Van Horne House Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Van Horne House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Van Horne House, 2013
Van Horne House Location in Somerset County, New Jersey Show map of Somerset County, New Jersey Van Horne House Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Van Horne House Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	941 East Main Street Bridgewater, New Jersey
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	c. 1750
Architectural style	Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.	02000133
Added to NRHP	March 8, 2002

The Van Horne House is a really old and important building in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. It's located near Bound Brook on East Main Street. This house was built around 1750, which means it's over 270 years old! It was also known as Phil's Hill because its owner was Philip Van Horne.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Van Horne House was super important. It served as a main base for American General Benjamin Lincoln in 1777, especially during the Battle of Bound Brook. Later, General William Alexander, Lord Stirling used it as his headquarters during the second Middlebrook encampment in 1778–79. The house was a well-known spot during the war, sitting on the old road that connected Philadelphia to New York City.

Today, the Heritage Trail Association uses the house as its main office and has a special exhibit space inside. The Van Horne House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. It's recognized for its unique Colonial Revival architecture from the 1930s and 1940s.

What Is the History of the Van Horne House?
What Does the Van Horne House Look Like?
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What Is the History of the Van Horne House?

Early Owners of the Land

The land where the Van Horne House stands was first bought by Thomas Codrington, a merchant from New York City, between 1683 and 1685. He purchased a huge area of land, over 2,700 acres, located between the Raritan River and the First Watchung Mountain.

In 1706, Codrington sold this property to Phillip French. When Phillip French passed away, he left the land to his three daughters. Later, in 1722, the land was divided between Cornelius Van Horne (who married one of the daughters, Elizabeth French) and Joseph Reade (who married another daughter, Anne French).

Around 1735, a man named Jacob Janeway bought a smaller piece of this land, about 84 acres, which included the spot where the house would be built. Finally, in 1750, Philip Van Horne, who was Cornelius's son, bought this land from Janeway's family. This is how the Van Horne family came to own the property.

Philip Van Horne and His Famous Hospitality

Philip Van Horne (1719–1793) was a very important person in the area. During the French and Indian War, he was a colonel in the local Somerset County militia. In 1759, he became a judge. Philip Van Horne was known for being very welcoming to everyone, no matter which side they supported in the war. Because of his kindness, his house became known as Convivial Hall or Convivial Hill. "Convivial" means friendly and lively!

Philip Van Horne had five daughters who were very popular. One of them, Mary Ricketts, married an Irish American colonel named Stephen Moylan in 1778. An American Captain, Alexander Graydon, wrote that Van Horne's house "seemed constantly full" like a hotel. Even General George Washington was a bit worried about Philip Van Horne's friendly nature towards both sides during the war. Washington once said he wished Van Horne had been taken away, as he couldn't be fully trusted. However, Philip Van Horne was allowed to stay at his home.

The Van Horne House During the Revolutionary War

The Van Horne House played a big part in the American Revolutionary War.

Battle of Bound Brook (1777)

On April 13, 1777, during the Battle of Bound Brook, the house saw both sides of the conflict. Philip Van Horne hosted British General Charles Cornwallis for breakfast. Later that same day, he hosted American Generals Benjamin Lincoln and Nathanael Greene for supper! This shows how welcoming he was to everyone.

Middlebrook Encampment (1778–1779)

During the winter of 1778–1779, the American army set up camp nearby in what was known as the second Middlebrook encampment. Major General William Alexander, Lord Stirling used the Van Horne House as his main headquarters. Lord Stirling took charge of the camp on December 21, 1778, when General Washington went to Philadelphia. He stayed there until Washington returned in February 1779. Other important officers, like General Henry Lee, also stayed at the house.

Raid by British Troops (1779)

On October 26, 1779, a British officer named Lt. Col. John Graves Simcoe led a group of soldiers called the Queen's Rangers. They were looking for New Jersey Governor William Livingston or Colonel Moylan (Philip Van Horne's son-in-law). They searched several houses in Bound Brook before coming to the Van Horne House. They didn't find their targets there, but they did take some prisoners from the house before moving on.

Later Life of the House

In 1934, a company called Calco Chemical Company bought the house. This company later became American Cyanamid. They already had a large factory next to the house. From 1937 onwards, a company executive named John McMurray had the house carefully restored. He wanted it to look like it did in the colonial period. The company then used it as a place for their guests to stay.

What Does the Van Horne House Look Like?

The Van Horne House is a two-story building with a pointed roof, called a gable roof. The bottom part of the house, its stone foundation, is very old, dating back to the 1700s.

Between 1937 and 1944, the Calco Chemical Company updated the house. They used a style called Colonial Revival architecture. This style makes new buildings look like old colonial ones, or it can be used to restore old buildings to look like their original style. The house sits on a small hill north of the Old York Road and west of the Middle Brook.