The development of an astronomical polarimeter for the spectral region 1-2.6 microns is reported. The instrument incorporates a fused silica stress-birefringent modulator capable of producing square-wave polarimetric modulation of over 95 percent efficiency from dc to 2 Hz and quarter-wave retardation at wavelengths up to the K photometric bands. Possible applications of this instrument are examined, including the search for comparatively weak magnetic fields in white dwarf accretion binaries, the study of the nature of polarization in faint active galactic nuclei, and near-IR survey of isolated magnetic white dwarfs.