Historic Talk set in Newburgh

Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site presents a talk on Saturday, June 21, at 2 p.m. by Dr. Megan Rhodes Victor of Queens College on colonial molly houses.

The program, “We’ll Be Free”: Molly Houses, Community, & Homosexuality in the 18th Century English Colonial World, is free and open to the public.

In 18th Century taverns and inns of the sprawling English Colonial World, molly houses were clandestine locations where gay men and cross-dressing individuals found community. They represented safe spaces to interact and socialize, places filled with the possibility of social negotiation – and of social connection, which was crucial due to the ever-present threat of capital punishment.

Dr. Victor is an Anthropological Archaeologist with a specialization in Historical Archaeology. Their research includes a focus on the archaeology of the LGBTQ+ community from the 17th to 19th centuries, as well the archaeology of places of communal drinking and eating. Through the Molly House Project, they hope to contribute to the archaeological exploration of these spaces of homosexuality.

Guided tours of the historic house used by Gen. Washington are available before the talk, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with regular admission tickets. For more information email whqshs@parks.ny.gov or call (845) 562-1195.

Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site is a registered National Historic Landmark. It is located at the corner of Liberty and Washington Streets within the city of Newburgh’s East End Historic District.