Henry Guest House facts for kids
Henry Guest House
|
|
![]() The Henry Guest House, 2018
|
|
Location | 58 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, New Jersey |
---|---|
Built | 1760 |
Architect | Henry Guest, Sr. |
Architectural style | Colonial |
NRHP reference No. | 76001163 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
Added to NRHP | May 24, 1976 |
The Henry Guest House is a historic stone house located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. You can find it at Livingston Avenue and Morris Street in Middlesex County, New Jersey. This beautiful stone farmhouse was built in 1760 by a man named Henry Guest. It was built in the Georgian style, which was popular back then.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1976. This means it's recognized as an important historical place in the United States.
Who Was Henry Guest?
Henry Guest was the original owner and builder of this historic house. He was an important person in New Brunswick during his time. He served as an alderman, which is like a city council member who helps make local laws.
Henry Guest was also connected to some very famous people in American history. He was an associate of John Adams, who later became the second President of the United States. He also knew Thomas Paine, a famous writer whose ideas helped inspire the American Revolution.
Henry Guest owned a tannery, which was a business that turned animal hides into leather. In 1755, he bought about two and a half acres of land. Five years later, in 1760, he built his sandstone house on this land. He lived there with his family until he passed away in 1815.
Henry Guest was very proud of his house. He once said that if his family just kept a roof on it, the house would stand for a very long time! In 1817, an advertisement selling the house called it "one of the best stone houses in the State of New Jersey."
The House's Journey Through Time
The Henry Guest House wasn't always in its current spot. It was first built on New Street, which was also known as Carroll Place. This was between Livingston Avenue and George Street.
As time passed, the house faced challenges. By the 1900s, it was in danger of being torn down. But people wanted to save this important piece of history! So, in 1924, the house was carefully moved. It traveled up Livingston Avenue to its new location, right next to the New Brunswick Free Public Library.
Even after being moved, the house needed a lot of care. Over the years, its roof and other parts started to wear out. In 1992, the city of New Brunswick and the New Jersey Historic Trust worked together to fund a big project. They did major repairs to the outside of the house. This included putting on a new roof and fixing the mortar between the stones. These repairs stopped the house from falling apart.
Today, the Henry Guest House is still standing strong. It is mostly used for meeting rooms, continuing its long history in the community.