The Boudinot–Southard Farmstead is located at 135 North Maple Avenue in
Bernards Township of
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's 13th-most-populous county,[Elias Boudinot
Elias Boudinot ( ; May 2, 1740 – October 24, 1821) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, statesman, and early abolitionist and women's rights advocate. During the Revolutionary War, Boudinot was an intelligence officer and prisoner-of-wa ...]
in 1771. Featuring a
Colonial Revival
The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture.
The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the arch ...
farmhouse, it was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
on December 18, 2009, for its significance in agriculture, architecture, military and politics/government. The
farmstead
A farmstead refers to the buildings and service areas associated with a farm. It consists of a house belonging to a farm along with the surrounding buildings. The characteristics of a specific farmstead reflect the local landscape, which provides ...
includes four
contributing buildings
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...
and two
contributing structures
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distr ...
.
It is also known as the Ross Farm.
History
In 1771, Edward Lewis sold the property to
Elias Boudinot IV (1740–1821), a lawyer from
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth''
* Princess Elizabeth ...
, who then lived at
Boxwood Hall. He and his family relocated here in November 1776 and stayed until November 1783. During the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, Boudinot was the
president of the Continental Congress
The president of the United States in Congress Assembled, known unofficially as the president of the Continental Congress and later as president of the Congress of the Confederation, was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the con ...
from 1782 to 1783, and after the war was a
United States Representative
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
from New Jersey, 1789–1795. In 1785, he sold the property to
Henry Southard
Henry Southard (October 7, 1747 – May 22, 1842) was a United States Representative from the state of New Jersey.
Southard was born in Hempstead, Long Island, New York. He moved with his parents to the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Townsh ...
(1747–1842), who was United States Representative from New Jersey, 1801–1811 and 1815–1821. In 1818, Southard sold the property to George Slater of
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. In 1952, after several property transfers, Nathaniel E. Burgess sold it to Edmund B. Ross. In 2005, the property was sold to the county for recreation, conservation, and historic preservation purposes.
Description
The farmhouse is a two and one-half story building featuring
Colonial Revival style
The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture.
The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exposition, Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened A ...
. The bank barn is mid 19th century. The carriage house is likely the same age as the barn. The lower level has a three-stall horse stable and the second floor has been converted to an apartment.
See also
*
*
List of the oldest buildings in New Jersey
This article attempts to list the oldest wikt:extant, 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 ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boudinot-Southard Farmstead
Bernards Township, New Jersey
Colonial Revival architecture in New Jersey
National Register of Historic Places in Somerset County, New Jersey
Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Homes of United States Founding Fathers