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North Castle Seeks To Restore, Move Washington Headquarters

ARMONK, N.Y. – Miller House, best known as one of Gen. George Washington’s Revolutionary War headquarters, could be relocated to Fountain Park and renovated, said North Castle Town Supervisor Howard Arden, who recently discussed the idea with Westchester County legislators.

The Miller House, best known as Gen. George Washington’s American Revolution headquarters, is located at 140 Virginia Road in North White Plains.

The Miller House, best known as Gen. George Washington’s American Revolution headquarters, is located at 140 Virginia Road in North White Plains.

Photo Credit: Michael Nocella

The house is currently located at 140 Virginia Road in North White Plains. Arden hopes to move the historic house around the corner to Fountain Park.

The North Castle Town Board recently approved a motion to have Fidelity Title Ltd. perform a title search on Fountain Park to determine whether the property is part of the original Miller Farm. If it is, the house could be moved without losing its historic landmark status.

That information should be known by the end of the week.

“If Fountain Park is not part of the original Miller Farm, the house can still keep its landmark status. But it would need to go through an application process to do so,” said Arden. “If it is part of the original land, it would make the project that much more convenient.”

The home, owned by Ann and Elijah Miller in 1776, became part of U.S. history when Washington used the house as a personal command post during the American Revolution.

In 1917, Westchester County acquired the house, declared it a museum and opened it to the public the following year. The museum has been closed for several years, with its location and condition to blame.

This plan would solve both concerns, Arden said. “It could be a great solution to an old, thorny problem,” he said.

The problem dates to 2010, when the county legislature agreed to renovate the deteriorating museum using a $1.2 million bond issue. However, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino vetoed that measure shortly after because he was hesitant to invest so much in a museum that would still be located directly across from Byram Concrete & Supply.

Fountain Park could be a much more desirable location. The property sits on top of a wooded hill and has space for picnic tables and parking spots.

According to Arden, the talks with legislators have been positive. He hopes that by putting the project out there now, it would hit the ground running — if and when it received a green light.

“I’m trying to get everyone on board now,” he said. “If I can do that, it’s the type of project that should move very quickly once it gets going.”

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