Hopper-Van Horn House facts for kids

Hopper-Van Horn House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Bergen County, New Jersey Show map of Bergen County, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	398 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, New Jersey
Area	3.5 acres (1.4 ha)
Built	1769
Architectural style	Colonial, Dutch Colonial
NRHP reference No.	73001079
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	April 11, 1973

The Hopper-Van Horn House is a very old and important building located in Mahwah, in Bergen County, New Jersey. This historic house was built in 1769. Because of its long history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1973.

Before the Van Horn family owned the land, it was used as a busy trading post by Rachel Bayard and Lucus Kiersted. Even before that, there is proof that Native American people lived and used this area.

A Look Back: The House's History

Early Owners and the Trading Post: 1700–1849

The story of the Hopper-Van Horn House land begins in 1700. On August 10 of that year, a woman named Blandina Bayard bought a huge piece of land. It was about 16 miles by 12 miles! She bought it from the local Hackensack Indians. Blandina thought this land was in the Colony of New York.

She set up a stone cottage here that became a trading post. This made her one of the first women to start a business in New Jersey! When Blandina passed away in 1711, her land went to her daughter-in-law, Rachel Bayard. The Bayard family then teamed up with the Laroe and Kiersted families, who knew the area well.

In 1725, there was a problem: the ownership papers for the land were found to be invalid. The Kiersteds and Laroes had to negotiate until 1743 to sort things out. After the agreement, Kiersted sold his part of the land to Hendrick Laroe. Hendrick bought it for his son, Jacobus Laroe.

In 1750, Jacobus built the stone house we know today as the Laroe-Vanhorn House. Then, in 1765, Jacobus sold the house and property to Isaac Bogert. Over the next few decades, the house and land changed hands many times. Here's a quick look at some of the owners:

• 1785: Jacob Bogert sold the farm to Cornelius Haring.
• 1788: Cornelius Haring sold the land to Judge John Haring.
• 1796: John Haring sold the property to Judge Henry Van Dalsem.
• 1805: Judge Henry Van Dalsem sold the land to Roelif Verbryck.
• 1806: Roelif Verbryck sold the land to Abraham Hopper.
• 1823: Abraham Hopper passed away in 1820. His widow sold the house to her son-in-law, John G. Hopper, and his father, Garret W. Hopper.
• 1841: Garrett I. Hopper bought the land from his mother.
• 1849: Garrett I. Hopper sold the land to his Aunt Margaret and her husband, Abram Van Horn.

Who Lived Here? A Timeline of Owners (1700–Present)

The Hopper-Van Horn House has had many owners over the centuries. This table shows who lived there and what the property was used for:

Later Owners and College Use: 1849–Present

In 1889, a man named Havemeyer bought the Laroe Van Horn House from William Van Horn. The house became part of Havemeyer's large property called Mountainside Farm. It was used to house workers who helped on the estate. While Havemeyer owned the house, he even added a new roof!

In 1917, Havemeyer sold the house to Stephen Birch, who owned Marapo Farms. Birch used the house to provide homes for the herdsmen who worked on his farm.

The house became state property in 1972. It then became the home for the President of Ramapo College. This college was actually built on what used to be part of the Havemeyers' Mountainside Farm. George Potter was the first and only President of Ramapo College to live in the Laroe Van Horn house.

In 1980, the Laroe Van Horn house was used to house students from Ramapo College who were studying in the Environmental Studies Program. Later, in 1989, Bryant and Joan Malcolm bought the house. A special rule was added to the house's ownership papers. This rule said that the house had to be kept in good condition and preserved according to specific historical standards. Any changes to the house needed to be approved in writing by the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. In 2014, the Malcolms sold the house to Anne-Lise Jacobsen.

A Family Graveyard

Behind the Hopper-Van Horn House, there is a family graveyard. In 2012, a professor from Ramapo College named Jeff Williamson found another gravesite deeper in the woods. He believed these unmarked graves might belong to enslaved people and freedmen who worked on the land a long time ago.

Digging Up the Past: Archaeology

In June 1980, students from Ramapo College took part in an archaeological dig at the house site. They carefully dug up about 13,000 artifacts! These findings helped prove many things about the house's history and the people who lived there.

The students found items from the very early days of the property, including when it was a trading post. They also found a lot of evidence that a local Native American tribe lived in the area before Europeans claimed the land. Today, this amazing collection of artifacts is kept at the Mahwah Museum.