The Van Wagenen House, also known as Apple Tree House, is located near Bergen Square in
Jersey City
Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Hudson 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 Delawa ...
, United States. The house 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 ...
on August 16, 2006.
History
The house was built in 1740. An addition was added in the 1820s. The house may have been the site of a meeting between
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
and the
Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...
in 1779. The name ''Apple Tree House'' is given to the home because of a former apple orchard and
cider press
Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...
that were located on the property. The house was purchased by the Quinn family and used as a funeral parlor for a number of years.
In 1996, the house was on Preservation New Jersey's ''10 Most Endangered Historic Sites'' list. The city of Jersey City purchased the building in 1999 for $450,000 and has been working to improve the condition of the building. The New Jersey Historic Trust gave Jersey City a grant in 2006 for interior restoration and accessibility improvements. Jersey City plans to use the house as a museum. Interior renovations were completed in 2014.
An annual wreath-laying ceremony occurs at the house every President's Day that is hosted by the George Washington Society.
In 2021, the city announced its intentions to create the Jersey City Historical Museum at the building.
Gallery
File:Van Wagenen House2.jpg, Side view
File:Van Wagenen House3.jpg, Rear view
File:Van Wagenen House4.jpg, First-floor hallway
File:Van Wagenen House5.jpg, Front parlor
See also
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Newkirk House
The Newkirk House, also known as the Summit House, located at 510 Summit Avenue is the oldest surviving structure in Jersey City, New Jersey. The two-story Dutch Colonial building, composed of sandstone, brick, and clapboard dates to 1690.
Origi ...
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Van Vorst House
The Van Vorst House is a colonial-era residence in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, located at 531 Palisade Avenue in The Heights. The stone house was built c.1740–1742 by descendants of the first settlers in the region. It is arguably the oldest ...
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List of the oldest buildings in New Jersey
This article attempts to list the oldest extant buildings surviving in the state of New Jersey in the United States of America, including the oldest houses in New Jersey and any other surviving structures. Some dates are approximate and based upo ...