen garden and handicap accessible pathways. Incorporated into the landscape will be a monument to the French soldiers who died while Rochambeau’s troops camped in the fields around OHRH. The monument will be made possible by a generous grant from the American Society of Le Souvenir Français, an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of French soldiers, sailors and airmen who gave their lives for freedom.
We want to end the year with a huge THANK YOU to everyone. We could not have come this far without your donations, the work of our Board and many other volunteers, and your loyal support. You are all marching along beside us, sharing the excitement of creating a museum to be proud of.
Make a Year-End Donation!
For those of you who would like to contribute this year, please use this link or mail your check to Friends of OHRH, 14 Rochambeau Drive, Hartsdale, NY 10530.
The holiday card above is one of the exciting finds in the moldy boxes of documents we rescued in the house. It’s part of a collection of Victorian Louis Prang cards that were saved by one of the Odell family members, now safely stored in the archives of the Westchester County Historical Society. Prang was a 19th century Boston-based printer, considered the father of the American Christmas Card. His cards are prized for their beauty and history, and we are proud to have several of them on display at the Greenburgh Public Library until after the holidays.
Historic marker at Ardsley High School
On October 22 the president of the Ardsley Historical Society, Peter Marcus, and Ardsley Town Historian, Rob Pellegrino, unveiled a sign marking Ardsley High School as the site where General George Washington’s troops camped in 1781. They were joined by OHRH President Susan Seal and students in Sean Grady’s seventh grade American history club. The students—who will be working with OHRH to plan our museum and make it fun for everyone—read the story of the French allies coming to the aid of the fledgling United States, the encampment of both armies in Greenburgh and their march to Yorktown, VA and the final victory.
Lots of Odell News & a New Video
The Launch of Westchester’s Philipsburg Encampment of 1781
We are excited to announce the launch on YouTube of our newest video, Westchester’s Philipsburg Encampment of 1781. Written, produced, and directed by OHRH board member Chris Rubeo, it has been designed for use by Westchester students studying American History in grades four and seven. But it’s also an introduction for anyone interested in Westchester’s role in the Revolutionary War. The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area provided matching funds to create both this video and Thank You, France, which premiered earlier this year. When Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters is open for tours, these videos will play on screens in the welcome center and prepare visitors to see the exhibits. Thank you to Chris, former board member Andrew Bordwin, Board Vice President Tom Hay (who appears in the film as General Rochambeau), and all who helped bring this project to completion.
The Completion of the Archeology Study at OHRH
Hartgen Associates has completed the written report of all their findings from the “big dig” in May. It is a very comprehensive report describing the history of the site within the context of New York State history and relating that to their findings. They dug 39 trenches or holes and carefully labelled each bag of material they found. These bags are now in the possession of the Friends and are waiting to be shown at the museum. Among the most intriguing items are pottery shards that correspond to intact pottery pieces we have rescued from the house.
Further areas for exploration were identified, including the possible outdoor kitchen now seen as a partially collapsed chimney at the rear of the 1855 section. In our research for the Slavery and Odell Farm study we are reaching a conclusion that the enslaved people on the farm most likely lived inside the house, as no evidence of a detached slave quarters was found in this study. This was the usual space allotted to the enslaved in the Lower Hudson Valley and New York City and we would like to investigate the basement and attic of the house in another archeology study. Thanks to our generous private donors we fully funded the archeology study and we hope to go further in the future with the same support. You can read the Hartgen report here.
A 19th-century photo of the rear of the house showing the kitchen in the middle.
Contract Signed for Cultural Landscape Plan
Aspect 120 has been chosen to write the Cultural Landscape Plan for OHRH. Headed by licensed Landscape Architect, Susan Jainchill, the firm will begin work next week. The plan will be completed no later than April, 2023 and will have design spaces for handicap accessible walk ways, a designated outdoor classroom, a meeting space for large groups, the location of a monument to the four French soldiers who died while camped in Hartsdale in 1781 and much more. Souvenir Francais USA, a division of the national French association maintaining war memorials and memories of those who died for France, have generously donated funds towards the monument. The Friends have an active committee working with Aspect 120 and expect to work with local garden clubs to create native gardens and a replica of the kitchen garden used by the Odell family.
Construction Update
On October 24, the firm of Abbott and Price will begin the work of replacing the old roof with permanent, historically accurate wood roofing. This will be a four-month process that will start with the 1855 stone section and move into the 1732 and then 1760 sections. By completing the winterization of the 1855 second floor, it should allow work to then begin on making the first floor usable soon for some temporary displays. We will give you more information about this in our November newsletter.
New Board Members and the 2021 Annual Report
At our Annual Meeting on September 10, we were happy to vote four new members into office. Donald and Christine O’Dell (yes, he is a descendant of both Jonathan Odell and of Margaret Dyckman’s family) of Newburgh, N.Y. and Rob Pellegrino and Peter Marcus of Ardsley. Rob and Peter are the Ardsley Town historian and the head of the Ardsley Historical society respectively, and longtime supporters of our project. Marc Cheshire, our wonderful webmaster and communications director and Kathy Evers, assistant treasurer, were voted to be members of the Executive Committee. We were sad to say goodbye to Fred Charles, Andrew Bordwin and Bill Morrissey and we thank them for all their many contributions to OHRH.
At the meeting we also approved the release of our first Annual Report covering the period of 2020 to the end of 2021. The Friends have grown enormously since our founding in January 2020, and we could not have accomplished half of our progress without the very generous donations of our many supporters listed in the report. Current projects underway include the completion of the guide to Odell documents stored at the Westchester County Historical Society (where they will soon be available to all scholars), completion of the Slavery and the Odell Farm report, a report on Native Americans in the Hartsdale area and many more. Look for a display of Victorian holiday cards from the Odell family papers at the Greenburgh Library in December.
We Need Your Support
These projects will need funding to be completed and published. We cannot thank you enough for your donations and urge you to continue as we launch the 2022 campaign. You can donate online here or by check, mailed to Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters, c/o Seal, 14 Rochambeau Dr., Hartsdale, N.Y. 10530.
Launch of our new film on the Philipsburg Encampment & Westchester County in 1781
Did you know that in 1781 something happened in Westchester County that changed the history of the United States? This short film is the story of the Philipsburg Encampment—the gathering of American and French Armies that happened in the Town of Greenburgh (between present-day Ardsley and Hartsdale) in July of 1781—and a crucial decision that was made at Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters in Hartsdale.
This video was made by the Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters with a generous matching grant from The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, in cooperation with the North Castle Historical Society, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, and Milkbox Studios. Written and directed by OHRH board member Chris Rubeo.
Local Revolutionary War Relics & Their Stories
Susan Seal, President of the Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters, will show some of the treasures found at the site, and will discuss the progress being made to restore the house and create a museum. This event is free.
October 15, 2 to 3 p.m. Warner Library, 121 North Broadway, Tarrytown, N.Y. Call Francisco Miranda 914-631-7734 for details.
The display of objects found at Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters will be at the Warner Library from October 4 to October 31.
Vive la France!
This was the month of all things French!
We were honored to welcome Nathalie and Philippe de Gouberville to Odell House on the morning of May 5th. Nathalie is the sixth-generation descendant of Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, the General of the French Army who lived in OHRH in 1781. She had heard stories about the house all her life, because both her grandfather and her father had visited here in the past, and she was eager to finally see it. Steve Tilly, the architect for the project, led her through the house, showing her all the work that has been done so far and discussing our plans for the complete restoration. Susan Seal explained how the house was altered and expanded over time and how we envision each section being used when it becomes a museum.
Thierry Chaunu, Philippe de Gouberville, Dr. Robert Selig, David Seal, Susan Seal, Nathalie de Gouberville, Steve Tilly, Elizabeth Tilly, Douglas Hamilton
Also on the tour of the house were Dr. Robert Selig and Douglas Hamilton, the sixth great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton. Doug is researching his famous ancestor’s stay in Greenburgh in 1781 (he might have visited OHRH!) and we’ll tell you more about that later. Dr. Selig wrote the pivotal study of the French-American Encampment and was instrumental in the formation of the National Park Service Trail, the Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route. He had been in the house about 12 years ago and was very happy to see the progress we have made on the restoration.
After the tour of OHRH, the Seals hosted a lunch at Scarsdale Golf Club for our visitors and the hard-working OHRH Board. We were honored to have Westchester County Executive George Latimer stop by and to tell him more about our plans.
Ellen Hendrickx, Nathalie de Gouberville, Susan Seal, Philippe de Gouberville, George Latimer
That evening, Jeremie Robert, the Consul General to the U.S., New York region, hosted a beautiful dinner at the Consulate in honor of Nathalie’s visit and to raise funds for OHRH. This was a wonderful opportunity to introduce our project to the wider historic community in New York and to the international French community. Some of the attendees included the Commissioner of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (who have already given the Town of Greenburgh a restoration grant of $600,000), members of the Sons of the Revolution, (the custodians of Fraunces Tavern), members of the Society of the Cincinnati, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the French Heritage Society. Also present were representatives of several French affiliated banks and corporations. It was a foundational event that we expect to lead to greater awareness and participation in our work.
Tom Hay as Rochambeau, Nathalie de Gouberville (left photo) and Nathalie speaking at the Consulate dinner
At the dinner, our wonderful new video Dear France, Thank You! was shown. It was received with much applause and praise. Nathalie has asked for it to be translated into French and we are working to achieve that. If you haven’t seen it yet you can watch it here.
Bill and Sandy Morrissey, Philippe and Nathalie de Gouberville, David and Susan Seal, French Senator Helene Conway-Mouret, Jeremie Robert, Consul
If you would like to make a donation to support our work, go to the donations page here. You will see a button to donate either by PayPal or credit card, along with our mailing address to donate by check.
Dear France, Thank You!
Without the help of the great nation of France, the United States of America would simply not exist. This film is our tribute to the French-American alliance during the Revolutionary War, the crucial decision that was made at the Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters, and the lasting friendship between the French and American people.
This video was produced by Board of OHRH members Andrew Bordwin, Chris Rubeo and David Seal, with the help of a talented young crew. It premiered yesterday at a wonderful dinner at the French Consulate for Nathalie and Philippe de Gouberville, the descendants of General Rochambeau. More news about that will follow shortly but we want to send a big thank you to the Consul General, Jeremie Robert, for hosting an extraordinary evening.
Final Stop on the Grand Reconnaissance
The final stop on Dr. Iris de Rode’s tour of the French encampments in Westchester was Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters. General Rochambeau came to meet her, along with members of the OHRH board. She was guided through the interior by our architect, Steve Tilly and saw all the progress made so far to restore the house.
Iris promises to return soon and work with us towards 2026!
Photos by Frederick Charles
Our Grand Reconnaissance
Left to right: Frank Licameli, Marc Cheshire, Susan Seal, Nick Dembowski, Dr. Iris de Rode, David Seal, Constance Kehoe. Photo by Vaneska Pasqua.
Friends of OHRH Board members Susan and David Seal, Vaneska Pasqua and Marc Cheshire were privileged to join Dr. Iris de Rode on her first day of touring the sites of the Grand Reconnaissance—the joint French American military operation in Westchester County and the Bronx, in July 1781. Nick Dembowski, the director of the Van Cortlandt House Museum, gave us a tour of the museum and grounds. Then he took us to the site of King’s Bridge, which once carried the Albany Post Road across the creek called Spuyten Duyvil. The bridge was an important route between New York City and Westchester during the Revolutionary War.
We were accompanied on the trip by Constance Kehoe, President of Revolutionary Westchester 250, and historian Frank Licameli.
