5. Van Cortlandt House, Bronx (1748)

In 1748, Frederick Van Cortlandt built the Georgian Van Cortlandt House. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington and British General Sir William Howe both stayed in the house and Rochambeau and Lafayette made use of it. The house and its surrounding estate remained under Van Cortlandt control util 1896 when the family sold it to the City of New York. Shortly thereafter, it became the City’s first historic house museum. The house is operated by The National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York, and is a member of the Historic House Trust. It is open to the public and easily accessible in Van Cortlandt Park.