Jacob Purdy House served as General George Washington’s headquarters while he prepared for the Battle of White Plains from October 23 to 28, 1776, and later, from July 27 to September 16, 1778, General Washington and eighteen key generals of the Continental Army met there to plan military strategy for a combined attack with the French on British and Hessian forces at Newport, Rhode Island, and for subsequent campaigns. The house also stands as a tribute to Al Cerak, whose patriotism, dedication, and unselfish commitment to preserving the threatened house during Urban Renewal from 1966 to 1973 contributed in numerous important ways to its preservation, relocation to the original Purdy Farm site in 1973, and listing on the National Register of Historic Places on April 31, 1979. Cerak was also a major force in establishing the White Plains Battle Monument Committee, the White Plains Historical Society, and the widely recognized reenactments of the Battle of White Plains, reflecting his abiding concern for preserving and sharing knowledge of local history, especially for children.
