I recently visited the Easton Tower on a beautiful sunny day and it really is a treat to see. It is located on the Saddle River Bike Path, so you can access it from the other side of the park and park on that side of the road for easy access. After seeing the tower, take a walk up and down the Saddle River Bike Path. It is really beautiful to follow the river on a nice day. It is really picturesque and a wonderful place to take pictures and enjoy nature.
The historic Red Mill Marker
This information is provided by the Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs:
The Easton Tower is a unique historic site in Bergen County, NJ. This stone and wood frame structure was built along the Saddle River in 1900 as part of a private landscaped park in the Arcola area Paramus. Surrounded by busy NJ roadways, it is now adjacent to the County’s Saddle River Bikeway.
The front of the tower on the bike path
The tower sits near the Saddle River in the Saddle River Park
Once used to pump water to irrigate and provide a scenic setting for the estate of Edward Easton, it is a 20 foot rectangular, stone-masonry tower topped with a wood-frame structure and a wood-shingle, gabled roof. On the side is a large wood water wheel, which is under a wood-shingle roof. The architect Henry Ihnen designed it.
Easton Tower historical information sign
In the 18th century, this area along the Saddle River and near the heavily used Albany Post Road, was the location of many mills. Jacob Zabriskie, a Bergen County Freeholder during the Revolutionary War had leased the 80 acre mill site around 1766 and in 1771 acquired the mill that had been built in the 1740’s. Revolutionary maps identify it as “Demarest’s and Zabriskie’s Mills.”
The Easton Tower in Saddle River Park
Over time it was rebuilt or expanded and in the early 1800’s painted red by its owner Albert Westervelt. It is at this time it acquired the “Red Mill” name often mistakenly applied to Easton Tower. By the 1800’s, the mill had fallen into disrepair and was demolished circa 1894.
The inside of the tower
The Easton Tower inside
In 1899, Edward D. Easton (1856-1915), bought this almost 48 acre site, which included the mill pond and dam. The area was called “Arcola”. Easton’s father, a teacher, had originally brought his young family to this area and suggested the name for the new settlement after a town in Italy. Edward Easton was a notable figure in American technological history. He started out as a stenographer, reporter and then a court stenographer In Washington DC, covering many famous trials in the 1880’s. After the 1886 patent was granted for the method of engraving sound by incising wax cylinders, Easton went on to make his fortune in the recording industry. He was a founder and eventually president of the Columbia Phonograph Company, which became one of the three major recording companies at the turn of the twentieth century.
The Easton Tower from the back
After opening an office in New York City, Eaton relocated his family from Washington DC to Arcola. He had a large house built on his property and commissioned the design of a landscaped park. The tower, to be built neat the site of the old Red Mill was a functioning structure pumping water to several fountains. There were also rustic bridges, lakes and expansive lawns. The tower was a favorite of photographers and appears in many contemporary postcards. People came from miles around to this beautiful spot to take boat rides and walks and in the winter, ice skate near the tower. Sources list the Easton home and park as having been used in early silent films.
After Easton’s death in 1915, the property went through various owners. In 1931, construction of the Route 208 connection with Route 4 at “the Old Mill at Arcola” provided access to the recently opened George Washington Bridge. This destroyed sections of the landscaped park and isolated the tower. In 1940, the 1.26 acres site was sold at a sheriff’s sale to Clyde A. Bogert. The County acquired the tower from the Bogerts and the Blauvelt-Demarest Foundation in 1956. In 1967, the Bergen County Park Commission dedicated the tower. Easton Tower was placed on the State and National Register of Historic Places and in 2008 was completely restored by the County. It can be viewed from the Saddle River Bikeway and visited year round.
Disclaimer: This information is taken from the Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs (C) 2015 pamphlet. The Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.
Special Note: I visited the site recently and it is hard to get to by car. It is located right off Saddle River Road and it is off on a odd bend in the road. It is a quick turn to the right so pay attention to the directions.
Open: Sunday-Saturday-10:00am-4:30pm/Please check the website during the off seasons
Fee: Bergen County Resident: $4.00 Adults/$2.00 Child/$1.00 Seniors/Child under 3 Free/Non-Bergen County Resident $8.00 Adult/$5.00 Child/$2.00 Seniors-Disabled/Children under 3 and Active Military free
I went to the Bergen County Zoo for the first time in eight years and I have to say it has not changed much since I was a little kid. There have been some improvements and displays that look different but the feel of the zoo is very much the same as it was when I was eight and visiting with my cousins who lived in the area.
Still I like the appeal of the this zoo. It has a very family friendly feel about it. They still have the same entrance, gift shop and train service around the zoo. The Discovery Center has reptiles, snakes, turtles and lizards as it did before and the barnyard exhibition is still interesting. The cows, horses and goats still look at you with an inquisitive look, like they were jaded by looking at humans.
It is a great place to spend the afternoon with small children and teenagers who are interested in animals. They have also added food trucks to the entrance of the zoo for more food selections.
The Zoo History and Happenings (2022):
The Bergen County Zoo has been enjoyed by thousands of people over the years and has many fans. Every season, hundreds of families walk through the doors of the zoo to enjoy the afternoon out, visit the animals and ride the train around the park. What started as a duck pond and reserve in Van Saun Park in the 1960’s has morphed over time to the current zoo.
The entrance to the Bergen County Zoo
The 1980’s saw a tremendous change in the animal collection. The first birth of an endangered species in our zoo’s history occurred in 1982 with the birth of a Brown Lemur. Numerous species, many endangered were added including Ocelots, Red Brocket Deer, Mountain Lions and Snowy Owls among others. Births of Ocelots, Brocket Deer and Spider Monkeys occurred throughout the second half of the 80’s .
The Zoo Map
As the zoo moved through the 1990’s, many changes continued to occur. The zoo’s commitment to wildlife conservation strengthened and more endangered species were added to the collection including Andean Condors, Golden Lion Tamarins, Goeldi’s Monkeys and Galapagos Tortoises.
Andean Condors exhibit
The Golden Lion Tamarin.
Goeldi’s Monkey Exhibit
The Galapagos Turtles
Additional areas were renovated, providing exciting opportunities for our visitors to view and learn about many new species. Major projects completed in the 1990’s area as follows:
Projects:
Mountain Lion Exhibit (completed 4/90)
North American Plains Exhibit (completed 10/92)
Master Plan (completed 06/93)
Bergen Dutch Farmyard (completed 10/94)
South American Exhibit Areas (completed 10/96)
Zoo Entry Complex (completed 08/99)
Efforts to secure alternative funding sources became fruitful in the 1990’s with over $200,000 in federal grants received. In addition, local businesses and corporations increased their support of various zoo activities through cash and in-kind contributions.
The Zoo gardens at the entrance.
Additionally a new entry complex was developed including new ticketing facilities, a new train station, gift shop and entry plaza. New and exciting special events were also developed including Holiday Lights and Zoo Boo, the most heavily attended event in zoo history. Educational programming was significantly re-developed, providing opportunities for our area residents to explore the zoo and learn about wildlife in new and innovative ways.
The Zoo Keepers Office in the front of the Zoo.
Another significant milestone for the zoo was the development of a comprehensive master plan. This planning tool was created to identify the future needs of the zoo and its visitors as well as provide an organized and orderly schedule of development.
The Discovery Zone with the reptile exhibits
The Lizard Case
The Turtle case
As the 21st Century began, zoo development continued to advance. Several major projects were undertaken including a new state-of-art Animal Care Center, an Outdoor Demonstration Area for public programming and an Education/Discovery Center. All of these projects enhance the experience of our visitors, while furthering the zoo’s mission of wildlife conservation and public education.
The Waterfall at the Zoo
The Pollinator Garden
The Sundial in the Garden
Additionally, the zoo took a major step in support of conservation by establishing an annual field conservation grant program. The program provides financial support to researchers conducting field work in North and South America. Also, the zoo’s original master plan was formally revisited and determined to be no longer effective. As a result, a new plan was developed to assist the zoo in its development strategies over the next 20 years.
The Ostrid Habitat
In 2007, we moved forward with a Coati exhibition replicating an abandoned adobe. To address the needs of our keepers, we built a holding facility in 2008 for our alligators at their exhibit, therefore eliminating annual roundup of alligators. With the decline in the economy, the zoo has directly been affected. Funds for construction of new exhibits have been put on hold and fixing existing structures is taking priority. A new Neotropical songbird exhibit opened in 2009, adding new birds to our collection.
Birds at play
A larger guanaco exhibit was built at the far end of the zoo utilizing empty pasture space in 2010. In 2011, we had some dramatic effects caused by severe weather and significant personal changes, including the resignation of our zoo director of over 30 years, a change in the board of the Friends of the Bergen County Zoo Inc. and a new director of parks. So we start another chapter in our history.
Horse Pasture and stream in the zoo
The horse grazing in the pasture
In the last five years, the zoo has had many changes. New Tamarin exhibit was constructed in 2013, two buildings constructed to replace the single outdated structure. Replacement of one of our bridges in the zoo, a wood bridge was replaced with a wider concrete bridge with decorative railings and new light posts.
The Mountain Lion exhibition
The removal of our seasonal outdoor exhibit support structure in 2015 so we can prepare for an interactive barn which will be open all year round by the end of 2017. In 2015, one of the best features we added was the new overflow parking lot. This lot will vastly improve our visitors parking experience as it replaces our old overflow parking, which was a muddy field with many walking hazards.
The Barn and the Barnyard exhibition
Farm cow gazing
One of the goats relaxing by the barn
Also, 2015 was milestone year marking 25 years as an Accredited Institution of the AZA, for a small zoo this is truly an accomplishment. In light of this, in 2016 a new Master Plan was developed with Jones & Jones and new county administration so we have a new direction for future projects.
The Elk and Bison Exhibit
This plan includes the construction of a new prairie dog exhibit and bison & elk viewing area (to open in the spring of 2017). This will provide more opportunities for schools and our education department to conduct classes related to our exhibits of eagles, prairie dogs and the bison & elk.
The Prairie Dog exhibit in 2024
(This annotated history of the Bergen County Zoo was provided by the staff of the zoo).
The Bergen County Zoo is an accredited member of The Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Beginning with November 1st, the Bergen County Zoo will be free of admission. The weather during the late fall and winter months does not allow for the majority of the animal collection to be view able to the public (see the above Animal Collection link for further details). Admission to the zoo will resume in May of 2017-forms of payment are cash and credit only. The admission fee schedule is listed below. Please note that in order to receive BC Resident rates, proof of residency is required at the admission ticket window.
Mountain Lion den
Amphitheater:
In July and August, live animal shows are held daily in our outdoor amphitheater, which is located behind the Tamarin Exhibit. Shows are free with zoo admission and seating is first-come, first-served. Daily shows with time frames can be seen as you enter the zoo.
Train/Carousel:
Cost: $1.50 (cash only)
The train and carousel operate from mid-April to mid-November (approximately). Hours are typically from 10:00am-5:00pm unless otherwise specified (weather permitted) with the last ticket being sold at 4:30pm and the last ride at 4:45pm.
The lines of people waiting for the next train ride
Schedule for the train and the carousel, for the week of June 11th-June 17th are as follows:
Train: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Carousel: Sunday, Tuesday (opens at 1:00pm), Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Pony Rides:
The Pony Ride concession operates from April through October. Currently, the vendor is Ironside Farms, they can be reached at (201) 835-0932.
The Sundial and Gardens
Disclaimer: this information was directly from the Bergen County Parks Site and can change at any time. Please call the zoo for more information.
Open: Please check the website for the seasonality of the park
*Located in Van Saun Park at the entrance.
My review on TripAdvisor:
The historic marker of the Washington Spring
The Washington Spring, a 1/2 area within Van Saun County Park, is associated with General George Washington and the movement of his Continental Army through this area of Bergen County during the Revolutionary War.
The small section of Van Saun County Park is one of the more quieter places to visit and one of its most historical. The pathways work their way around the springs and the plantings and flowers are especially nice in the early to late Spring months. It really is a beautiful walk.
The entrance to the Washington Spring
The pathways in bloom
History of the Washington Spring:
The hollow between hills known as “Slukup” until it was changed to the more pleasant-sounding “Spring Valley” in 1832. In the Dutch Frisan language “slukup” described a boggy area. The local Banta family was from Friesland in northern Holland and one of the area’s earliest settlers. Natural springs feed the streams in this area that flow through Van Saun Pond and eventually into the Hackensack River. The park’s land was part of 300 acres owned by Albert Zabriskie in 1686. In 1695, he sold 224 acres to Jacob Van Saun of New York City.
The spring running through the garden area.
The road to Slukup, now Howland Avenue, served as the border between Jacob Van Saun’s farm to the south and son-in-law Christian Dederer’s farm to the north. Hendrick C. Banta, who owned a cider mill in the Steenrapie area (River Edge), lived west of the Mill Creek that flows through the park.
Ferns along the pathways
On September 4, 1780, General Washington moved the troops of the Continental army, numbering approximately 14,000 into a strategic encampment west of the Hackensack River between New Bridge in the south and Kinderkamack to the north in Steenrapie. They were part of the defense to challenge the British military stronghold on Manhattan and prevent any intervention with the landing of allied French troops in Rhode Island. Hendrick Banta reportedly sold a barrel of cider to these troops “every other day”. His 10 year old son, Cornelius, reportedly saw General Washington on his horse three times. During one of these sightings the General was watering his horse at the spring, giving rise to the name “Washington Spring”.
The Washington Spring pathways
On September 17th, General Washington, General Knox and the Marquis de Lafayette, who was headquartered at the northern end of the encampment in the area known as “Soldier Hill” in Oradell, left for Hartford, Connecticut to meet the recently arrived French commanding officers. The rest of the Continental Army decamped on September 20th.
Sitting area and monument in the Washington Springs
The Bergen County Park Commission was created in November 1946 and in 1987 because the Division of Parks. Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Van Saun Park, whose 140 acres include Washington Spring, was created in 1957. Also, within the park is the Bergen Zoological Park, that opened in 1960. Open year round during park hours and is surrounded by accessible pathways.
The Spring area, which is right off the parking lot leading to the zoo, is beautifully landscaped with benches, pathways and flowering plants like azaleas, rhododendrons and flowering trees. In the early spring, the look around the Spring is quite colorful and picturesque. It is a nice way to spend the afternoon, walking quietly around the paths and see where the General once watered his horse. The entrance of the Spring is under plants but becomes a stream further down. Another part of the great history of Revolutionary War and the part New Jersey played in winning the war.
The spring running through the woods
*Disclaimer: this information is taken directly from the Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs pamphlet. The Spring is part of Van Saun Park as you drive in and watch for the signs. It really is a beautifully landscaped part of the park and its historical influence in the war should not be missed. (2015 Bergen County division of Cultural and Historic Affairs. The Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs received an operating grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.
There is a real beauty and quietness to the Washington Spring.
Recently my class at Bergen Community College for ‘Tourism at Bergen County Historical Society’ project for my simulated project through my company Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc.:
I visited the Historic New Bridge Landing in River Edge, New Jersey this afternoon for the “Under the Sad Moon Chwame Gischuch Lenape New Year”. I had wanted to see what a member of one of the New Jersey tribes had to say and thought it would be interesting to see. Unfortunately the Chief cancelled at the last minute so there was no lecture or song.
The rest of the afternoon I heard a lecture on the African Burial Grounds that are located in lower Manhattan and toured the historical homes on the property. It was a very interesting and informative afternoon. Some of the volunteers were in costume selling fresh doughnuts and hot cider, making Indian fry bread and making cornhusk dolls.
In 2022, I visited the Historical Society again for the “Chwame Gischuch: Under the Shad Moon” event and it was relatively quiet (things have recently reopened without masks). Still, you could tour all the homes and listen to a lecture the early use of plant fibers and demo flint-knapping. There were talks in all the buildings and refreshments in the Campbell-Christie House.
“Chwame Gischuch: Under the Shad Moon”
I then toured the historical homes on the property. The Steuben House is the main historical home on the site’s property which was built in 1752 which is by the Hackensack River and was used as a home and business in milling and shipping. Most of the Society’s artifacts are housed here. There are some interesting displays of Indian artifacts and a home doll display along with historical furniture.
The Van Steuben House at Christmas
The collection of historical items includes Native American household and hunting items, colonial items for the home and cooking. There are items used in battle like swords, muskets and cannon balls.
Colonial artifacts at the Steuben House
Colonial Cooking and Wardrobe items
Colonial Household items in the collection
Native American items in the collection
The Demarest House is a two-room home with period furniture and was considered in its day a large home.
The Demarest House on the Bergen County Historical Site
The Demarest House marker
The Campbell-Christie House where most of the action was going on as costume volunteers were cooking and serving food, making dolls and explaining the home’s use as both a private home and a tavern. In the out kitchen behind the home, a roaring fire was going while the costume volunteer was explaining how to make fry bread and a type of homemade pancake. It was an interesting afternoon.
The Campbell-Christi House
The Campbell-Christie House marker
I have also visited the Historical Society for the Dutch Christmas Holidays:
The Society held Christmas concerts as entertainment during the Revolutionary War era. They also had tours of the houses that evening, the engaging concerts and history of the holidays at that time and a pub opened for dinner during the event at the Campell-Christi House.
The Christmas music of Linda Russell
Christmas events at the Historical Society are a lot of fun.
A recent fundraiser in December 2020 for Christmas, the Historical Society could not hold their usual fundraiser for the holidays so what they did and I thought this was original, they held an outdoor Christmas tour and sing along with singer/performer Linda Russell.
In December of 2022, the Historical Society brought back their indoor concerts for Christmas including opening the Blackhorse Pub (The Campbell-Christie House) for dinner before and after the concerts. It was so nice to come to this again. The crowds were a little light at the second concert at 7:45pm on a Sunday night but it made it more fun that we could still socially distance from each other and there was plenty of space to spread out.
I started the evening early at the pub eating my dinner before the concert. The pub had a limited but very nice menu based on what foods that may have been served at the time period (with a modern twist of course). There was Shepard’s Pie, a Ploughman’s Plate, Onion Pie, Trifle and Dutch Cookies and desserts on the menu.
The Campbell-Christie House was used as the “Blackhorse Tavern” for the evening where pub food could be ordered for dinner. It was really beautiful that night with all the tables a glow from the candles and the room decorated with holly, garland and wreaths for the holidays.
The “Blackhorse Tavern” for Christmas dinner
The menu at the pub that evening
I thought the menu was very reasonable for the amount of food that you got that evening. The portion sizes were very fair and the food, which had been catered in, was delicious. I chose the Shepard’s Pie with a salad on the recommendation of my waitress. When I came here back in 2019, you could not move in the pub and everything was sold out immediately. This time, I had the whole pub to myself while most other people were at the 6:00pm concert. A couple people came in for light refreshments and drinks. It was nice to just relax and enjoy my dinner before the concert.
My dinner: The Shepards Pie with a salad, roll and a glass of Apple Cider
Dining in the pub for dinner before the concert
Dessert was a Dutch “Sweet Plate” with all sorts of traditional cookies of the season
The “Dutch Cookie Plate” was the perfect way to end the meal
After dinner was over, I had plenty of time to explore the gift shop and wonder around the property to see the other decorations. The other buildings on the property were closed that evening but still decorated so I followed the lantern filled pathway and looked at the decorations.
The Gift Shop at the back of the Campbell-Christie House
I wondered through the dark path on my way to the Steuben House where that evening’s concert would be held. Since I got there a little early before my concert time, I was able to visit the museum. There are all sorts of things to see and buy to support the Historical Society so when you finish your meal you can wonder over.
The Demarest House was decorated for Christmas but closed that evening
Before the second concert that evening that I would be attending at 7:45pm I wondered around the museum part of the Steuben House where the concerts were taking place. The exhibits were set up with a holiday/Christmas theme in mind. One display was on a candy maker who once had a store in Downtown Hackensack.
Bogert’s Candy Shop in Downtown Hackensack closed in 1934
Bogart’s specialized in Rock candy
Another was a display on the “Twas the Night before Christmas”.
Christmas started to change in the Victorian era
The ‘History of Christmas’ at the Bergen County Historical Society
There was a display on Dutch baking during the Christmas holidays. There were all sorts of traditional treats for the holidays including breads and chocolate numbers and letters.
Dutch Baking during the holidays was very extensive and time consuming
There was a display of toys that lucky children would have received during the holidays.
Decorating the house both during the Revolutionary War and during the Victorian Age was a very extensive affair of preparing the house for entertainment. Garland, holly and pine would have been important to decorate with but it was the Christmas ornaments of the Victorian age and trimming trees with ornaments that would have made the tree very festive.
There were also displays on entertaining during that time period and soldiers lives while the war was going on and what would be needed. It could be lonely at the holidays.
Entertaining and Tea Time
Items during the Revolution
Decorating took a turn after the war with more entertaining and merriment so people would decorate with garlands, fruits and things from nature like pinecones. Mistletoe had become part of the tradition and was the decorations. Both rooms were decorated for the holidays.
Decorating the Entertainment Room of what was once the house’s ballroom
The doorways were adorned with fruit
Mistletoe, fruit and pine give the rooms a wonderful smell as they still do today
We started to settle in as the second concert was about to start. The room was decorated for the holidays with a combination of Victorian and Revolutionary decorations.
The ballroom at the Steuben House
We were then treated to a concert by the great Linda Russell whose interpretations of Revolutionary Christmas songs is well known. We had a hour long concert of favorite songs, talks about the times and a history of the music itself. She shared with us her insights towards the holidays of New Jersey versus New England and their Puritan ways. Thank God we knew how to party then too.
Linda Russell (to the far left) and her group entertained us for the evening with songs, talks, a few jokes and a wonderful night of excellent music.
“I saw Three Ships Sail In” my favorite song from Linda Russell
We were entertained for about an hour and got time during the intermission to talk with the musicians who shared their experiences with us and about the musical equipment that they were using that evening. It was an interesting talk and a wonderful concert. I highly recommend visiting the Bergen County Historical Society during this time of the year. They do a nice job with this concert and the site is so beautifully decorated for the Christmas holiday season.
Linda Russell and Company during the Christmas holidays at the Bergen County Historical Society
The Revolutionary War Reenactments:
I recently went to the “Retreat to Victory” event at the Bergen County Historical Society on November 19th, 2023. The site was reenacting the “Battle of New Bridge Landing” when we turned the British back. There were soldiers shooting guns to show how the battle was fought and how patroons were formed by the troops. There was large crowd watching the demonstration that day.
The battle outside the Christie House.
The Red Coats firing at the Patriots near the Steuben House.
The second wave of troops crossing the bridge.
General Washington and his officers on the property near the Christie house.
I recently went on an architectural tour of the homes on the property, and it was interesting to see how the homes were built, how they were designed with a certain Bergen County Dutch design to them with the tilted roofs and unique stonework. Some of these homes (and the barn) were moved from their original locations and placed here at the site. It was a testament to their construction.
There is a distinct design to “New Jersey Dutch” architecture: The Demarest House.
The tour also talked about the strategic location of the property during the war and how the bridge was one of the only ways to cross the river at that point of the war. Its destruction was one of the turning points of the war.
Singer Linda Russell lead the Historical Walking Tour in 2020
We started at the Steuben House with a discussion on the progression of Christmas in American first under the Dutch, then under the suppression of the Puritans denouncing the holiday and then the build up of the current way we celebrate the holiday under the Victorians.
The Steuben House decorated for the Christmas Celebration
They had actors singing and dancing during the early Dutch times and the house decorated for the holidays in that period. It was fun to see the actors in period dress and dancing to the music of that time period.
The Steuben House decorated for the Christmas Holidays circa 1780 in 2020
We next moved to the Demerest House and discussed the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas. Another actor discussed the night before the holiday as she put her children to bed and finished her cooking for the next day’s dinner. She discussed the wooden shoes outside the home as the children readied for St Nichols’s visit and wanted to feed the horses.
The Demerest House decorated for the Dutch Christmas Festival 2020
When we got to the Campbell-Christie House, we discussed the modern Christmas with Caroling through the ages and songs from different time periods and who wrote them. We then discussed the progression of the Christmas tree. I never realized that Christmas lights were created in New Jersey. Thomas Edison’s factory created and produced the first ones after the creation of the light bulb.
Singer Linda Russell leading the Historic Christmas Tour and singing and flute playing in 2020
Also through modern story telling and poems, the first stories of St. Nichols to the modern day Santa Claus was founded by writers and poets in New York and New Jersey. I never knew how much of the modern day Christmas was created in our two states.
The Campbell-Christie House decorated for the Dutch Christmas Festival & Tree Lighting 2020
We then sang many of the carols with Linda leading the way by flute and guitar and then we had the lighting of the tree outside the home and hot chocolate on the lawn (which by that point was almost cold). Still it was an interesting night of lecture, song and history as we walked the grounds of the Historical Society at New Bridge Landing.
The Bergen County Historical Society at New Bridge Landing
The Hackensack River Bend where the houses are located and was a major travel route during Colonial times.
The directory and timeline of the site
The only thing I would have changed that night was adding a fire pit. It went down to 39 degrees that night. Still, it was a nice way to celebrate Sinterklaas and Christmas in the COVID era.
In May 2021, I attended the “Pinkster Celebration” event for the Dutch holidays. It was a nice little event with an explanation and demonstration of the May Pole Dance. The ladies danced in a group to show how the May Pole was used. It was interesting how the event developed from dancing around a tree to the use of the pole.
The May Pole Dance at “Pinkster”
The rest of the afternoon they had tours of the house, cooking and workmanship demonstrations and Colonial games.
In 2022, we celebrated Washington’s Birthday with a traditional colonial ball with period music and dress and the dancers performed various dance routines of the time. There was music and merriment that the people enjoyed and a sense of comradery after a long war.
The colonial dance numbers
The Westervelt-Thomas Barn
In 2022, I went to visit the Westervelt-Thomas Barn again for the “Chwame Gischuch: under the Shad Moon” and listened to a talk on the barn. It is interesting how the barn was built with two entrances so that when the hay was unloaded, it was placed in the ceiling above and then the cart could go out the other entrance without having to back up. Not only that but since the animal pens were on both sides of the barn, you did not disturb the animals as well.
The barn also has a couple of different carriages (that need some repair) and all sorts of farm equipment on display. They were demonstrating how to make straw brooms and wedel wood for farm use.
The Demarest House and Westervelt-Thomas Barn on the site
In 2023, I visited the Bergen County Historical Society for Harvest Festival and what a beautiful day it was that afternoon.
It was beautiful that afternoon.
The Scarecrow display that the kids created.
It was rather quiet that afternoon but the kids looked like they were having fun creating scarecrows in the field while parents looked on.
Washington’s Birthday Party in 2025:
In 2025, I returned post-COVID for the Washington’s Birthday celebration where the music and dancing was not done behind masks. The music was once again provided by Mr. & Mrs. Enslow, who did a wonderful job not just explaining the music but the dances and the rituals of the dances as well.
Video on the Drinking Song:
The Enslows performing that afternoon s famous drinking song
The Enslows introducing the dancers
Each dance had its own protocol and traditions. Partners needed to introduce each other creating the expression of ‘My dance card is full’. With each dance number, the dance instructor explained what was being performed.
Traditional dance moves
The dancers performing
The dancers performing
The dancers performing
The video on traditional dance numbers of the time:
Seeing the dance routines performed. The act of protocol and traditions were steeped into these dances
As the Dance Master explained to us there were specific rules of etiquette for both men and women that needed to be followed. The member of dances that were determined by the events. You started the dances with the more formal quadrilles and then you would move to the less formal country dances.
The Enslows performed both times I was at the Historical Society
The ladies leading one of the formal dance routines
Then the formal dance was explained
Then the gentlemen entered the dance
Then General George Washington got up to talk
The General gave a very touching speech about his time in service and his life afterwards
Then he and Mrs. Washington talked about their courting days and their married life at Mount Vernon
The afternoon was very interesting listening to period music and explanations of the dance routines.
Afterwards, I looked over the exhibitions at the Von Steuben House. There were some interesting artifacts on display.
The Soldier display at the Von Steuben House
The displays at the Von Steuben House
The artifacts in the Von Steuben House
After touring the Von Steuben House, I walked over to the Campbell-Christie House to see what type of food was on sale. Not much was left. So I looked around the house and admired the old tavern that I had seen at Christmas several years ago.
The Tavern at the Campbell-Christie House
The Washington Birthday Celebration was a very interesting afternoon learning about the entertainment rituals and traditions of that time.
History of Bergen County:
This is the information from the Bergen County Historical Society:
Historic New Bridge Landing: Bergen County, where America begins…
Experience history in on the storied places where it was made…
*Battleground in the American Revolution
*The Steuben House survived more of the American Revolution than any other home in America
*Washington’s headquarters for 16 days in 1780
*Distinctive Bergen County artifacts & architecture including 3 sandstone houses
*One of the last unspoiled vistas in the central valley of the Hackensack River
*Seven miles from the George Washington Bridge
*Two blocks from the New Bridge Landing Train Station on the Pascack Valley Line to Secaucus
Walking Tour:
Historic Buildings are open for special events: Check the website for the schedule.
The Historic New Bridge Landing is the Headquarters of the Bergen County Historical Society Walking Tour that contains:
The Steuben House: Jan and Annetjie (Ackerman) Zabriskie prospered as a miller and merchant at this site. They built a five-room stone cottage in 1752 and enlarged the house to the present size in 1767 by adding a second story along the rear and the entire north block with its paneled parlor and bed chamber. During the Revolutionary War, the Zabriskie’s sided with the Crown and fled to British held Manhattan. Washington made the house his headquarters for 16 days in 1780. The State of New Jersey presented the confiscated house to Major-General Baron von Steuben in 1783. It is the only extant as a “Large Mansion House containing twelve rooms built with stone with out-houses consisting of a Bake House, Smoke House, Coach House and two large barns, and a garden, forty acres of land consisting of Meadow land and two orchards.” Steuben’s aid-de-camp, Captain Benjamin Walker resided here, while Steuben made regular visits and summer retreats from his Manhattan lodgings. Steuben restored the war damaged home and this is largely the house that you see today. He sold it back to the Zabriskies in 1788. The house and one acre were purchased by the State of New Jersey in 1928. In 1939, BCHS was invited to display its collections at the museum. BCHS purchased the adjacent eight acres in 1944 thus preserving a fragment of Bergen Dutch countryside.
2. New Bridge:
A “New Bridge” with sliding draw was built here in 1745. Describing the American retreat from Fort Lee on November 20, 1776, eyewitness Thomas Paine wrote, “Our first object was to secure the bridge over the Hackensack…” memorializing the darkest hour in the hopes for American independence as the “times that try men’s souls.” This strategic crossing was in constant conflict during the war because it was the first bridge above Newark Bay. The present Pratt-type low-truss swing bridge opened February 2, 1889. One person alone could rotate the bridge to let the ships pass. Closed to auto traffic in 1956. Listed on NJ and National Registers by BCHS as the oldest highway swing-bridge in NJ.
The Bridge in New Bridge Landing
3. New Bridge Landing: A narrow mill landing built of log cribbing in 1744 could accommodate sloops of 40-ton burden. Local products were shipped south including iron which was brought overland from Ringwood and Long Pond Ironworks. Merchandise brought back from the city markets was in the Zabriskie store.
The New Bridge Landing site
4. Zabriskie’s Mills:
Johannes Ackerman resided near the present intersection of Main Street and Elizabeth Court. He built a gristmill, 40×20 feet containing two pairs of grinding stones in 1714 at the outlet of Cole’s Brook. High tide was trapped behind the dam creating an artificial pond twice daily to run the waterwheel during ebb tide. Area farmers brought grain to be ground into flour for a more valuable commodity. Jan Zabriskie purchased the tide mill in 1745. The date stone lozenge set in the south end of the Zabriskie-Steuben House depicts the tide driven waterwheel. Jan’s grandson, John J. Zabriskie aged 25 died trying to free the waterwheel in 1793. The mill burned in 1852.
5. Demarest House Museum:
The two-room sandstone cottage was built in 1794 for miller John Paulson at the time of his marriage to Altie Ely. The stove chimney in the east room is a technological advance over fireplaces. The house moved from its original site beside the French Burial Ground in New Milford in 1955-56. Demarest family and Bergen Dutch artifacts on display. Owned by the Blauvelt-Demarest Foundation it was restored in 2009.
The Demarest House
6. The Campbell-Christie House:
Jacob Campbell, a mason, erected this gambrel-roofed, center hall, sandstone dwelling at River Road & Henley Avenue in New Milford in 1744 at the time of his marriage to Altche Westervelt. Jacob was a private in the Bergen Militia and the house was damaged in the Revolutionary War. John Christie a blacksmith purchased the house in 1795 and continued its operation as a tavern. J. Walter Christie, born in the house in 1865, is considered the ‘father of the modern tank’ and best known for developing the Christie Suspension System used in World War II. Threatened with demolition, the house was moved here onto BCHS land in 1977 by the County of Bergen. Operated & funded by BCHS and interpreted as a 18th century tavern. Refreshments, gift shop & rest room (when open).
The Campbell-Christie House
7. Westervelt-Thomas Barn:
Built in 1889 by Peter J. Westervelt on his farm on Ridgewood Avenue in the Township of Washington. Henry Thomas purchased farm in 1906. Donated to BCHS and relocated in 1955.
The Westervelt-Thomas Barn
8. Out Kitchen: Authentic out-kitchen replicating the John R. Demarest out kitchen in Demarest. Built by BCHS in 1990 using antique materials, it includes a working beehive oven and smoke room. These separate kitchen structures kept the heat of cooking out of the main dwelling during summer and prevented oven fires consuming the home. Located nearby is an outhouse circa 1930 from Closter.
9. Brett Park: Part of the New Bridge Battleground during the American Revolution. Later site of Rekow’s Farm and Bensen’s Campgrounds. Named after the former Teaneck Mayor Clarence Brett in 1971. The Friends of the Hackensack Greenway through Teaneck maintain a southbound 3.5 mile pathway with access in Brett Park.
10. The Meadow: The auto-parts yard, completely remediated by 2010 is now an open meadow in HNBL.
11. The Site of the future BCHS Museum & Library Building: Elevated building planned to allow for exhibits and safe storage of the BCHS collections.
Prehistory: The clay flat on the west bank of the river was known as Tantaqua’s Plain, inhabited by Tantaqua, a Hackensack sachem and his kin (Steuben House location). Artifacts as old as 5,000 years been found here and may be on exhibit.
New Bridge served as a battleground, fort, encampment ground, military headquarters and intelligence-gathering post in every year of the American Revolutionary War.
The American Battleground: While a constant arena for conflict, the following significant Revolutionary War events are associated with New Bridge:
*British troops under Major General Vaughan attacked the American rear guard on November 21, 1776 and seized the New Bridge which American engineers were dismantling.
*British and Loyalist troops under command of Captain Patrick Fergusen attacked about 40 Bergen militiamen at New Bridge on May 18, 1779.
*Major Henry Lee led American troops from New Bridge on August 18, 1779.
*A force of Bergen Militia and Continental troops attacked 600 British troops and German auxiliaries at New Bridge on their retreat from Hackensack and Paramus on March 23, 1780, during the two hours it took for the British to repair and cross the New Bridge.
*A body of 312 British, Loyalist and German infantry attacked and overwhelmed an American outpost at new Bridge commanded by Lieutenant Bryson on April 15, 1780.
*Eight British soldiers were killed and several wounded by friendly fire when British troops attempted to attack a body of Bergen Militia in the Zabriskie-Steuben House at New Bridge on May 30, 1780.
*Brigadier General Anthony Wayne led American troops from New Bridge on a raid against the Bull’s Ferry Blackhouse on July 20, 1780.
*General Washington made his headquarters in the Zabriskie-Steuben House during the Steenrapie Encampment (along Kinderkamack Road) of the Continental Army encompassing 14,000 men on September 4-20, 1780.
There are also artifacts that were all made in Bergen County on display as well.
*Van Saun and Wolfkiel slip-decorated red ware and salt glazed pottery
*Quilts, 3 dozen, including the exceptional Betsey Haring applique quilt.
*Bergen Dutch ladder-back chairs
*English bacon settle dating to 1767
These are just some of the items featured in the collection.
The Bergen County Historical Society is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) all-volunteer organization founded in 1902. We are not a government agency. We do not seek public operating grants instead we rely on private donations and membership. We are raising funds to build a museum for extensive collections of artifacts and archives. BCHS is proud to be the lead member of the Historic new Bridge Landing Park Commission. 100% if your donation goes to our mission BergenCountyHistory.org.
*All of this information is taken from the Bergen County Historical Society’s pamphlet. Please check out their website for more information on events on the property. This is a must see for those of you interested in Revolutionary War history.
Historic Marker for mileage to Hoboken
The gallery of historic items at the Von Steuben House
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 