Samuel Fleming House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Flemington Historic District
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | Roughly bounded by NJ 12, NJ 31, N. Main, Shields, and Hopewell Aves., Flemington, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Built | 1756 |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002493 |
| Added to NRHP | September 17, 1980 |
The Samuel Fleming House, also known as Flemington Castle, is a very old house in Flemington. It was built way back in 1756. Today, it's a museum where you can learn about life in the past. This house is the oldest one still standing in Flemington. It's also part of the larger Flemington Historic District, which protects many historic buildings.
Contents
Who Was Samuel Fleming?
Samuel Fleming was born in Ireland in 1707. He came to America and worked as a tavern owner. In 1741, he bought a large piece of land, about 210 acres, in what is now Flemington. He bought this land from Thomas Penn, who was the son of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.
Building a Home in 1756
Samuel Fleming built his house on this land in 1756. The area around his home became known as "The Fleming Settlement." Later, people just called it "Fleming's." By the 1870s, the name changed to "Flemington," which is what we call it today.
The Samuel Fleming House Museum
The Samuel Fleming House is now a museum. It shows what life was like in the 1700s. You can see a kitchen from that time, a ladies' parlor, and a room that looks like a tavern.
From Private Home to Public Museum
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a group that helps preserve history. They owned the house for many years. In 2005, they sold it to the Borough of Flemington for $138,000. The DAR had used the house as their office and as a museum.
Uncovering the Truth About the House
For a long time, people believed many stories about the Samuel Fleming House. These stories said it was a tavern, a stagecoach stop, and even a post office. Some stories even claimed that General George Washington visited the house!
What Did Research Show?
In 2007, experts studied the house's history. They looked at old documents and records. Here's what they found:
- Samuel Fleming did own a tavern, but it was not in this house. He got a license for his tavern in 1746, ten years before the house was built.
- The house property was sold in 1763, and the tavern was sold separately in 1766.
- There is no proof that George Washington ever visited this specific house.
- Samuel Fleming never called his home a "castle." The name "Fleming Castle" first appeared in 1906. This was in the meeting notes of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
This research helped clear up some old myths. It showed that while Samuel Fleming was an important person, some of the stories about his house were not true.
