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96.
The Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage · HS/HM
71
Somerset Street
Somerville, NJ · Map C
Tel:
(908) 725-1015
Hours: Wed-Sat 10am-12pm, 1pm-4pm; Sun 12pm-4pm; closed Wed. following
state/federal holidays
Admission: No, except for special events; donations appreciated
always
Rentals: Old Dutch Parsonage and Visitor Center on limited basis
for small groups
HCA: Partially accessible
Parking: Lots for cars and buses
In
1775, the Reverend John Hardenbergh, minister of the Dutch Reformed Church,
sold a farmstead near his Parsonage to John Wallace of Philadelphia. Mr.
Wallace soon built a fine new home on the property. Neither man could
have foreseen that citizens would one day preserve their homes as memorials
to the great events soon to unfold. General George Washington at Camp
Middlebrook prepared his troops for winter encampment and established
his headquarters at the Wallace home. Jacob R. Hardenbergh, student and
successor of the late Rev. John Frelinghuysen at the Old Dutch Parsonage,
was politically and socially active, before, during, and after the Revolution.
He not only served in New Jersey's Provincial Congress but was the instrumental
force behind the founding of Queen's College in 1766 and later became
its first President (1785). Today Queen's College is Rutgers University.
The
Wallace House became a museum in 1897 thanks to the Revolutionary Memorial
Society, a group of New Jersey citizens. Public outcry and the intervention
of the Frelinghuysen family led to the salvaging of The Parsonage in 1913.
Eventually, both homes became New Jersey State historic sites (1947).
Today, the Friends of the Wallace House and Old Dutch parsonage continue
this legacy of citizen involvement. Established in 1984, the Friends are
a volunteer group recognized by the State Park Service.
The
Wallace House and the Old Dutch Parsonage are owned by the State of New
Jersey and administered by the Division of Parks and Forestry, Department
of Environmental Protection. All visitors are encouraged to call prior
to making a visit as the Park Service does not guarantee the sites will
be open on any given day.
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The
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