A Call to Action

Lance A. Ashworth President Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot I. Introduction II. About FOFSD III. History and Functions of the FSD IV. The role of D.A.R.: Past and Present V. A Call to Action  Lance A. Ashworth – President

 Steven Velardo – Active Member

 Matthew Velardo – Active Member  Began as grassroots effort in 2006 to oppose the planned development of a strip mall on top the FSD and the Continental Army burial complex located there; operated as “Fishkill Historical Focus” until August 2009

 Presently incorporated as a [501(c)3] not-for-profit advocating for the preservation, study, and proper historical interpretation of the Fishkill Supply Depot and Encampment  August 14, 1776: The Provincial Congress meeting at White Plains, NY resolved to quarter troops at Fishkill, establish hospitals and depots for provisions, and “convert the place into an armed encampment.”

1778 Map by Robert Erskine  The original Fishkill 1968 Map by Paul Huey Supply Depot encompassed 72+ acres and was considered a city during the Revolution  Fishkill Supply Depot added to the National Register of Historic Places in January 1974  November 1778: Upon passing through the town, Lieutenant Thomas Anburey, a British prisoner taken at Saratoga, described Fishkill as follows:

“The principal depot of Washington’s Army, where there are magazines, hospitals, and workshops etc. which form a town of themselves; there are a great number of huts; and near the magazines are some well-constructed barracks with a prison, surrounded by lofty palisades.”  During the , the Van Wyck Homestead (pictured here) served as the headquarters of the Fishkill Supply Depot. George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Marquis de LaFayette, Benedict Arnold, and others are believed to have visited this location. Barracks Prison Print Shop Saw Mill Post Office Park Horse Stables Blacksmith Shop Chandler’s Shop Wheelwright Virtual Tour: Fishkill Supply Depot

“When [General] Washington, after the of White Plains, retreated to the Jerseys, some of the regiments, with the wounded, found their way to Fishkill. The Wiccopee Pass was fortified, and a headquarters established at the Van Wyck house north of it. “…through the streets of Fishkill, after the battle of White Plains, and in places between the Dutch and Espiscopal churches the dead were piled up by the side of the road as high as cord wood.”

-excerpt from Old Dutchess Forever

1922 photo showing Moog’s Farm (now Maya Café)

“Not only the wounded, but the hospitalized soldiers were buried in the base of the mountain east of the highroad, Route 9.” (taken from Old Dutchess Forever)

 Founded on October 11, 1890  Dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children  1897: Melzingah Chapter, D.A.R., erects monument at Fishkill Supply Depot’s Soldier Burial Ground Inscription: “1776-1783. In grateful remembrance of the brave men who gave their lives for their country during the American Revolution and whose remains repose in the adjoining field.” 1972 Archaeological Map

Precise (historical) location of D.A.R. Marker

 The D.A.R. marker was moved in 1976 and later relocated to the Van Wyck homestead property, headquarters of the Fishkill Historical Society (FHS). Individual Soldier’s grave found during 2007 dig at Burial Site

 D.A.R. had it right! Archaeological examination conducted in 2007 confirms seven (7) individual graves dating to the Revolutionary War period  2006 “Crossroads at Fishkill” development plan which spurred the initial formation of FOFSD Van Wyck Homested Proposed development plan calls for a combination of retail shopping and residential devel