Proprietary House Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

The Proprietary House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Proprietary House in 2009
Location in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Location	149 Kearny Ave Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
Nearest city	Edison, New Jersey, U.S.
Area	0.6 acres (0.0024 km²)
Built	1762
Built by	John Edward Pryor
Architect	John Edward Pryor
Architectural style	Georgian
Restored	began in 1985
Restored by	The Proprietary House Association
NRHP reference No.	71000509
Designated	February 24, 1971

The Proprietary House in Perth Amboy, New Jersey is a very special building. It is the only mansion of a proprietary governor from the original Thirteen Colonies that is still standing today. A proprietary governor was like a royal governor, but appointed by the owners of the colony, not the king.

Construction of this large Georgian style house began in 1762 and finished in 1764. It was designed by an architect and builder named John Edward Pryor. The first person to live there was Chief Justice Frederick Smyth, starting in 1766. In 1773, it became the official home for New Jersey's royal governor.

History of the Proprietary House
Restoration of the Proprietary House
See also

History of the Proprietary House

The 18th Century and the Revolution

In the late 19th century, Proprietary House was The Brighton, a luxury hotel at the time

From 1774 to 1776, the Royal Governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, lived in the Proprietary House. He was the son of the famous Benjamin Franklin.

Governor Franklin's Story

In January 1776, during the start of the American Revolution, William Franklin was put under house arrest by the New Jersey government. He was guarded by the Committee of Safety. In June 1776, as fighting began, he was arrested and sent to prison in Litchfield, Connecticut. He was later released in a prisoner exchange in 1778.

After the War

During and after the American Revolutionary War, the Proprietary House was badly damaged. A fire destroyed the inside. In 1792, an advertisement mentioned the "remains of the house lately burned."

In 1794, John Rattoon, a merchant and the first mayor of Perth Amboy, bought the property. He fixed the damaged parts of the house and made it livable again.

The 19th Century and Changing Uses

After the fire, a new owner, Richard M. Woodhull, bought the house in 1808. He turned it into a grand hotel called The Brighton. He added a three-story wing and two more stories to the main part of the building. You can still see where the original roof was, about eight feet lower than it is now.

The Brighton Hotel was a popular and elegant place. The New-York Gazette described it as "charming" and "magnificent" in 1809.

The Brighton Hotel's Decline

The War of 1812 caused tourism to stop, which hurt The Brighton Hotel. In 1817, Matthias Bruen, a very wealthy merchant, bought the property. He lived there until he died in 1846. His family later tried to reopen it as The Brighton, but wars like the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War stopped their plans.

From Hotel to Home

In 1883, the Bruen family gave the property to a Presbyterian charity. It became a home for the families of ministers who had passed away. After 20 years, the property was returned to the Bruen family.

The 20th Century and Preservation Efforts

In 1904, the Bruen family sold the property. Most of the land was divided into smaller building lots, and Kearny Avenue was built through it. The house itself had many different owners and was used as an apartment building and then a rooming house.

Restoration of the Proprietary House

In 1914, a group of people in Perth Amboy formed the Westminster Historical Society. Their goal was to buy and restore the Proprietary House. In the late 1930s, detailed plans and photos of the house were made for historical records. These are now kept at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C..

In 1966, the Proprietary House Association was created. They realized how important the building was as the original Proprietary House. They convinced the state to buy the property. It was then placed on both the State and National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as a very important historical site.

Volunteers worked hard to clean out the house and remove walls that had been added over the years. The first two floors were opened to visitors in 1976. Everyone began to see that the Proprietary House was important not just locally, but for the entire state and nation.

However, the house was still decaying faster than it could be restored. In 1985, a plan was made for a company to lease the house and surrounding land. This company would pay to restore the outside and upper floors, turning them into offices. The money from the offices would help pay for the restoration. This plan started in 1986.

Today, the ground and first floors of the original mansion are leased to the Proprietary House Association. This group raises money for tours, events, and to continue the historically accurate restoration. In 2011, a new restoration project began. Experts are studying the paint to make sure each room looks exactly as it did during different periods of its history.

The Proprietary House is now a museum that offers tours, events, and exhibits. It helps people learn about the events and people who shaped America's history.

Proprietary House facts for kids

Contents