250 Years Ago Today – Washington in Kingsbridge

On June 20, 1776, 250 years ago today, George Washington wrote the following to John Hancock, who was the president of the Continental Congress:

“I have been up to view the grounds at Kings Bridge, and find them to admit of many Places well calculated for defence, and esteeming it a Pass of the utmost importance have ordered Works to be laid out and shall direct part of the two Battalions from Pennsylvania, to set about their erection immediately, and will add to their Numbers several of the Militia, when they come in, to expedite them with all possible Dispatch; their consequences, as they will open the Communication with the Country, requires the most speedy completion of them.”

At that time in 1776, the British had been expelled from Boston and Washington’s army had moved to New York City to defend it from the inevitable British assault that would come.

The King’s Bridge was the bridge itself, which was located where the intersection of W. 230th and Kingsbridge Ave are today.  But when Washington wrote that he was “at Kings Bridge,” he was referring to the general area (including northern Manhattan, Spuyten Duyvil, Kingsbridge Heights, etc).

Above: the King’s Bridge in 1907 looking east toward Broadway and elevated train in background.

The fact that Washington was in our area that day is not as interesting as what he wrote about Kingsbridge:

1) That defending Kingsbridge was of the “utmost importance” because it was a vital link to the rest of “the Country.” The only place you could get off Manhattan island and onto the mainland by bridge was through Kingsbridge; and

2) That Kingsbridge had naturally good terrain for defense and that its defensive advantages would be strengthened by building “Works” (or forts).  Every hill around Kingsbridge would have a fort or multiple forts built on it as the war progressed.

The seven years that followed this visit to Kingsbridge were the most dramatic and violent years in the history of this neighborhood.  For the rest of the war, Kingsbridge would continue to be of the “utmost importance” to both the Patriots and the British, making it the scene of constant activity.