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Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House facts for kids

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Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House
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Vanderbeck House in 1945
Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House is located in Bergen County, New Jersey
Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House
Location in Bergen County, New Jersey
Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House is located in New Jersey
Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House
Location in New Jersey
Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House is located in the United States
Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House
Location in the United States
Location Barrister Ct., Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Area 2.9 acres (1.2 ha)
Architect Vanderbeck, Jacob
MPS Stone Houses of Bergen County TR
NRHP reference No. 83001566
Quick facts for kids
Significant dates
Added to NRHP January 9, 1983

The Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House is a very old and special home in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. It is located in Bergen County, New Jersey, in the United States. This house is a great example of a style called Dutch Colonial.

It sits on a small hill next to the Saddle River County Park. The house overlooks the Saddle River. You can find it near Dunkerhook Road, as part of a neighborhood called Barrister Court. This historic house was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 9, 1983. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.

How the House Was Built

The first part of the Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House was built in 1754. It was built by Jacob Vanderbeck Sr., who also built another nearby house called the Naugle House. This first section was a smaller home made of wood.

Adding to the House

Later, in the 1780s, a bigger part was added to the west side of the house. This new section was made of sandstone blocks. It had one and a half stories and a special roof shape called a gambrel roof. A gambrel roof has two different slopes on each side, like a barn roof.

In 1938, the house got another update. The owners at the time, the Walter Squires, replaced the original wooden part of the house. They built a new section that matched the stone part. This new addition also used sandstone blocks and had a gambrel roof. This made the house much bigger. Even with these changes, many of the original details inside the house are still there today.

Saving the House

After its last owner, Henrietta Vander Platt, passed away, some people wanted to tear down the house. They planned to remove all the trees and build a new facility there.

Efforts to Protect the House

However, a group of people who care about history worked hard to save the Vanderbeck House. Their efforts were helped when a group called Preservation New Jersey listed it as one of the "Ten Most Endangered" historic properties in 2013. This listing helped bring attention to the house and its importance. Thanks to these efforts, the house was saved from being demolished.

FairLawnNJ JacobVanderbeckJrHouse
The house, undergoing renovation and enlargement in 2019
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