Somerset County.kmz

Somerset County

5 Generals Tour
Discover five of the original Somerset County houses that served as general staff headquarters during the Revolutionary War.
Bus tour offered by: http://www.heritagetrail.org/

Van Horne House
History has taken many forms at the Van Horne House over the past 300 years, reflecting Somerset County's history. The house and its site has seen the tracks of Native Americans, the development of early settlements, the struggles of the American Revolution and the growth of commerce and industry. Indians considered the hill on which the present house sits sacred. It overlooked the Naraticong Trail which later became the Old York Road. The Indians sold the land in 1681 to Thomas Codrington. In 1735, the site was the location of the Janeway and Broughton Store. John Broughton was Bridgewater's first Town Clerk. Philip Van Horne, the house's most famous and colorful owner, purchased the property 19 years later and built his home there. He was a generous and hospitable man who freely entertained both sides of the American Revolution, so much so that a concerned George Washington considered throwing him in a New Brunswick jail for treason. Van Horne's welcoming nature earned his home various nicknames: "Phil's Hill," "Phil's Hall" or "Convivial Hall." During the Revolution, the house served as headquarters for Generals Benjamin Lincoln and William Alexander (Lord Stirling). In April 1777 at thr Battle of Bound Brook, Lord Cornwallis' troops marched to the house and skirmished with Patriot troops in hopes of capturing Patriot officers staying at the Van Hornes, but without any luck. General Benjamin Lincoln, who had been at the house escaped into the hills, "clad only in his breeches," according to one account. From the Van Hornes, the house and property subsequently became part of a milling business, a residence for down-in-their-luck union members, and eventually was sold to Calco Chemical Company. The house is listed on the National and New Jersey Register of Historic Houses as a fine example of Corporate Colonial Revival, a tribute to the renovations done by Calco. In 2002, The Heritage Trail Assocation moved its headquarters location into the newly renovated Van Horne House and completed entry of the home into the New Jersey Register of Historic places the same year. Today the first floor of the house is exhibit space, a gift shop and meeting rooms (available for rent). The second floor is office space. It is a fine example of adaptive re-use of an historic building. http://www.heritagetrail.org/van_horne_house.htm

Van Veghten House
9 Van Veghten Rd. (off Finderne Ave.), Bridgewater.
The Van Veghten House stands on its original site on the north bank of the Raritan River. The present structure evolved from the first house built by Michael Van Veghten before 1720.
Michael Van Veghten settled in Somerset County in 1685. In 1694, he acquired 836 acres of land on the north side of the river. Michael's son, Derrick, who was born in the house in 1699, inherited the property after his father's death.
The house served as headquarters for Quartermaster Nathanael Greene during the Middlebrook Encampment in 1778-1779. Derrick offered his property for the use of the Continental Army. Portions of the Pennsylvannia troops were encamped on his fields at the time.
While in residence here, General Greene wrote a letter to Jeremiah Wadsworth describing "a pretty little frisk" held in the house on March 17, 1779. Throughout the course of the evening, General Washington danced with Mrs. Greene "upwards of three hours without seting [sic] down". In appreciation of the Van Veghten's hospitality, the Greenes, upon leaving the house, presented Mrs. Van Veghten with a mahogany tea table, which is in the possession of a family descendant.
After Derrick Van Veghten's death in 1781, the house passed through several families. From the 1850's through the early 20th century, the house was renovated several times. Evidence of alterations can be seen throughout the house.
In 1897, the Meyer family acquired the house and property. The house was purchased from Bernhard Meyer in 1934 by Singer Company. In 1971, the house, with one acre of land, was deeded to the Somerset County Historical Society by Singer Company and Mr. Stanley Rustic. The house was placed on the National Register in 1979..
House and library open April 1-December 1, the second Saturday of each month from 12-4 p.m. 908-218-1281
The above information courtesy of: http://www.schsnj.com

Abraham Staats House
17 Von Steuben Ln, S Bound Brook, NJ 08880 The Abraham Staats House is one of the finest surviving buildings from the Dutch Settlement of the Raritan Valley in the 18th century. Over the centuries the house has been expanded several times and now includes a fine late, Federal/Greek Revival two-story addition. The house had an interesting history during the American Revolution when it served as the headquarters of General von Steuben during the second Middlebrook Encampment (1779). The Abraham Staats House was acquired by Borough of South Bound Brook in 1999 with grant assistance provided by Somerset County (the previous owner was given life tenancy). With foresight and through thoughtful negotiation, the Borough has insured that this important site will remain in the public domain. The Abraham Staats House was entered onto the New Jersey Register of Historic Places on August 29, 2002 and the National Register of Historic Places on December 4, 2002. The above text courtesy: http://www.staatshouse.org/

Jacobus Vanderveer House
1 River Road Park, Bedminster Township, NJ 07921 (908) 396-6053 The Jacobus Vanderveer House and Museum, site of America’s first military training academy, the Pluckemin Cantonment. The Vanderveer house served as headquarters for Gen. Henry Knox during the winter of 1778-79. A National and New Jersey historic site, the Vanderveer house interprets Dutch colonial life in America as well as the stay by Gen. Henry Knox and his family. The above information courtesy: Jacobus Vanderveer House and Museum

The Wallace House
The Wallace House was completed in 1776 as Hope Farm for John Wallace, a successful Philadelphia merchant. General Washington leased the house for use as his headquarters during the Middlebrook Winter Encampment, December 11, 1778, to June 3, 1779. The house is one of the best and most original examples of Georgian architecture in New Jersey. The above text courtesy:

Journey throgh the Past
www.SCHistoryWeekend.com The Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, in partnership with local history organizations, has been coordinating annual Weekend Joourney Through the Past events since 2005. These events usually take place on second weekend of October but could easily be navigated as self-guided tours at any time of the year (check hours for sites as some are limited) This tour is a perfect opportunity to take your family on a weekend outing to visit and immerse yourself in the distant past. We invite you to take this opportunity to feed your curiosity and expand your knowledge through the discovery of many fascinating aspects and oral histories surrounding the twenty-four significant historic sites open for touring all weekend-long. You will learn much about their former occupants, some among whom were quite distinguished statesmen and national leaders; how they occupied their day to day lives, from daily work responsibilities and pleasurable pastimes to the difficult hardships endured during the American Revolution. As you journey from site to site you will discover that many have significant Revolutionary War histories, contributing to the area’s designation as the “Crossroads of the American Revolution State Heritage Area.” By the end of your journey, you will have a better appreciation of the history of Somerset County and the lives of early settlers – who they were, where they came from, how they lived, and how they made a difference in the lives of their neighbors, in the growth and development of our county, and their contributions to the rich heritage and development of our great nation. The suggested tours with travel directions, grouping sites logically by area and winding you through scenic by-ways in hopes of making your journey more pleasurable.

Northern Tour - The Watchung Mountains

Vermeule Mansion
614 Greenbrook Rd., North Plainfield, NJ 07060
From Rt. 22 East, take the turnoff for Rock Ave. and proceed to the first stoplight; Turn left on Greenbrook Rd. and continue to Clinton Ave. The Vermeule Mansion is located on your left, set back from the road. Parking is available on the street or in the lot behind the house.

Washington Rock State Park
1 Rock Rd. West, Green Brook, NJ 08812
From the Vermeule Mansion, return to Rt. 22 and proceed west to Washington Ave. Turn right on Washington Ave. (Rt. 529) and proceed to the top of the mountain. Parking is available on the left side of the road across from the park.

Codington Farmhouse
15 Mt. Horeb Rd., Warren Township, NJ 07059
From Washington Rock Park, continue west on Rock Rd. West to Warrenville Rd. Turn right and continue through the center of Warrenville and up the second mountain to the first stoplight. Turn left on Mt. Horeb Rd. and drive 3 miles to the Codington House. There is a red farm tractor on display in front of the house. Parking is available in the field behind the house.
The Codington Farmstead encompassing 55 acres with farmhouse dating back to 1742, was built by Issac Codington in Mount Horeb (now Warren Township.) The house is the oldest structure in NJ owned and operated continuously by the same family (Codingtons) from 1742 to 2003, when Lora Codington, known locally as the Somerset County “Peach Lady” and the last in her family line, passed away. Identified as one of the original Warren families when Warren Twp. was established in 1806, the Codingtons also founded the Mt. Horeb ME Church (1820), and rebuilt it after it burned down in 1866; they fought in all of America’s wars, from theFrench and Indian War through WWII and Desert Storm. The last Codington resident provided several million dollars to three Methodist churches in 2003. The Codington House, expanded in 1780, 1820 and 1870, is now owned by Warren Twp. The house has furnishings and decorative arts spanning the 18th century to 2003 with a rich family history on exhibit from this entire period. The house and farmstead have been restored by the Friends of the Codington Farmstead.
Phone/Contact: (908) 580-1052 / Doug Reeder
Organization: Friends of the Codington Farmstead
Gen. Public Hours: Open year-round: 1st Sun, monthly 1- 4 p.m.

Kirch-Ford - Terrill House
1 Reinman Rd., Warren Township, NJ 07059
From the Codington House, drive back to the stoplight at Warrenville Rd. (Mt. Bethel Rd.) and turn left. The Kirch-Ford House is located on the right side of the road at the intersection with Reinman Rd. (1 mile.) Parking is available next to the house.

Mount Bethel Meeting House
183 Mt. Bethel Rd., Warren Township, NJ 07059
From the Kirch-Ford House, continue north on Mt. Bethel Rd. (1 mile) to the stoplight at Mountain View Rd. Mount Bethel Meeting House is located at the corner next to the cemetery.

Kennedy-Martin-Stelle (KMS)Farmstead
450 King George Rd., Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

United States Golf Association Museum
77 Liberty Corner Rd., Far Hills, NJ 07931

Central Tour - The Old York Road

The Presbyterian Church at Bound Brook
409 Mountain Ave., Bound Brook, NJ 08805
From the Jacobus Vanderveer House drive south on US-202/206 S. toward Pluckemin; Merge onto US-22 E. toward New York; Take the Mountain Ave. south ramp toward Bound Brook.; Turn slight right onto Mountain Ave. CR-527; The Church, 409 Mountain Ave. is on the right past E. Maple Ave. If you reach E. Union Ave. you've gone too far

Brook Arts Center (Brook Theatre)
409 Mountain Ave., Bound Brook, NJ 08805
Directions if doing the tour:
From the Presbyterian Church Go south on Mountain Ave./CR-527 toward E. Union Ave. RT-28; Turn left onto E. 2nd St. (E. 2nd St. is just past E. High St., United States Postal Service is on the corner.) Turn right onto Hamilton St.; The Brook Theatre, 10 Hamilton St. is on the left. If you reach E. Main St. you've gone too far.
General information:
A classic vaudeville theater, the Brook Theater was opened in 1927. That was the same year the first talking picture, The
Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, hit the silver screen. This signaled the beginning of the end for vaudeville. Even though it was opened at the tail end of the era, The Brook was home to a wide variety of acts. On May 11, 2011, an historic, faithful
reproduction of the theater’s marquee was installed. It includes two state-of-the-art Daktronics digital side panels that display upcoming events. This work was completed with a Historic Preservation Grant from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission.
Website: www.brookarts.org
E-mail: info@brookarts.org
Organization: Somerset County Cultural Arts Center
Gen. Public Hours: Theater is open when entertainment is scheduled.
ADA Accessibility: Yes
Listed on the State & National Registers of Historic Places:
Application in Process
Quiz Question: Name one of the opening shows at the Brook Theater.

Staats House
17 Von Steuben Ln., South Bound Brook, NJ 08880
Drive south on Hamilton St. toward E. Main St./CR-533/CR-607; Turn left onto E. Main St./CR-533/CR-607;
Enter next roundabout and take the 1st exit toward S. Main St.; go over the Queens Bridge onto S. Main St.; Turn left onto CR-527/Main St.; Turn left onto Von Steuben Ln., and
proceed to 17 Von Steuben Ln. (end of lane.)

Old Presbyterian Graveyard
East St. & East High St., Bound Brook, NJ 08805
From the Staats House proceed north on Main St. and cross the Queens Bridge. At the traffic circle, continue straight on East St. to the stoplight. Turn left on East High St. and look for parking on the street. The Old Presbyterian Graveyard is located on the corner.

Van Horne House
941 Main St., Bridgewater, NJ 08807
From the Old Presbyterian Graveyard, continue west two blocks to Mountain Ave.; Turn left on Mountain Ave. for two blocks to East Main St.; Turn right on East Main St. (it becomes Talmadge Ave.) and continue to the Van Horne House across from the TD Bank Baseball Stadium (1 mile). Parking is available behind the house.

Van Veghten House
9 Van Veghten Dr., Bridgewater, NJ 08807
From the Van Horne House, continue driving west on Main St. to Finderne Ave. Turn left on Finderne, staying in the right hand lane, go over railroad bridge, passing extra storage business with large blue storage units; atfirst traffic light (Bridgewater Campus Drive) turn right, it becomes Van Veghten Dr.; the Van Veghten house, approx. .5 mi. ahead, will be on your left (brick building/ brown shutters & door) amidst industrial bldgs.

Wallace House
71 Somerset St., Somerville 08876
From the Van Veghten House, head east on Van Veghten Dr. toward County Rd. 533/Finderne Ave. and turn left onto
County Rd. 533/Finderne Ave. After half a mile turn left onto E. Main St. and continue on E. Main St. for approx. 2.2 miles. Make a slight left onto Somerset St. The parking lot for
the Wallace House will be just to the left.

Frelinghuysen House/Raritan Public Library
54 East Somerset St., Raritan, NJ 08869
From the Wallace House, continue west on Main St., which becomes Somerset St. in Raritan Borough. As you enter Raritan, look for the Frelinghuysen House/Raritan Public Library on the left. Parking is available behind the building.

Relief Hose Company No. 2 Firehouse
16 Anderson St., Raritan, NJ 08869
From the Frelinghuysen House, continue west on Somerset St. in Raritan Borough. In the center of Raritan, turn right on Anderson St., Relief Hose Company No. 2 Firehouse will be on the right.

Andrew Ten Eyck House
671 Old York Rd., Branchburg 08876
From the Firehouse, return to Somerset St. and turn right. Continue west on Somerset St. through Raritan Borough. After crossing Rt. 202, look for the Andrew Ten Eyck House on your left. Parking is available behind the house.

South Branch Schoolhouse
South Branch Rd. (Opposite Studdiford Dr.), Branchburg, NJ 08876 From the Ten Eyck House turn right and go back to Rt. 202 south; turn left onto Chubb Way and staying to your right...this road changes its name to South Branch Rd. The South Branch School House is on South Branch Rd. opposite Studdiford Drive.

Elm Street Bridge
Elm Street Bridge CR 667) at intersection with River Road (CR 567) between Hillsborough and Branchburg Townships
From the South Branch Schoolhouse, turn right on S. Branch Rd. and head south for approx. 3 miles.
Turn left onto Co. Rd. 5/Pleasant Run Rd this will become Co. Rd. 567/River Rd. In under a mile turn right onto Elm St.
The Elm Street Bridge, one of the last remaining of its type in the State, consists of two (2) single span lenticular through trusses over the South Branch of the Raritan River between Branchburg and Hillsborough Townships. The bridge was constructed in 1896, stiffened in 1932 and rehabilitated for continued vehicular use in 1984. Severe deterioration of main truss members (original components and prior repairs) had reduced the posted weight limit to 3 tons, prompting the full dismantling and full rehabilitation of the bridge in 2006.
The 2006 rehabilitation of the truss bridge consisted of member
strengthening and various repairs as needed to upgrade the bridge for continued vehicular use. Original fabric was preserved to best extent possible utilizing original connection types (...pinned connections and hot driven rivets.)

Southern Tour - The D&R Canal

Millstone Borough Hall/Millstone 1860 Schoolhouse
1353 Millstone River Rd., Millstone, NJ 08844
If continuing from the Central Tour, please see the directions above. If coming from Somerville, take 206 south to
Amwell Rd./County Rt 514. Turn east on Amwell Rd. at the intersection of Amwell Rd. and Millstone River Rd.(Main
St.) turn left one block and park at Millstone Borough Hall. Additional parking available at intersection of Co. Rd. 514
and Co. Rd. 533/Millstone River Rd. across from the Getty station.

Old Millstone Forge, Blacksmith Shop & Museum
9 North River St., Millstone, NJ 08844
From the Millstone 1860 Schoolhouse/ Millstone Borough Hall parking lot (please see directions to Millstone Borough Hall/Millstone 1860 Schoolhouse above for directions) walk south to North River St. then down the hill to the Forge. Parking
available at intersection of Co. Rd. 514 and Co. Rd. 533/Millstone River Rd. across from the Getty station.

Wyckoff-Garretson House
215 South Middlebush Rd., Somerset, NJ 08873
From the Old Millstone Forge, take Amwell Rd./Rt. 514 east to South Middlebush Rd.; Turn right onto South Middlebush Rd., approximately one mile, and look for the Wyckoff-Garretson House driveway on the right in a dip in the road.

Griggstown Schoolhouse
1065 Canal Rd., Griggstown, NJ 08540
From the Wyckoff-Garretson House, continue driving south on South Middlebush Rd. (Rt. 615 - approx. .25 mile) to Blackwells Mills Rd.; Turn right (west) onto Blackwells Mills Rd. and continue (1.5 miles) to Canal Rd. Turn left onto Canal Rd.; follow the canal to the historic village of Griggstown (4 miles.) Just before the bridge tenders’ station, look for the Griggstown Reformed Church on the left. The schoolhouse is located behind the Church.