Gen. Henry Knox (1750-1806), who retired to Thomaston after the Revolutionary War, started as a bookseller in Boston with an interest in military science. After enlisting in the Continental Army, Knox was made colonel and chief of artillery by George Washington without ever having before served in combat.

After the war, Knox was appointed Secretary of War and was one of only four men in George Washington's cabinet.

In 1794, Knox and his wife, Lucy Flucker Knox, retired to what is now Thomaston where he built a large home, Montpelier.

This painting is after a portrait by Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828).