The stone marker sign at the entrance to the family cemetery. This cemetery is the final resting place of Captain John Outwater from the local militia who fought in the Revolutionary War and his family.
The memorial to Captain Outwater in the center of the cemetery dedicated to his contributions to Revolutionary War
Captain John Outwater during the Revolutionary War
When John J. Outwater was born on 9 February 1780, in Hackensack, Bergen, New Jersey, United States, his father, Captain John Outwater, was 33 and his mother, Hendrickje Dirck Lozier, was 34. He married Cathalina Van Bussum on 1 February 1813, in Old First Reformed Church, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey, United States.
They were the parents of at least 4 sons. He died on 25 September 1842, in Wilson, Wilson, Niagara, New York, United States, at the age of 62, and was buried in Glenwood, Lewiston, Lewiston, Niagara, New York, United States.
The original entrance to the cemetery must have been on Moonachie Avenue in the distant past.
The original graves of Captain John Outwater and his wife, Louise Lozier
Across from their graves is the memorial to the family
Various members of the Outwater family including parents, brothers and sisters and children are buried here.
The grave of Jacob Outwater and his family
The tombstone of Jacob Outwater
The grave of Jacob’s son who died as an infant
The graves of George Outwater and his wife, Ann Van Note
I think this is the grave of George Outwater’s first wife, Mary
Buried outside the family plot is the grave of Henry Cordes
The Outwater family cemetery sits on a small hill overlooking a Quick Check store and gasoline station. Talk about modern progress.
I took a quick tour of the cemetery:
My video of the Outwater Family Cemetery and the grave of Captain John Outwater of Revolutionary War fame.
It is a family cemetery started before 1792 on land originally owned by Abraham Hopper. The Hopper family was the first to settle Ho-Ho-Kus, then known as Hoppertown. Many Dutch families also settled the area including the Zabriskie, Ackerman, Blauvelt, Bamper, Banta, and Terhune families. Most were members of the Old Paramus Reformed Church nearby.
While family members were commonly interred in the church graveyard, some chose to bury family members in small local plots closer to their residences. Such was the case with the Ackermans who had a plot on the northeast side of town near the Saddle River, and the Hopper and Zabskie families who were buried in the small plot in Hoppertown near the Ho-Ho-Kus brook.
The small cemetery
The historic sign
The original family cemetery of the Hopper family when the original name of the area was ‘Hoppertown’ for the family whose land dominated the area. While some would bury their loved ones at the family church’s graveyards, some preferred their loved ones closer and would be buried on the family farm. Some families picked the highest point, usually a small hill that would over look the land. This particular cemetery is located in a small cove at the bend of the road.
This small historical cemetery is another example of history lost in time. The generations of distant family members no longer care for this historical spots and they were left for the elements. This cemetery was cared for by Veterans of the Wars and the Boy Scouts who put a lot of care in it. Now it is under the Borough of Ho Ho Kus, NJ.
My International Marketing class at Bergen Community College recently did a complete study and marketing plan for the “Bergen250” on the Revolutionary War veterans buried at graveyards and cemeteries all over Bergen County, NJ:
For a Mapping of all the historic graveyards and cemeteries, I had the students visit all the sites that the Daughters of the American Revolution had researched and I had the students find all the locations, photo the tombstones and create a bio on each of the veterans. I enclosed a copy of their work above.
My blog on the historic graveyards and cemeteries of Bergen County:
The small family burial plot common to farms in Bergen County at that time.
Who is buried here:
(From the Borough of Ho Ho Kus, NJ website)
There were a number of descendants from the Hopper and Zabriskie families who were interred in the small cemetery between 1792 and 1867. In 1910, an archivist named John Neafie from New York City cataloged the names on the headstones and provided a copy to the Bergen County Historical Society. Some of those appearing in this catalog included:
Garret Hopper, died Feb.17, 1792, age 69 years
Elsey Hopper, wife of Garret Hopper, died March 8, 1816, age 89 years
Mary Zabriskie, wife of Henry Zabriskie, died June 3, 1821, age 69 years
Francis W. Perry, wife of James H. Perry Esq. and daughter of H. and Sally Zabriskie, born June 25, 1814, died Nov. 27, 1834
Henry Zabriskie, died Feb.23, 1839, 22 years
Henry H. Zabriskie, died Feb. 27,1832, age 46 years
Sally Zabriskie, wife of H.H. Zabriskie, died May 11, 1829, age 41 years
Garret H. Zabriskie, died Aug. 6, 1867, age 79 years
Caty Van Voorhase, wife of Garret H. Zabriskie, died Nov. 6, 1833, age 41 years
Garret Zabriskie, son of Henry and Lavinia Banta, died Oct. 16, 1832, age 4 years
Ann Bamper, wife of Jacob Bamper, died Feb. 26, 1844, age 90 years
C.I.Z. (probably refers to Casparis, son of Mary Zabriskie)
The grave of Henry Zabriskie
The graves Henry and Garrett Zabriske
The graves Garrett Zabriske and Francis Perry
The grave of Caty Van Voorhase
The grave of Sally Zabriskie
The grave of Francis Perry
The cemetery is a testament to the family and their love of the land they owned.
The History of the Hopper and Zabriskie families in the area:
(From the Borough of Ho Ho Kus, NJ website)
The Hopper’s owned homesteads in the center of town on both sides of the brook and operated a grist mill. During the American Revolution, they were committed to the patriot cause and served with the Bergen County Militia. The British made several raids into Hoppertown during the war while foraging for military stores, farm animals, and other goods. One notable siege took place at Hoppertown on April 16, 1780. John J. Hopper was seriously wounded. His home and those of his brothers were burned down. The grist mill on the brook was also destroyed. The Zabriskie family would later acquire and occupy the original Hopper residence which was placed under siege. The building is now known as the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern. Materials from John Hopper’s original house razed during the raid are believed to be incorporated into the foundation of the inn.
Around 1830, John J. Zabriskie took up residence in the former Hopper home, which became known as the Mansion House. The Zabriskie’s owned several farms and buildings nearby and built a dam and mill on the brook. The Zabriskie family also acquired the Hopper family cemetery on the hillside adjacent to the mill. When the first Zabriskie mill dam breached in 1862, John Jacob would build a much grander dam out of brownstone blocks to create Sylvan Lake while at the same time expanding cotton mill operations.
Open: During the hours of the Nursery that surrounds it.
My review on TripAdvisor:
The Demarest Family Cemetery sits on a small embankment surrounded by trees and a cement island. You can only access it from one side and there is no stairs. Totally forgotten burial site.
The fencing and locked door with a rusty lock surrounds the cemetery. There is no way to access it. I was able to walk up the cement embankment and was able to walk around the fence. The trees have taken over the cemetery and have knocked over the tombstones.
My International Marketing class at Bergen Community College recently did a complete study and marketing plan for the “Bergen250” on the Revolutionary War veterans buried at graveyards and cemeteries all over Bergen County, NJ:
For a Mapping of all the historic graveyards and cemeteries, I had the students visit all the sites that the Daughters of the American Revolution had researched and I had the students find all the locations, photo the tombstones and create a bio on each of the veterans. I enclosed a copy of their work above.
My blog on the historic graveyards and cemeteries of Bergen County:
You can see some of the fallen tombstones from neglect at the fence
The growth surrounding the burial site
Some of the historic tombstones are still standing like this one of the burial sites of Lettya Ann Demarest who was born in 1830. She had inherited the house in 1863.
Most of the historic tombstones have fallen down
The fallen and forgotten tombstones have growth surrounding them.
The historic Demarest homestead was around the corner from the nursery. The house had been in the family for 194 years almost five generations.
The family homestead still exists up the road around the corner from the nursery. This is the historical sign outside the sign. The Demarest family home in Oakland:
The Demarest family home
A view from the front of the Demarest family home
This tiny historical and very forgotten and neglected cemetery was once part of this branch of the Demarest family. The small cemetery sits on a small hill not far from the house. Once the farm was sold off and the town grew around it, this small cemetery sits still in its original spot in the middle of nursery.
When I talked with one of the workers there, he said the owner was very careful to built around it and let it intact. He also said that no one seems to own it. It is the final resting place of James S. Demarest, who fought in the Revolutionary War.
With all the growth, I could not find it. It has been lost to time.
I had never been to the Frelinghuysen-Ballentine estate before and in the peak of the Spring and after all the rain we have had, the gardens were in full bloom. The gardens were broken down into different sections that surrounded the main mansion and the stables.
The entrance to Frelinghuysen Arboretum with the Home Demonstration Gardens
The gardens spread out along the edges of the estate. The main gardens sit between the mansion and the stables, which now serves as the Visitors Center. The lawns and the gardens are so beautifully maintained. Many of the flowers were in full bloom and it made a colorful display of Mother Nature.
The entrance to the gardens
The History of the Frelinghuysen Estate:
(from the Friends blog post)
George G. Frelinghuysen, a patent attorney and son of Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, Secretary of State under president Chester A. Arthur, was married in 1881 to Sara Ballantine of Newark. She was the granddaughter of the founder of the P. Ballantine Brewing Company.
In 1891 the couple commissioned the Boston architectural firm of Rotch & Tilden to construct a summer home and carriage house on property they named Whippany Farm for the river nearby. The Colonial Revival style is evident in such details as the Federal urns and swags, Ionic columns on the porte-cochere and the large Palladian window on the second floor landing.
The family only lived here during the summer months. In the winter they resided at 1 Sutton Place in New York City. The property was a working farm. Vegetables and flowers were grown for the family’s consumption and sent to them in New York City via train. There were greenhouses, several barns and some smaller houses on the property. Some servants lived on the property year around.
George Frelinghuysen died in 1936 and Sara Frelinghuysen died in 1940. This property was left to their only daughter, Matilda. Miss Frelinghuysen had an interest in gardening and was a member of the Garden Club of Morristown. In 1964, she began plans for turning the estate into an arboretum. Upon her death the land and house was bequeathed to the people of Morris County for the use as a public arboretum. The Frelinghuysen Arboretum was dedicated in 1971.
The Haggerty Education Center was opened in 1989. It contains a multi-purpose auditorium and two classrooms. Its purpose is to provide continuing horticultural educational programs for the public. It is also home for various regional plant societies.
The gardens in bloom in the Spring of 2025
The flowers on the beds in full bloom
The pathways around the gift shop and Education Center.
The statuary around the gardens
The flowers around the old stables area
The gardens around the old stables
Walking to the family mansion (which was closed for a wedding)
The Frelinghuysen Mansion
The mansion was closed for a wedding but I was able to walk around the front gardens and the extensive lawn. The clouds kept moving in and out of the sky but when the sun peaked out, the gardens showed off their beautiful colors.
The lawn in front of the mansion
Off to the side of the house between the old stables and the parking lot, there were a series of paths in a natural preserve garden just off the lawn.
The pathways through the garden
The pathways with landscaping
Walking along the pathways by the stables
The gardens just south of the house with a pathway into the woods
Walking the pathway into the woods. There was not much to see but it was cooler in the woods
After I had visited the mansion grounds and the gardens that surrounded the house (the mansion was closed for a private wedding), I walked through the parking lot to the gardens to the north of the house. This was the Marsh Meadow Garden.
The Marsh Meadow Garden was a catch bastion on the property and with this grows the reeds and water vegetation that makes up the garden.
All the rain had made these gardens very lush
The catch bastion was filled with reeds and flowers
The flowers by the parking lot were in full bloom
I walked all along the pathways admiring the flower beds
The garden tour just east of the mansion
Map of the Gardens of the Four Seasons
Just south of the main off the main lawn in front of the house are the Gardens of the Four Seasons, which is a pathway through a small landscaped woods.
Maybe this was a patch of the woods when the mansion was being built but it was like a natural preserve to just relax and walk around when the family lived here. I could this as a place of refuge after a long day at work just to unwind.
The pathways of the natural garden off the main lawn
The gardens just south of the mansion just off the main lawn
The reflective pool just off the paths
The gardens next to the mansion
The view of the mansion from the gardens south of the home
The end of the pathway through the gardens
It was a nice visit to the gardens and I will have to visit again when the mansion is open and visit the landscaped gardens behind the house.
Walking through the gardens is so relaxing and enjoyable on a sunny afternoon.
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 