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The mansion, the oldest surviving private residence in the Bronx, is a fine example of vernacular Georgian architecture. Built in 1748 by Frederick Van Cortlandt, it was once at the heart of a lucrative wheat plantation that spread across much of the Bronx.

During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington bivouacked on its grounds and lit campfires on a nearby hill to fool the British into believing rebels awaited them. Meanwhile, he and his troops moved to Yorktown for the war's final battle.

Located on the edge of what is today Van Cortlandt Park, the mansion is constructed of rough-hewn stone and brick. Grotesque faces carved in stone, common in Europe at the time but rare in Colonial America, serve as keystones above the windows. Inside the three-story house, spacious formal rooms and bedchambers are furnished with 18th-century antiques. The kitchen has a vast fireplace, cauldrons and shovel oven. Among the mansion's many treasures are America's oldest dollhouse and child's sled. Group tours, concerts, lectures and special programs are occasionally offered.

• Disability Access: The three-story, 18th-century house has no elevator or wheelchair lift.
• Gift Shops: Postcards, books, blue-and-white Delft-style china
• On-Site Food: Picnic areas available
• On-Site Parking: On-site lot for school buses only

Get involved with Van Cortlandt House Museum

• Donations through NYCharities.org
• Memberships