The Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage is a hidden gem in Somerville, New Jersey, and is a place that holds historical significance to the country and the state.
The Old Dutch Parsonage was constructed in 1751 with funds from three Dutch Reformed Church congregations of the Raritan Valley. This two-and-one-half-story brick Georgian building was first occupied by the Reverend Mr. John Frelinghuysen and his family. He was succeeded by the Reverend Mr. Jacob Hardenbergh, one of the young men whom he had once tutored. Unlike his predecessor, Jacob Hardenbergh did not tutor students in his home. In 1766, Hardenbergh drafted, circulated, and submitted a petition to the Royal Government to establish a new "classical and divinity" school in the Colony of New Jersey. In 1785, Jacob Hardenbergh became the first President of Queen's College, known today as Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
While living at the Dutch Parsonage, the Reverend Mr. Jacob Hardenbergh sold 95 acres of land and a small farmhouse to John Wallace, a Philadelphia fabric importer, and merchant. Between 1775 and 1776, Wallace purchased an additional 12 acres of land and built an eight-room Georgian-style mansion adjoining part of the existing farmhouse. It was the largest house built in New Jersey during the Revolutionary War.
Jacob Hardenbergh also played an important role during the American Revolution. A supporter of the American cause, he served in the Provincial Congress of New Jersey. While the Continental Army was encamped in the Watchung Mountains during the winter of 1778-79, Hardenbergh became friendly with General Washington. Jacob Hardenbergh helped ease tensions between the army and local residents who, although supportive of independence, were greatly inconvenienced by the troops' presence.
In the winter of 1778, General George Washington's Continental Army encamped at Middlebrook in the Watchung Mountains, just 3 miles from Hope Farm. Washington chose the area because it was a defensible one, with a good network of roads, plenty of timber for the soldiers' huts, and a sympathetic populace.
Related: Visiting Washington Rock Park
Since the area had few houses suitable for officers' quarters, John Wallace, who owned one of the largest houses in the area, was asked to share his property with Washington and his staff. He agreed and the Wallace house became Washington's headquarters for that winter. After spending 11 days at his new headquarters, Washington left for Philadelphia to attend Congress for 6 weeks. The General and his staff kept busy by hosting foreign dignitaries, preparing dinner parties, and planning strategies for the upcoming spring military campaign. It was at the Wallace House that Washington and his staff planned the successful 1779 campaign against the Iroquois League, fierce allies of the British. Camp broke on June 3, 1779, and Washington, upon his departure, paid John Wallace $1,000 for using his house and furniture.
Established in 1974 as a “Friends” group, today the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association is a 501(c) nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation and restoration of these New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places sites.
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