Revolution and Occupation
George Washington
First U.S. President
1732–1799
Washington's 1790 Long Island tour connects Islip's Revolutionary landscape to the new republic. The annotated 1798 Conklin publication quotes Washington's diary from April 21–22, 1790, including a visit to "Squire Thompson's" house and his departure from "Mr. Thompson's" the next morning. The notes identify that house as Sagtikos Manor, still standing on Montauk Highway.
Why they matter
Washington's stop gives Islip a direct connection to the early presidency and the post-Revolutionary nation.
Connection to today
His visit makes Sagtikos a symbol of transformation: a landscape of occupation became part of the route of the first president of the United States.
Sources
- Nathaniel Conklin, "Description of the Town of Islip in Suffolk County," 1798 (annotated, Town of Islip Historian's Office), quoting Washington's diary, April 21–22, 1790.
- George J. Munkenbeck, "Isaac Thompson — A Man on a Tightrope."