The Van Wagenen House, also known as Apple Tree House, is located near Bergen Square in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 16, 2006. It is home to the Museum of Jersey City History.
Van Wagenen House | |
 Van Wagenen House in 2020 | |
    | |
| Location | 298 Academy Street, Jersey City, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°43′48″N 74°3′59″W / 40.73000°N 74.06639°W |
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1740[2][3] |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Bergen County Dutch Stone |
| NRHP reference No. | 05000884[1] |
| NJRHP No. | 3696[4] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 16, 2006 |
| Designated NJRHP | June 20, 2005 |
History
editThe house was built in 1740.[2][3] An addition was added in the 1820s.[5] The house may have been the site of a meeting between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette in 1779.[6][7][8] The name Apple Tree House is given to the home because of a former apple orchard and cider press that were located on the property.[9] The house was purchased by the Quinn family and used as a funeral parlor for a number of years.[citation needed]
In 1996, the house was on Preservation New Jersey's 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites list.[10] The city of Jersey City purchased the building in 1999 for $450,000 and has been working to improve the condition of the building.[2] The New Jersey Historic Trust gave Jersey City a grant in 2006 for interior restoration and accessibility improvements.[11] Jersey City plans to use the house as a museum.[10][12] Interior renovations were completed in 2014.[13]
An annual wreath-laying ceremony occurs at the house every President's Day that is hosted by the George Washington Society.[3]
In 2021, the city announced its intentions to create a historical museum at the building.[14][15] The Museum of Jersey City History opened in December 2023.[16]
Gallery
edit-
Side view -
Rear view -
First-floor hallway -
Front parlor
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Retrieved February 25, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Apple Tree/Van Wagenen House". New Jersey Historic Trust. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- ^ a b c McDonald, Terrence T. (February 21, 2017). "11-year restoration of historic Jersey City building may end soon". NJ.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Hudson County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. July 7, 2009. p. 7. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
- ^ "Apple Tree House/ Van Wagenen Homestead Farm". www.NJCU.edu. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- ^ "Jersey City History - Apple-Tree House - Jersey City". www.CityOfJerseyCity.org. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- ^ "Jersey City History - Jersey City's Oldest House". www.CityOfJerseyCity.org. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- ^ Harriet Phillips Eaton, Jersey City And Its Historic Sites, 1899: On August 24th, 1779, General Lafayette and his troops marched on a foraging expedition from near Fort Lee to Bergen. On the morning of the 25th they arrived at the brow of the Hill and encamped about the large, old tulip tree, known as "oude Boom" to the early settlers and as the "King of the Woods" to those of later date. The locality is now known as Waldo avenue, between Henry street and Magnolia avenue. The tree was cut down December 20th, 1871 Lafayette's headquarters were at the Van Wagenen place on the northwest corner of Academy street and Bergen square. Mr. Taylor states, "in the orchard on the old parsonage site on northwest side of Square," where he entertained at dinner General Washington who came over from Hackensack. The dinner was cooked in the Van Wagenen weave-house and eaten under an apple tree. This tree was blown down in a gale on September 3d, 1821, and from a portion of it was made a very handsome cane, gold mounted and with this inscription, "Shaded the hero and his friend Washington in 1779; presented by the Corporation of Bergen in 1824." When Lafayette visited America in 1824, when he was on his way from Jersey City to Newark, there was a gathering of all the people of this vicinity to meet him at Riker's Tavern, Five Corners, which is still standing on the southwest corner of Newark and Summit avenues. Upon this occasion Domine Cornelison presented him with the cane, making a very appropriate address.
- ^ Shalhoub, Patrick B. (1995). Jersey City. ISBN 9780752402550. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "The Apple Tree House". Preservation New Jersey. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
- ^ "Apple Tree". New Jersey Historic Trust. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
- ^ Hortillosa, Summer Dawn (July 2, 2011). "Revolutionary War Sites in Hudson: The Apple Tree House in Jersey City". NJ.com. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- ^ Emelumba, Chinedum (February 18, 2014). "Revolutionary War won in less time than historic Jersey City Apple Tree House renovation". NJ.com. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- ^ Adler, Egan (July 2, 2021). "Jersey City plans to create historical museum at Apple Tree House". NJ.com.
- ^ Leir, Ron (August 9, 2022). "Museum of Jersey City History is One Step Closer to Reality". Jersey City Times. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ Mosca, David (November 20, 2023). "Museum of Jersey City History opening with an exhibit on one of the city's best-known figures, Frank Hague". NJ.com. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
External links
edit
- The Van Wagenen Family Website
- Jersey City Past and Present
- View of Van Wagenen House via Google Street View
- Veasey, David (January 22, 2017). New Jersey's Colonial Architecture Told in 100 Buildings. ISBN 978-1-62545-047-0.