Steuben House Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Steuben Estate Complex Ackerman–Zabriskie–Steuben House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district

Steuben House in 2019
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	New Bridge Road, Main Street and Hackensack River River Edge, New Jersey
Area	6 acres (2.4 ha)
Built	1752
Architectural style	Colonial, Dutch Colonial
MPS	Early Stone Houses of Bergen County
NRHP reference No.	70000381 (original) 80004403 (increase 1) 83001457 (increase 2)
Added to NRHP	December 18, 1970
Designated HD	December 9, 1980

The Steuben House is a famous old building in River Edge, New Jersey. It's known for its special "Bergen Dutch" style, built with sandstone. You can find it right by the Hackensack River at a place called New Bridge Landing.

This house played a big part in the American Revolutionary War. It was taken from Jan Zabriskie, who was a Loyalist (meaning he supported the British King). For much of the war, it served as a military headquarters. Even General George Washington used it as his main office for two weeks in September 1780. After the war, the house was given to Major General Baron von Steuben, who lived there from 1783 to 1788.

The Steuben House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 because of its unique architecture and its important role in military history. The larger area around it, called the Steuben Estate Complex, became a national historic district in 1980. This district covers about 6 acres and includes the Steuben House plus three other historic buildings that were moved there. The house is also known as the Ackerman–Zabriskie–Steuben House. Today, the Bergen County Historical Society opens the house and other buildings to the public for special events.

A Look Back: The Steuben House Story
Historic District Buildings
Gallery
See also

A Look Back: The Steuben House Story

The Steuben House has always been seen as an important landmark from the American Revolution. Its design and old furniture help us remember the "Bergen Dutch" people. These were farmers whose language and culture were a mix of Dutch, African, German, English, French, and Scandinavian traditions.

Early Days and the Mill

The land where the house stands was first called Aschatking, meaning "where the river narrows." In 1682, a Swedish settler named Cornelius Mattyse bought 420 acres here. Later, in 1695, David Ackerman bought the land. His son, Johannes Ackerman, built a house around 1713.

A special kind of mill was built on the Hackensack River. This was a tidal gristmill, which used the power of the tides to grind grain. When the tide came in, water was trapped in a pond. As the tide went out, the trapped water was slowly released through a waterwheel, making the mill work. Boats called sloops would pull up to the mill at New Bridge Landing to load and unload goods.

The New Bridge and the Zabriskies

In 1744, a road was planned to a spot on the Hackensack River where a "New Bridge" would be built. This bridge gave the area its name, New Bridge Landing. In 1745, Jan and Annetje (Ackerman) Zabriskie bought the mill and farm.

In 1752, Jan Zabriskie built the oldest part of what is now the Steuben House. He used sandstone blocks from a nearby ridge. The front of the house had carefully cut stones, while the other sides used rougher stones. The Zabriskie family became rich from the increased trade during the French and Indian War (1756–1763). Around 1765, they made their house much bigger, adding more rooms and fireplaces. They also gave it a stylish gambrel roof, which has four slopes instead of two. This kind of roof gave more space inside, like in an attic.

New Bridge Landing became a busy center for trade. Iron from nearby mountains was brought here and loaded onto large boats to be shipped to markets. Flour and animal feed were also shipped from the mill. All sorts of goods arrived from the city by boat. This spot was important because it was the closest river crossing to Newark Bay for many years. Travelers and wagons going to and from New York City often crossed the river here.

The Revolutionary War and Washington's Stay

The Steuben House was used as a military headquarters during much of the American Revolutionary War. General Washington stayed here for 14 days in September 1780, when the Continental Army (the American army) set up camp nearby.

New Bridge Landing saw a lot of action during the war:

November 20, 1776: About 5,000 British and Hessian (German soldiers fighting for the British) troops crossed the Hudson River. They marched towards Fort Lee, but American troops, led by General Greene, quickly left the fort. General Washington led them safely across the Hackensack River at New Bridge. This escape was so important that it was called "the Bridge That Saved a Nation." Thomas Paine, a famous writer, saw these events and was inspired to write his famous words, "THESE are the times that try men's souls."
November 21, 1776: British troops attacked the American rear guard and took control of the New Bridge.
August 18, 1779: Major Henry Lee III led American troops from New Bridge to attack British forts at Paulus Hook (now Jersey City).
September 4–17, 1780: General Washington made the Zabriskie-Steuben House his headquarters. Nearly 14,000 American soldiers were camped nearby.

After the War and Baron von Steuben

In 1781, the State of New Jersey took the stone house from Jan Zabriskie because he was a Loyalist. On December 23, 1783, the New Jersey government gave the Zabriskie estate to Major General Baron von Steuben. He was the Inspector General of the Continental Army, meaning he helped train the soldiers. The gift came with a condition: he had to live there and not rent it out.

Baron von Steuben's helper, Captain Benjamin Walker, lived in the house and helped run the mill. Steuben fixed up the house, which had been damaged during the war. In 1788, he sold the house back to Jan Zabriskie's son, also named Jan. The Zabriskie family owned the property until 1909.

Saving the Steuben House

In 1926, the Steuben House Commission was formed to buy Baron Steuben's old home. The State of New Jersey bought the house and about 1 acre of land for $9,000 in 1928. It was repaired and opened as a museum in 1939, run by the Bergen County Historical Society. The Society continued to protect the site, buying more land and even convincing the county to move a planned highway away from the historic area.

Historic District Buildings

The Steuben House, the old bridge, the mill location, and the wharf are at the heart of Historic New Bridge Landing. Three more historic buildings were moved to the nearby property of the Bergen County Historical Society.

The Demarest House was moved here in 1956.
The Westervelt-Thomas Barn was moved in 1958.
The Campbell-Christie House was moved here in 1977.

The Society also built a working copy of a Bergen Dutch Out-Kitchen in 1991.

In 1995, the Historic New Bridge Landing Park Commission was created to help manage and plan for the park. In 2004, it became one of New Jersey's state parks.