4. The Van Cortlandt House is the Oldest Surviving Building in All of the Bronx
The Van Cortlandt family owned this property since 1691 and the history of landowners dates back to the early 1600’s when the Weckquaesgeck Natives Americans sold it to the Dutch West India Company. Built in 1748, the Van Cortlandt House served as a neutral ground for American and British soldiers during the Revolutionary War. George Washington stayed there on multiple occasions, most famously when he spent the night while on his way down to Manhattan to officially reclaim the island back from the King of England.
Today, the house sits well preserved on its original site, just south of the Van Cortlandt Park Parade Grounds. Each room is arranged in keeping with the original designs by the Van Cortlandt family, with many of their antiques furnishing the house. The house, which is a part of the Historic House Trust, is open to visitors and holds an annual open house in the autumn.