By Linda Tancs

The Madam Brett Homestead is the oldest building in Dutchess County, New York.   Located in Beacon, a city used as a signaling point during the American Revolution, the house has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.  Built circa 1709 by Roger and Catheryna Rombaut Brett, the home’s original acreage of over 28,000 was inherited by Catheryna from her father, who purchased the land from the Wappinger Indians.  Seven generations, spanning three centuries, have lived in its rooms.  During the Revolutionary War, special guests included George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von Steuben.  Today visitors can enjoy period furnishings, including a colonial-era kitchen, China-Trade porcelain and 18th and 19th century furniture scattered among the drawing room, colonial-era bedroom and Federal-style dining room.  The property’s remaining six acres include woodlands, gardens and a brook.