The Van Wickle House, also known as the Symen Van Wickle House, is a historical house located at 1289 Easton Avenue in the

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

section of Franklin Township, Somerset County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. It was built in 1722 by Symen Van Wickle, also known as Symen Van Wicklin. The house, historically known as The Meadows, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on December 4, 1973.

Evert Van Wickle

Evert Van Wickle was a carpenter from the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

who emigrated to

New Amersfoort Flatlands is a List of Brooklyn neighborhoods, neighborhood in the southeast part of the borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn in New York City. The current neighborhood borders are roughly defined by the Bay Ridge Branch to the north, A ...

, which is now

Flatlands, Brooklyn Flatlands is a neighborhood in the southeast part of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. The current neighborhood borders are roughly defined by the Bay Ridge Branch to the north, Avenue U to the south, Ralph Avenue to the east, and Fla ...

, and married Elizabeth Van Liew. Around 1700, Evert purchased almost of land on the

Raritan River Raritan River is a major river of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. History Geologists assert that the lower Rar ...

in Somerset. Evert had a son: Symen Van Wickle (c1700-1754) who married Geradina Couwenhoven (1705-?).

Symen Van Wickle

Symen built his home facing the

in 1722. The location was called the "upper fording place". Behind the house was the link between

Middlebush, New Jersey Middlebush is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States.Raritan Landing, New Jersey Raritan Landing is a historical Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community located within Piscataway, New Jersey, Piscataway Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United St ...

called "Old Middlebush Road" (now DeMott Lane in Somerset). Evert and Geradina had the following children: Elsje Van Wickle (c1723-?); Evert Van Wickle (c. 1726-?); Nicholas Van Wickle (c. 1728-?); Mattje Van Wickle (c. 1730-?); Seytje Van Wicklin (1732-?); Anne Van Wickle (c. 1734-?); Dinah Van Wickle (1734-?); and Mary Van Wickle (c.1738-?).

Delaware and Raritan Canal

Around 1835, the

Delaware and Raritan Canal The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) is a canal in central New Jersey, built in the 1830s, that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadel ...

was built between the Raritan River and the Van Wickle House.

Preservation

In 1976 the house was put up for sale and was eyed by developers until a grassroots group of concerned citizens organized to protect the historic house. "The Meadows" was a name long associated with the house so this group took the name Meadows Foundation for the name of their organization. Through fundraising and a Green Acres grant they were able to acquire and preserve the house. The Meadows Foundation runs programming at the Van Wickle house such as their Candlelight Concert and Fireside Chats series as well as seasonal celebrations such as Sinterklaas (Dutch Santa) Festival and, in cooperation the Franklin Township Parks and Recreation Department, programs such as the Pumpkin Patch Halloween Celebration and the Bunny Jamboree. Nominal donations accepted at events help with maintenance and restoration costs.

Temporary closure

In late October 2014 the Meadows Foundation closed the Van Wickle House to the public, citing structural damage from flooding that had occurred during

Hurricane Irene Hurricane Irene was a large and destructive tropical cyclone which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during late August 2011. The ninth named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2011 At ...

and

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

. The organization added that it was "working diligently with county, state and federal agencies to save this historic structure with a complete restoration." The grounds surrounding the house remain open to the public.

References

*Harry Macy, Jr.; The Van Wicklen/Van Wickle Family: Including its Frisian Origin and Connections to Minnerly and Kranchheyt; The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 128, No. 3 (July 1997); p. 184.

External links

Van Wickle House
- Meadows Foundation * {{NRHP in Somerset County, New Jersey Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey Houses in Somerset County, New Jersey Houses completed in 1722 Meadows Foundation (New Jersey) National Register of Historic Places in Somerset County, New Jersey New Jersey Register of Historic Places Historic American Buildings Survey in New Jersey 1722 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies