During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington commanded the Continental Army for several days from a brownstone at the intersection of Swamp Road and Sycamore Street in Newtown. Built by Benjamin Twining in 1757 and later sold to John Harris, the house hosted Washington in 1776 as the guest of John Harris' widow, Mrs Hannah Harris. Because of Newtown's central location and accessibility as a transportation center on the route from the Delaware River to Philadelphia, it was selected as a supply depot for the Continental Army during Revolutionary War campaigns in New Jersey. Washington made his headquarters there from December 24th-30th, 1776, marched his army from that location on Christmas Eve, crossed the Delaware, and defeated the Hessians at the Battle of Trenton. In the house he wrote his two famous letters to Congress on December 27th and 29th reporting his victory at Trenton, and after the battle more than 1,000 Hessian soldiers were taken prisoner and marched to Newtown. Though long one of Newtown's most famous structures, the house was torn down in 1863, rebuilt on the old foundation with stone from the original headquarters house, and when that rebuilt brownstone was demolished again in 1962, it inspired events that led to the formation of the Newtown Historic Association.
