Location. 41° 14.996′ N, 73° 56.765′ W.  The Historic Marker is in Montrose, New York, in Westchester County. It is at the intersection of Kings Ferry Road and Tate Avenue, on the right when traveling west on Kings Ferry Road. The Marker is located in front of the Hendrick Hudson Free Library.

"The Kennedy House incorporated a fully developed Federal style with transom and sidelight, parallel lintels on the second-floor windows and quarter-round quadrant windows at the attic level.”

The imposingly large Kennedy House had been built in the 1750's, contained 11 rooms and four fireplaces. It should properly have been called the Corme House, having been built for Peter Corme, openly a loyalist during the Revolution. The Corme name was pronounced locally as "Cor-ney" and sometimes written with an accented final letter--the French accent aigu (é). A stubborn, die-hard Tory, Peter Corme's name appears frequently in records during the Revolution and newspapers all contain references to him, including three jail sentences served because of his passionate allegiance to George III in the faces of Rebel committeemen. It took its name from Dennis Kennedy, son-in law of Peter Corme, who had owned it and lived in it during the Revolution.

In its life of more than two centuries, the Kennedy House knew many famous visitors:

1)    On July 18 and 19, 1778, two sessions of the court-martial of Gen. Charles Lee met "at the house of Mr. Kennedy at Peeks-Kill." General Lee was charged with disobedience, retreating before the enemy and disrespect. Sessions of the court were held at the Kennedy House in order to interview witnesses now stationed in the area. The proceedings then moved to North Castle, where the verdict was rendered: guilty on all three counts. Despite the seriousness of the charges, Gen. Lee received a remarkably light sentence: suspension from command for 12 months.
2)    George Washington was in the Cortlandt area on five occasions totaling 20 days between 1776 and 1781. He stayed at Peekskill's Birdsall House in 1780 when he met with Benedict Arnold; a week later, he would learn of Arnold's treason. On other visits, Washington made his headquarters at the Upper Manor House on Oregon Road. Going to and from the King's Ferry he visited  the Kennedy House.
3)    Returning from a mission to General Horatio Gates at Peekskill,  Alexander Hamilton lay ill for 2 weeks with rheumatic fever at "Mr. Kennedy's House."  Lt.Col. Alexander Hamilton wrote a letter to Gen. Washington there on November 15, 1777. He was nursed back to health at the Kennedy House before his return to Washington’s headquarters.

A sad end:  On Tuesday morning, January 16, 1979, a fire erupted and  neighbors reported smoke pouring from the unoccupied Kennedy House at 185 King's Ferry Road. An alarm was sounded immediately, and fire companies from Montrose, Verplanck and Buchanan responded. For four hours they fought the stubborn blaze that gutted the building, one of the oldest in this part of Westchester. Nothing survives today from the venerable house in Montrose *** The Hendrick Hudson Free Library occupies the site today.***

LEARN MORE: Peter Corne married  Elizabeth Henderson and they had three daughters. On Sunday, June 23, 1773, Letitia, the eldest, married Dennis Kennedy,  in Manhattan's Lutheran Church.. Dennis Kennedy is an important figure in the Dyckman family history and the Boscobel story. Facts about Dennis Kennedy are scarce. We know that the couple had a daughter named Elizabeth, born May 1, 1776. She was called Betsey--although she always signed herself Elizabeth. How Dennis Kennedy acquired the house during the Revolution when Peter Corne turned it over to his son-in-law.  Crone was attempting to keep his Westchester property from being confiscated under anti-Tory laws. Because Corne later refused to take the oath of allegiance to the revolutionary government, the Fishkill Committee on March 20, 1777, ordered him to go "with his Family, apparel & household furniture" behind the British lines within 20 days. Corne asked that "his Son in Law Dennis Kennedy" be allowed to live on his [Corne's] farm to care for his property until its disposition could be decided. By then Kennedy had taken the oath of allegiance and was grinding flour for the American army. The committee offered no objection.

Richard H. Becker, M.D.
Supervisor