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1860 House
124 Montgomery Road, Montgomery
609-921-3272
http://montgomerycenterforthearts.org
Open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and Sunday 1-4 p.m. Closed Monday.
Constructed circa 1860 in the late Greek Revival style, the house was once part of the 500-acre farm of the Van derVeer family. A mahogany-paneled library was added in the 1930s by the Ballantine (brewery owners) family of Newark. The house serves as the Montgomery Cultural Center, which offers cultural arts and environmental programs.
Abraham Staats House
17 Von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook
732-469-5836
www.staatshouse.com
House tour, $2
This Dutch-framed, Georgian dwelling was constructed in 1740. It served as the headquarters of General von Steuben from December 1778 to June 1779, when the Continental Army was camped at the Middlebrook Cantonment. The house is listed on the New Jersey State and National Registers of Historic Places (see Washington Campground/Middlebrook Encampment). Open during special events (Canal Day, 2nd weekend in September; Battle of Bound Brook re-enactment, April) and by appointment.
Andrew Ten Eyck House
Old York Road
Branchburg
908-722-2124
This house is an important survivor of the township's early domestic architecture. The original brick portion of the house was constructed in the early 19th century, while the frame rear portion was added in the early 20th century. Early interior fabric still remaining includes door and window surrounds and door panels in the Federal style, as well as tongue-and-groove flooring and beaded baseboards. The second floor contains a local research library. The site is owned and maintained by the Branchburg Historical Society. Open by appointment.
Blackwells Mills Canal House
598 Canal Road (corner of Blackwells Mills Causeway), Blackwells Mills section of Franklin Township.
732-873-2133; 732-873-2958
www.themeadowsfoundation.org/blackwell-mills.html#
Public events are held on the second weekend of each month. Call for a schedule.
The Blackwells Mills Canal House, built around 1835, was one of many dwellings erected for the men and women who operated the swing bridges on the Delaware & Raritan Canal. In 1932, the canal closed, and the old swing bridges began to disappear. Many of the houses, however, remained, and like the canal itself, became the property of the State of New Jersey. The last bridgetender, Sandor Fekete, remained in this house until his death in 1970. In 1971, a group of local canal buffs formed the Blackwells Mills Canal House Association. They leased the house from the state and restored it as a community center, museum, and library. The D&R Canal was declared a state and national historic site in 1973, and, in 1974, a New Jersey State Park.
The house serves the area with such programs as craft and antique shows, open house tours, art exhibits, children's events, fireplace cooking, market days, plant sales, exhibits, and weekend instruction in such fields as gardening, canoeing, bird watching, and photography. The Irish luncheon, held in March, features delicious soups, breads, and desserts. In the 1970s, Canal House was invited to join the Meadows Foundation.
Brick Academy
15 West Oak Street, Basking Ridge
908-221-1770
Research center and library pen for research the first and third Wednesdays of each month, 9:30-noon, or by appointment. Museum open Sundays 2-4, except summer and holidays.
Built in 1809 as the Basking Ridge Classical School, the Academy prepared young men for the College of New Jersey (later known as Princeton University). The building, listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places, has also served as a public school, a union hall, and municipal offices. Today, it is the headquarters of The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills. The main floor is a museum with collections of local artifacts. The lower level, a research center and library for local genealogy and historic preservation, houses photographs, genealogical records, regional books, published articles and area maps. The current restoration project of the third floor will include the recreation of a late 19th century schoolroom with exhibits on early schools and education.
Codington Homestead Museum
15 Mt. Horeb Road, Warren
908-580-1052
Open the 1st Sunday of each month, 1-4.
Free
The 263-year-old house is just starting a new chapter as a museum. Come see where Lora and Lester Codington lived and the treasures they left inside. Owned by Warren Township and maintained by the Friends of the Codington Farmstead.
Cross Estate Gardens and Morristown National Historical Park, New Jersey Brigade
Old Jockey Hollow Road (Tempe Wick Road to Leddell to Old Jockey Hollow), Bernardsville
973-376-0348
www.crossestategardens.org; info@crossestategardens.org; www.nps.gov/morr/
Open dawn to dusk
Free
The gardens are located on the Cross Estate, site of the New Jersey Brigade Unit of Morristown National Historical Park, on Old Jockey Hollow Road in Bernardsville, NJ. The early twentieth-century landscape of the Cross Estate, characteristic of the Arts and Crafts period, includes a two-level walled formal perennial garden, a wisteria-covered pergola, a mountain laurel allee, and a garden of native plants. Large specimen trees such as silver maple and sequoia can be found on the grounds of the Cross Estate. A self-guided walk provides visitors with the opportunity to view historic trees and learn about their importance to Native Americans and colonists.
The National Park Service purchased the Cross Estate in 1975, allowing the Morristown National Historical Park to join the isolated New Jersey Brigade area with the main encampment area in Jockey Hollow. Today the grounds provide hiking trails and formal gardens for the public's enjoyment. The buildings on the property serve as office and storage space for the park. The gardens are maintained by the NJ Historical Garden Foundation, a nonprofit specifically established to provide volunteers. Volunteers are always welcome for our workdays, every Wednesday from 9-12.
The New Jersey Brigade of 1,300 men camped here, a few miles south of General Washington's main army at Jockey Hollow during the "hard winter" of 1779-1780. Washington selected this area because of its strategic location in the Watchung Mountains and because it was heavily wooded, providing wood from which shelters could be constructed. Archaeological investigation in 1968 revealed a road leading to Morristown from the encampment as well as numerous officers' and enlisted men's huts. It became part of the Morristown National Historical Park in 1969 as a result of a donation by the Audubon
Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park
Park Headquarters, 145 Mapleton Road, Kingston; 609-924-5705
Free admission.
Park open sunrise to sunset.
The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R), a 44-mile waterway opened in 1834, crossed the narrow waist of New Jersey, connecting Philadelphia and New York. To avoid the longer ocean voyage around Cape May, boats entered the canal near Bordentown on the Delaware River. Traveling north through seven locks, they were lifted 58 feet to the summit in Trenton. Seven more locks lowered the vessels to tidewater at New Brunswick, on the Raritan River. The canal’s main water source was the Delaware River. Water was diverted at Bull’s Island, north of Stockton, into a 22-mile canal feeder, which delivered water to the summit in Trenton.
Somerset County boasts twenty-two miles of this historic waterway. The historic district of Griggstown offers private canoe rentals. The canal and its buildings were included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The next year the legislature established the D&R Canal State Park, which provides much-needed open space for the people of Central New Jersey. Visitors can hike, jog, canoe, ride horses, cross-country ski, bike and fish in the tranquil ribbon of green which connects the floodplain of the Millstone with the Piedmont hills and gives modern New Jerseyans a sense of their 19th-century heritage.
To view a map showing parking areas and access points, visit www.dandrcanal.com.
Dirck Gulick House
508 Belle Mead-Blawenburg Road, Montgomery
908-359-3498
www.vanharlingen.org
Open on the fourth Sat, 10-12
Dirck Gulick, an original settler of the area, built the house in 1752. Now the headquarters of the Van Harlingen Historical Society, the Gulick House is a rare example of a Somerset County Dutch Colonial stone house.
Exempt Firemen’s Museum
300 Somerset Street, North Plainfield
908-757-5720
npexempts@juno.com
Open 1st Sundays, April to November, 11-3
Collection of historic fire-fighting equipment and memorabilia.
Dirck Gulick House
508 Belle Mead-Blawenburg Road, Montgomery
908-359-3498
www.vanharlingen.org
Open on the fourth Sat, 10-12
Dirck Gulick, an original settler of the area, built the house in 1752. Now the headquarters of the Van Harlingen Historical Society, the Gulick House is a rare example of a Somerset County Dutch Colonial stone house.
Fleetwood Camera Museum - Van Derventer/Branson House (Vermeule Mansion)
614 Greenbrook Road (corner of Clinton Avenue), North Plainfield
908-756-7810
www.fleetwoodmuseum.org
Sat, 10-4; Sun, 1-4; closed holidays
Housed in the Vermeule Community Center (the Van Derventer/Branson House), the museum exhibits the camera collection of Benjamin Fleetwood and the oil paintings of his wife, Matilda. Established in 1985, the collection contains over 800 cameras and illustrates the 150-year evolution of camera design. Tours and lectures for groups, traveling displays for libraries.
Located on the site of the Blue Hills Plantation, the Van Derventer/Branson House is an example of the French Second Empire and Colonial Revival styles. It was constructed in the mid-19th century by Jeremiah Van Deventer, president of the First National Bank of Plainfield. The Fleetwood Museum is located on the first floor.
Franklin Inn -- Used Bookstore Store
2371 Amwell Road, East Millstone
732-873-5244; Contact: Jan ten Broeke, 732-873-2999
www.themeadowsfoundation.org/franklin-inn.html
Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 pm; Wednesdays 12-3. All book sales benefit the Meadows Foundation restoration of the tavern and other projects.
The Franklin Inn was originally built by Cornelius Van Liew in 1752. He and his wife, Antje (Ann), were married in 1757, and he brought his bride to this house. The inn remained as part of the Van Liew family farm until 1829, when it was sold out of the family to John Wyckoff, becoming a rental property (tavern). It was converted to an inn c. 1929 and was closed in 1916 with the onset of prohibition.
During the Revolutionary War, British General Charles Cornwallis took over this home, using it as his headquarters for five days, while several thousand of his troops camped nearby in today’s Colonial Park. During the war, American Revolutionary generals held meetings here. The opening of the Delaware & Raritan Canal in 1834 brought boat crews and a steady flow of customers that continued with the arrival of the railroad in 1870. The birth of the automobile brought an end to the building's use as a tavern, but it continued to operate and serve the public as a barbershop, an insurance agency, a pet food shop, and an antiques store. The Franklin Inn is a fine example of 18th-century Dutch architecture and is the most important old public building in Franklin Township. Members of the Blackwells Mills Canal House Association are restoring the building. The tavern is large enough to house the 20,000 books the Blackwells Mills Canal House Association has acquired over the years.
Gen. John Frelinghuysen House – The Raritan Public Library - John Basilone Museum Room
54 East Somerset Street, Raritan
908-725-0413
www.raritanlibrary.org/history.html Open Mon & Thurs, 10-8; Tues & Wed, 10-6; Fri 10-5; Sat 10-3 (closed Saturdays in July & August).
Homestead of the Gen. John Frelinghuysen and his family, the house was constructed in 1750 and exhibits Colonial, Federal and Greek Revival features. Gen. Frelinghuysen was an attorney who served as a brigadier general during the War of 1812 and later as Somerset County surrogate. The house now houses the Raritan Public Library.
John Basilone Museum Room in the Raritan Public Library features an exhibit that honors Marine Sgt. John Basilone, Raritan resident and winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Learn about this hero, who served in both the Army and the Marines, and his valiant action in the Pacific theater. Sgt. Basilone was also awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his bravery. The John Basilone parade is held annually on the last Sunday in September.
Hageman Farm
209 South Middlebush Road, Franklin Township
Contact: Maryanne McMillan
908-789-2206
www.themeadowsfoundation.org/hageman.html
Adrian and Catherine Hegeman came to America from Holland in 1650 or 1651, settling in Flatbush, New York. In 1702, four of their grandsons moved to Six-Mile Run. Adrian's great-grandson, Benjamin, was sent to live with his Garretson aunts in the older rear section of the present house on the death of his mother. In 1845, he married Jane Van Wickle, a direct descendant of Symen Van Wickle, moving to Somerville, where he farmed for sixteen years. In 1861, he returned to the Garretson homestead and, in 1868, renovated and enlarged the home to include the large Victorian addition, which is the main portion of the house today. The dairy barn was built in 1876. Benjamin had two sons, Samuel who died in 1876, and Garretson. Garretson graduated from Rutgers College in 1868 and became the area's land surveyor, civil engineer, and notary. The house passed to his son Peter, in 1933, after the death of his grandmother. Peter was the Franklin Township tax collector from 1928 until his death in 1943; his wife then assumed his duties, continuing for another 24 years. For nearly 40 years, the large room off the south porch served as the tax collector's official office. Peter's son, Garretson, continued to live on the farm with his family until 1972, when the threat of the proposed Six-Mile Run Reservoir and state pressure forced them to leave.
The original section of the farm house may have been built circa 1810 with a large Victorian Italianate addition added later. The site also includes a 19th-century Victorian bank barn, a 20th-century dairy barn and a 19th-century carriage house. The barns are being restored for use as a community art and program center.
Kirch Ford House
1 Reinman Road, Warren Township
908-753-8000
www.warrennj.org
Open second Sun of the month, April-December (closed July), 2-4 p.m.
During the American Revolution, Capt. William Ford owned this early 18th-century vernacular dwelling, one of the oldest homes in the township. It also was the home of Thomas Terrill, a farmer, judge, and the first official clerk of Warren Township. Owned by Warren Township.
Meadows Foundation – 6 historic homes
732-828-7418
www.themeadowsfoundation.org
The Meadows Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to give the past a future by preserving and restoring historic sites with an emphasis on early Dutch and American heritage. The foundation manages the following structures, which are owned by Franklin Township. All are open the second Sun of each month from 1-3.
Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Site
71 Somerset Street, Somerville
908-725-1015
Wed-Sat, 10-12, 1-4; Sun 1-4. Closed Mon-Tues, state & federal holidays, and Weds. after Monday holidays. Reservations required 2 weeks in advance for groups of 10 or more.
www.somervillenj.org/bdhist.html
The Rev. John Frelinghuysen, the first occupant of the 1751 Old Dutch Parsonage, served three Dutch Reformed churches in the Raritan Valley. Jacob Hardenbergh, the second pastor, held theological classes that constituted the beginning of Queens College, later Rutgers University.
Old Millstone Forge
8 North River Street, Millstone
908-448-6624
www.oldmillstoneforge.org; blacksmiths@oldmillstoneforge.org
Sundays, September-November, April-June, 1-4 pm
The Old Millstone Forge Blacksmith Shop is open by appointment and on Blacksmiths offer tours, demonstrations and lessons. The Old Millstone Forge Association, a private foundation, exists to maintain and support the Old Millstone Forge building and collection.The Old Millstone Forge is the longest-running blacksmith shop in the country, with tools dating to 1693. The building likely dates from the 1830s.
Van Liew-Suydam House
280 South Middlebush Road, Franklin Township
Contact: Gary Randolph, 732-310-7383
www.themeadowsfoundation.org/van-liew-suydam.html
Open house tours of the Van Liew-Suydam house are held the Second Sunday of each month.
This home, standing atop the hill where South Middlebush and Blackwells Mills roads meet, has a spectacular view of the Franklin countryside, fields and woods of the Six-Mile Run Valley. The view may have been one reason Peter Van Liew settled on this site back in the 1700s, and why Joseph Suydam later built part of the house that is seen today. The newest and largest portion of the house was built in 1875. The ornate woodworking on the porch and walls clearly demonstrates a perfect example of the architecture of a 19th- century Victorian farmhouse.
In 1988, the State of New Jersey sold the house to Franklin Township for $100. The house and property have been leased to the Meadows Foundation, which is currently in the process of restoring the house for community use, eventually serving as a library, fine arts gallery, and meeting space. This restoration effort has required replacement of all major systems in the house. Major projects remain including exterior siding & painting, porch reconstruction, interior walls, finishing and decorating. Volunteers are always welcome.
Symen Van Wickle House (The Meadows)
1289 Easton Avenue, Franklin Township Contacts: Carol Sas, House Secretary for house rentals, 732-846-1465
Dr. Bruce A. Hamilton, Program Director, 732-249-6770
Johanna Hnedak, House Tours Coordinator, 732-469-0433
Ellen Hamilton, Sinterklass Festival, 732-249-6770
www.themeadowsfoundation.org/van-wickle.html
In the late 1600s, Evert Van Wickle, a young Dutch carpenter, stepped onto the rich soil of New Amersfoort, Long Island. Evert must have prospered, as around 1700, he bought about 800 acres of land on the Raritan River in New Jersey. Evert's son, Symen brought his bride, Geradina, here in 1722, and built his home facing the Raritan at a spot known as the "upper fording place," at that time an important link between Middlebush and Piscataway, via the Old Middlebush Road (now DeMott Lane).
The Van Wickle House is an excellent example of early 18th century Dutch architecture, influenced by the Dutch, Flemish and English, and unique to the New Jersey-New York area. The house, of massive post and beam construction, measures 30 by 40 feet, sitting solidly on a stone foundation. It has witnessed the fascinating historical events of the past. During the Revolutionary War, the British occupied the Raritan Landing for several months in 1777. In early 1830, the Delaware and Raritan Canal arrived in the front yard.
Standing like a rock for 277 years, the house has been farmhouse, colonial showplace, and home for generations of owners. Restoration has included the addition of such important new facilities as an outdoor stage, formal gardens, a canal bridge, wetland boardwalk, program center, nature trail and youth camping site. The historic home plays host to the Meadows Foundation Candlelight Concert Series, as well as major community events and frequent rental functions. The Van Wickle house also hosts several special events throughout the year, including the Bunny Jamboree, Pumpkin Patch and Enchanted Forest Halloween Festival, New Jersey Canoe Association Race and the Sinterklass Festival. The Van Wickle house is also available to rent for special events including weddings, receptions, holiday parties, and corporate events. For more pricing and availability, please contact Carol Sas at Carol@themeadowsfoundation.org. Open house tours of the Van Wickle house are held the second Sunday of each month.
Tulipwood
1165 Hamilton Street, Somerset Contact: John Mullen, 908-890-0110
Tulipwood was designed by architect J. August Lienau, son of Detlef Lienau. Mr. Lienau also designed Shady Rest, a home for Mary M. Williams directly to the east of Tulipwood at 1135 Hamilton Street; today it is known as Somerset Manor South. He designed Merrynook, once home to the Art Institute of New Jersey, as his own home at 1201 Hamilton. All three exist today; however; only Tulipwood survives intact with very few changes. The Tulipwood property was part of a 121-acre tract owned by Mary Maclay Williams since 1877. Tulipwood was built for Stephen Guion Williams in 1892 and remained as the centerpiece of the Williams family compound and the personal residence of Mr. Williams for more than 28 years. Since 1920, Tulipwood has been the home of the Leigh W. Kimball family. Mr. Kimball's grandson, Christopher Lehman, and granddaughter, Joyce Platt, sold the house to Franklin Township in August 2003 for historic preservation purposes.
Stephen G. Williams was the son of John Stanton Williams and Mary Maclay Pentz. The Williams' owned the Williams & Guion Steamship Company, incorporators of the famous Black Star Line. Mr. Williams earned the first PhD from Columbia University in political science in 1883; by 1892 he was a practicing lawyer in New York City.
Wyckoff-Garretson House
215 South Middlebush Road, Franklin Township
Contact: Mark Else
732-846-3345 www.themeadowsfoundation.org/wyckoff-garretson.html
Open house tours on the Second Sunday of each month
The Wyckoff-Garretson House was constructed circa 1730 by John Wyckoff, one of the earliest settlers in the area. An addition was built in 1805 by Samuel Garretson. The house is a remarkably intact example of Dutch house framing techniques. It is being restored as a center for the interpretation of Dutch culture in Somerset County.
The Wyckoff family history has a very unusual beginning. Pieter Claesen came to America in 1636 at the age of 12 as an indentured servant to the estate of Killian Van Rensselaer, in Fort Orange (Albany), a Province of New Amsterdam on the Hudson River. There he married Grietje van Ness. Their two oldest children were born at Fort Orange, but soon Pieter moved to New Amsterdam, where he signed a contract “to superintend the Bowery and cattle of Peter Stuyvesant in New Amersfoort” in 1655. Pieter Claesen prospered and became one of the most influential citizens in the Province. In 1652 he bought land in Flatbush and his house still stands there. When the British took over the Dutch colony in 1664, they had difficulty with the Dutch names and demanded that the Dutch families take surnames by which they could be identified. Pieter had been a local judge and his surname came from that fact. In Dutch word wyk means parish or magistrate and hof means court. He was already known as Pieter Claesen Wyckoff, Pieter Claesen of the town court, so Wyckoff became his surname. This explains why Wyckoff was not a surname in the Netherlands. The first male Wyckoff ever was Pieter Claesen. From that man born in 1625, has come the largest Dutch clan in America.
Pieter and his family prospered as farmers in what is now known as Flatbush. Much of the good land near the city was occupied by the time Cornelius, Pieter Claeson’s son, wanted to buy farms for his own sons. So Cornelius and seven other Dutch farmers came to Franklin Township in 1701 and bought up 10,000 acres. Cornelius purchased approximately 1,200 acres which were parceled out to four of his sons John, Jacob, Peter and Simon. John was the first to move onto the land, near Middlebush, about 1709-10. He must have lived in a different structure until 1730, however, when he built the first half of the current house (left side). He must have become prosperous because he built well, bringing in Dutch craftsmen from Brooklyn to construct this house entirely of white oak. It was subsequently enlarged in 1805 by Samuel Garretson, a Dutch farmer from Hillsborough, in 1805. This classic early Dutch home on South Middlebush had been disguised for 276 years when the Meadows Foundation started its research and restoration. It will become the Meadows Foundation’s only house museum, with authentic exterior and interior finishes. It may well be that this house will someday become a National Landmark.
Society of New Jersey.
Mt. Bethel Baptist Meeting House
Mt. Bethel Road & Mountainview Road, Warren Township
908-755-7455
www.warrennj.org
Open by appointment only.
Owned by Warren Township and one of the oldest Baptist churches in New Jersey, the Mt. Bethel Baptist Meeting House was constructed in 1761. It is representative of the simple church structures erected throughout the British colonies in the 18th century.
The Planetarium at Raritan Valley Community College
Route 28 & Lamington Rd, North Branch
908-231-8805 www.raritanval.edu/rvcc/frameset/planetarium.html
Admission $5 per person
Discover a world of wonder and excitement when you journey into The Planetarium at RVCC.Educational and entertaining planetarium shows will evoke a sense of adventure as you visit the last frontier from your comfortable armchair location. Travel through time and space... see the wonders of the universe from exploding stars to mysterious black holes.Explore the outer limits of the Milky Way and learn more about our Solar System from its beginning to the present day. Reservations recommended for laser concerts, telescope nights, and other events; visit the website for up-to-date schedules. Welcomes student groups.
Relief Hose Company No. 2
16 Anderson Street, Raritan
memoli@co.somerset.nj.us
Constructed in 1894, this is a well-preserved example of a High Victorian Gothic-style fire house. Its distinctive features include a three-story tower, stained-glass windows, Art Nouveau signage and sandstone trim. In addition to its use as the fire company headquarters, it has also served as a municipal court, council chambers, clerk's office meeting house and town library. It continues to be used by the fire company and was recently restored.
Rockingham State Historic Site – Washington’s Last Revolutionary War Headquarters
County Route 603 (Laurel Avenue/Rocky Hill-Kingston Road, Route 603), Franklin
Township, near Kingston
(Mailing address: P.O. Box 496, Kingston, NJ 08528)
609-683-7132
www.rockingham.net; RockinghamPR@aol.com Wed-Sat, 10-12, 1-4; Sun 1-4. Closed Mon-Tues, state & federal holidays, and Wed after Monday holidays.
Rockingham,owned at thetime by Mrs. MargaretBerrien, served as General George Washington's last war-time headquarters from August-November 1783while the Continental Congress met in Princeton. It was here that Washington wrote the Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States. Rockingham is a living history museum with afine collection of antiques and artifacts. Due to the small size of the staff, it is best to confirm that the site is open. Guided tours only. Groups of more than 10 must make a reservation.
Rocky Hill Community House
62 Washington Street, Rocky Hill
609-688-1225; Heritage Project, 609-924-1802; RHHeritage1701@aol.com
The house, constructed in the vernacular Federal and Greek Revival styles, is believed to have been built by Benjamin Hatwick circa 1835. It is one of the earliest surviving buildings in Rocky Hill and contains much original exterior and interiors features. It is now operated by the Rocky Hill Community Group.
Six Mile Run Historic District
South Middlebush Road, Franklin Township
D&R Canal State Park, 609-924-5705; www.dandrcanal.com
The Meadows Foundation, 732-828-7418 www.themeadowsfoundation.org
The Six Mile Run Historic District encompasses exceptionally well-preserved vistas of a Dutch-settled, rural 19th-century landscape that once characterized the Raritan Valley. The numerous farmsteads represent the evolution of a rural agricultural economy from the early 18th century to the early 20th century. The 198 contributing structures include 18th- and 19th-century dwellings, a number of New World Dutch barns, English barns, smoke houses, corncribs, granaries and other outbuildings. Significant structures in the district include the Dutch-vernacular Wyckoff/Garretson house, constructed 1730/1810; the 1875 Italianate Van Lieu/Suydam house; and the 1875 Hageman House. Other houses exhibit influences of the Federal and Greek Revival styles.
Somerset County Court House Green
East Main Street (between Grove and North Bridge), Somerville
908-231-7110
The Somerset County Court House, constructed in 1909 and refurbished in 1996, is a fine example of beaux-arts classicism. It was designed by the firm of Gordon, Tracy and Swartwout. James Riely Gordon, one of America's foremost courthouse architects, designed both this court house and the Arizona capitol. Tracy and Swartwout designed the Missouri capitol. The adjacent First Reformed Dutch Church, built in 1897 in the English Gothic church style, was designed by William Appleton Potter, who was renowned for his architecture on the Princeton University campus. The church contains four Tiffany stained glass windows. The Lord Memorial Fountain, erected in 1910, was designed by John Russell Pope, who also designed the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Somerville Fire Museum
15 North Doughty Avenue, Somerville
908-526-7098
www.somervillefd.com/museum.htm
Open Sat 10-12, or by appointment (closed for renovations until 2007 or 2008)
Housed in an Italianate-style building, the museum showcases antique fire-fighting equipment and numerous pictures and citations showing the evolution of the Somerville Fire Department. Of special note are the 1850 working hand pumper and the 1878 steamer.The fire house was constructed in 1888 for the West End Hose Company and was the home of the borough's first horse-drawn fire truck. (The outside restoration has been completed, but the interior work will not be completed until 2007 or 2008.)
South Branch School (Little Red School House)
South Branch Road, Branchburg
908-526-1300
Owned by Branchburg Township and constructed in 1873, this building is an excellent example of a well-preserved, one-room vernacular Victorian-Italianate schoolhouse.
Ukrainian Orthodox Community Museum and Library
135 Davidson Avenue, South Bound Brook
732-356-0090
www.uocofusa.org. Library, Mon-Fri, 9-5; museum by appointment only Free
This unique museum displays hand-decorative Easter eggs, lacework and hand embroidery, statuary, church vessels and many other Ukrainian cultural and historical treasures. The library has theological and historical books in English and Ukrainian.
USGA Museum and Library in the Sloan-Frothingham Mansion - The Golf House
77 Liberty Corner Road, Far Hills 908-234-2300; 800-223-0041 www.usga.org
The USGA Museum and Archives, the world’s most extensive collection of golf memorabilia and literature, is housed in a Georgian mansion designed by John Russell Pope; Pope also created the Jefferson Memorial, the National Art Gallery and Somerville’s Lord Memorial Fountain. With equipment and artifacts donated by golf's greatest champions, the exhibits trace the evolution of golf. The library, with over 13,000 volumes on golf, is open by appointment. (The museum will be closed for renovation until 2008.)
Jacobus Vanderveer House
US Route 202/206
Bedminster
info@jvanderveerhouse.com
www.jvanderveerhouse.com
908-212-7000 x611 to request a tour
For further info, call Mary Bittrich, 908-234-2665
The Jacobus Vanderveer House is the last surviving building associated with the Vanderveers, a family prominent in Bedminster Township history, from its earliest settlement through the 19th century. The house served as headquarters for General Henry Knox during the Second Middlebrook Encampment in the winter of 1778-79. General Knox was in charge of the artillery camp in the village of Pluckemin. An excellent example of a Dutch-American house, the building is owned by Bedminster Township and was recently restored. The interior contains massive exposed beams as well as Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian woodwork
Van Horne House
941 Main Street, Bridgewater
732-356-8856
www.heritagetrail.org
The Van Horne House was built by Phillip Van Horne, a Bridgewater merchant. It was the site of numerous important events during the Revolutionary War including a portion of the fighting during the Battle of Bound Brook. It was used at various times by Generals Lincoln, Stirling, Lee and Cornwallis. The house probably dates back to the mid-18th century and was extensively remodeled in the middle decades of the 19th and 20th centuries. The 1930s and 1940s remodeling was in the Colonial Revival style and is especially significant. Owned by Somerset County, the house is leased by the Heritage Trail Association, which conducts tours by appointment only.
Van Veghten House
9 Van Veghten Lane (off Finderne Avenue), Bridgewater
908-218-1281
http://home.att.net/~SomersetCountyHistoricalSociety/ Open the 2nd Sat of the month, 12-4, and Tuesdays, noon-3, from mid-March to mid-December.
Built in the early 1700s, this brick Dutch vernacular house served as headquarters for Quartermaster General Nathaniel Green, during the Second Middlebrook Encampment, during the winter of 1778-79. Operated by the Somerset County Historical Society, the museum includes a library with many New Jersey & Somerset County books and documents.
The Wallace House State Historic Site
71 Somerset Street, Somerville
908-725-1015
Wed-Sat, 10-12, 1-4; Sun 1-4. Closed Mon-Tues, state & federal holidays, and Weds. after Monday holidays.
www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/historic/index.html
The Wallace House, built in 1776 as Hope Farm, was the headquarters of George Washington during the Middlebrook Cantonment, December 1778 to June 1779, while the Continental Army was camped along the Watchung Mountains. The Rev. John Frelinghuysen, the first occupant of the 1751 Old Dutch Parsonage, served three Dutch Reformed churches in the Raritan Valley. Jacob Hardenbergh, the second pastor, founded Queens College (now Rutgers). Open Wed-Sat 10-12, 1-4; Sun 1-4.
Washington Campground/Middlebrook Encampment
Middlebrook Road
Bridgewater
732-563-0063
Middlebrook was the site of two encampments of Washington's Continental Army, early summer of 1777 and the winter of 1778-1779. The first official 13-star flag was flown over Washington's troops here. The Washington Campground property was acquired from the estate of George Lamont, with the proviso that the campground association hold a public gathering and read the Declaration of Independence each year on July 4th. The Washington Campground Association maintains and preserves this historic site.
The Bicycle Hall of Fame – while the hall searches for a new home, its exhibits are temporarily in storage. Please watch for news of its reopening.
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