Discover George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring!
George Washington requested that Benjamin Tallmadge form the Culper Spy Ring during the summer of 1778. The purpose of the ring was to gather intelligence in New York City, the heart of British operations, and pass this information on to Washington. An elaborate system of riders and couriers was established who used aliases, a coded dictionary and invisible ink to pass on messages.
Today a cell phone is the only tool you need to unlock the hidden secrets of the Culper Spy Ring. Follow in their footsteps and learn about the impact these courageous people had on winning the American Revolution.
Call: 631-498-4740
Then enter the site number.
Click here for a printable map and site list of the Culper Spy Ring.
Locations:
1. Raynham Hall Museum, home of the Townsend family and British quarters during the Revolutionary War (for hours call 516-922-6808), 20 West Main St, Oyster Bay
2. Fort Hill Cemetery where Robert Townsend, a.k.a. Culper Jr., is buried south beyond the east end of Simcoe St, Oyster Bay
3. Nathan Hale Memorial commemorates the landing of Hale at Huntington Bay. Some credit Hale's capture and execution with having launched the Culper Spy Ring, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building, 228 Main St, Huntington
4. Setauket Elementary School, outside is graced with statues of Benjamin Tallmadge and Richard Woodhull, 134 Main St, East Setauket
5. Setauket Presbyterian Church, the British had a garrison quartered there by the Green where the Battle of Setauket was fought, 5 Caroline Ave, Setauket
6. Woodhull Home Marker, where Abraham Woodhull lived and Austin Roe secreted his messages in a dead drop buried in the fields, Dyke Rd just beyond Heritage Lane, Setauket
7. Strong's Neck, where Anna Smith Strong would hang laundry to signal that Caleb Brewster should meet Woodhull, Strongs Neck Rd, Setauket
8. St. George's Manor Cemetery, memorial and burial place of Anna Smith and Capt. Selah Strong, Cemetery Road on Strong's Neck
9. Brewster House, home of seven generations of the Brewster family. Caleb Brewster carried messages across Long Island Sound (for group tours, call Ward Melville Heritage Organization 631-751-2244), Corner of Route 25A and Runs Road, East Setauket
10. Roe Tavern Marker, site of the tavern owned by Austin Roe from which he rode 55 miles to New York gathering intelligence, north side of Rte. 25A in East Setauket, just west of Bayview Ave.-
20. Read and view letters sent by Washington to members of his Culper Spy Ring (for hours call 631-632-7119), Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook.
21. Learn more about the Culper Spy Ring and How a Group of Long Island Patriots Helped George Washington Win the Revolution. Sundays 1-4 pm, plus special occasions. Call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org for more information..gif)
22. Known as "Hendrick Onderdonk's House" in the 18th century. Onderdonk was a businessman and a known rebel sympathizer. Local legend was that he smuggled information from his mill to West Point.
