List of the oldest buildings in New Jersey

This article attempts to list the oldest extant buildings surviving in the state of New Jersey in the United States of America, including the oldest houses in New Jersey and any other surviving structures. Some dates are approximate and based upon dendochronology, architectural studies, and historical records. Sites on the list are generally from the First Period of American architecture or earlier. To be listed here a site must:

Colonial era

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Building Image Place Year Purpose Notes
C. A. Nothnagle Log House Gibbstown c. 1638-43 Residence Purportedly the oldest surviving log house in the U.S., once part of New Sweden, and the oldest house in NJ, and hence Gloucester County
Seabrook-Wilson House Middletown 1663 The house was built in 1663 by Thomas Whitlock, who came to the colony in 1648.
Swedish Granary[1][2] Hopewell

Greenwich

 1650 Relocated. Once part of New Sweden, purportedly the oldest surviving building of its type in the USA and likely oldest structure in Cumberland County
Sip Manor[3][4][5] Jersey City
Westfield		 1666 Residence Originally part of Bergen, New Netherland, relocated in 1926 from Hudson County[6][7] and now oldest building in Union County[8]
Parker Homestead Little Silver 1667 Residence One of the oldest homes in Monmouth County[9]
Old Mill at Tinton Falls Tinton Falls c. 1674 Mill
Obisquahassit[10][11] Lower Penns Neck 1678 Residence Oldest house in Salem County

Obisquahassit was the sachem who sold land to Anders Seneca, son of one of the first settlers to New Sweden who bought a large tract before Fenwick's Colony was established.

Nathaniel Bonnell House Elizabeth 1682 (1670) Oldest house in Elizabethtown, original capital of Province of New Jersey and oldest original building in Union County
Aaron Dunn Homestead Woodbridge 1685[12] Residence Possibly the oldest house in Woodbridge and Middlesex County.
Buckelew Mansion Jamesburg c. 1685[13][14] Residence One room in the house dates to c. 1685, possibly oldest in Middlesex County. House was expanded, most recently in the 19th century, and is also known as Lakeview
Revell House[15] Burlington 1685 Residence Oldest house in Burlington County
Chew-Powell House Gloucester Township 1688 Residence Oldest house in Camden County
Ladd's Castle West Deptford c. 1688-90 Residence Home to the surveyor who assisted William Penn in planning Philadelphia
Hendrick Fisher House[16][17] Franklin 1688 Residence Oldest structure in Somerset County
substantially renovated in early 20th century, now owned by Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
Newkirk House[18][19] Jersey City c. 1690 Commercial Oldest building in Hudson County, originally built as homestead
Caesar Hoskins Log Cabin Mauricetown 1690 Residence Oldest house in Cumberland County
Robinson Plantation House[20] Clark c. 1690 Residence
Coxe Hall Cottage[21] Lower Township
Middle Township		 1691 Museum Oldest extant structure in Cape May County once part of complex belonging to Daniel Coxe. Relocated/reconstructed at Cold Spring Village
Jonathan Pyne House Cape May 1694 Residence Oldest house in Cape May County
Joseph Cooper House Camden 1695 Abandoned Oldest house in Camden
Roof burnt about 2005 and in danger of complete collapse.
Schuyler-Colfax House[22] Wayne 1695 Residence Oldest buildings in Passaic County
St. John's Parsonage Elizabeth 1696 Parsonage Oldest religious building in Elizabeth
Andrews-Barlett Homestead[23][24] Tuckerton Seaport 1699 Unused Likely the oldest house in Ocean County
Schorn Log Cabin Swedesboro c. 1700 Granary One of the oldest Swedish-Finnish log buildings in America, adjacent to Trinity Church Cemetery
Jonathan Singletary Dunham House Woodbridge Township c. 1700[25] Residence Built by Jonathan Singletary Dunham, who built the first gristmill in New Jersey, was a member of the New Jersey Assembly, and is President Barack Obama’s eighth great-grandfather,[26][27]
Westerbrook-Bell House[28][29] Sandyston Township ca 1701 Residence Oldest house in Sussex County
Vreeland Homestead[30] Nutley 1702 Residence Possibly oldest house in Essex County
Rockingham House Rocky Hill
Kingston		 1702 Residence Served as the headquarters for George Washington and the Continental Army from August 23, 1783 to November 10, 1783.
The house has been relocated three times, in 1897, 1956, 2001.
St. Mary's Episcopal Church Burlington 1703 Religious Oldest church in New Jersey[31]
Mullica House Mullica Hill 1704 Residence Built by a Finnish settler Eric Mullica. Log house, which has survived more than 300 years and also hurricane Sandy, which destroyed many other buildings.
Isaac Watson House[32] Hamilton 1708 Museum Oldest building in Mercer County, restored in 1964 as headquarters of the NJ Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Plume House Newark 1710 Rectory Located near I-280 the house is threatened by pollution and vibration, and considered one of the 10 most threatened historical sites in the state[33]
Sydenham House Newark 1711 Residence Oldest private home in Newark
John Holcombe House Delaware Township 1711 Museum Part of Holcombe-Jimison Farmstead Museum. Oldest house in Hunterdon County[34][35][36]
Shinn Curtis Log House Mount Holly 1712
Perth Amboy City Hall Perth Amboy 1714–1717 City hall Oldest city hall in USA
Woodbury Friends' Meetinghouse[37] Woodbury 1715 Religious Oldest Friends meeting house
Seaville Friends Meeting House[38] Seaville 1717 Religious Friends meeting house
William Trent House Trenton 1719 Residence Oldest house in Trenton, the state capitol, and served unofficially as governor's residence
Martin Berry House Pequannock Township 1720 Residence Former residence of Samuel Berry, Berry's were first family to settle Pompton Plains
Matthias Hendricke Smock House[39] Piscataway 1720 Residence
Van Wickle House[40] Franklin Township 1722 House
Daniel Demarest House Dumont 1724 Residence Oldest building in Bergen County
Somers Mansion Somers Point 1725 Residence Oldest intact house in Atlantic County[41]
Morven Princeton 1730 Residence Served as the state's first Governor's mansion from 1945-1981.
Holcombe House Lambertville c. 1733 Residence Served as the headquarters of George Washington and the Continental Army, July 1777 and June 1778.[42]
Hancock House Lower Alloways Creek Township 1734 Residence Major John Graves Simcoe led approximately 300 British soldiers and Queen's Rangers through a marsh and across Alloway Creek to surround Hancock House. They surprised 20 to 30 members of the local militia stationed there, along with Judge Hancock, killing most of them.
Old Salem County Courthouse Salem 1735 Courthouse Oldest active courthouse in New Jersey and second oldest courthouse in continuous use in the United States.[43] Enlarged in 1817 and 1908, served as the courthouse for Salem County until 1969 and today for Salem City Municipal Court.[44][45]
Wortendyke Barn Park Ridge 1735 Barn One of oldest New World Dutch barns
Upper Freehold Baptist Meeting aka
Ye Olde Yellow Meeting House		 Imlaystown 1737 Church Oldest Baptist Meetinghouse[46]
Buccleuch Mansion New Brunswick 1739 Residence Visited by several prominent men, such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, General Kosciusko, General Gates, and John Hancock.
Dey Mansion Wayne 1740 Residence Served as the headquarters of George Washington and the Continental Army from October to November 1780.
Staats House South Bound Brook c. 1740 Residence Served as the headquarters of Baron William Frederick Von Steuben in the spring of 1779.
Van Vorst House[47] Jersey City c. 1740 Residence Oldest private home in Jersey City
Van Wagenen House Jersey City ca 1740s Unoccupied Undergoing restoration per 2009
Oxford Furnace Oxford 1741 Furnace First hot blast furnace in United States
Cornelius Low House Piscataway 1741 Residence
Updike Parsonage Barn Cranbury 1741 Barn One of oldest barns in state
The Ephraim Tomlinson Homestead

the oldest house in lindenwold 1742

 Trinity Church Newark 1742 Church Oldest church in Newark
Richard Holcombe House Delaware Township 1744 Unused Expanded in 1811.[48]
Nathaniel Drake House Plainfield 1746 Museum George Washington briefly stayed at the house during the Battle of Short Hills. Currently operated as the Drake House Museum and home of the Historical Society of Plainfield.
Thomas West House Westville 1746 Residence Local lore states that the old Thomas West house was used as a stopping-off place for the underground railroad, which was used during the Civil War for helping the blacks to escape to the North. There were tunnels which led from the Creek bank to the basement of the house.[49]
Zion Lutheran[50] Oldwick 1749 Church Oldest Lutheran church in New Jersey
Boxwood Hall Elizabeth c. 1750 Residence Home of Elias Boudinot, signer of the Treaty of Paris (1783) and the 10th President of the Continental Congress 1782-1783.
Indian King Tavern Haddonfield 1750 Tavern Served as the meeting place for the New Jersey General Assembly to ratify the Declaration of Independence and adopt the Great Seal of the State of New Jersey in 1777.
Isaac Onderdonk House Piscataway 1750 Residence
Old Dutch Parsonage Somerville 1751 Parsonage Served as original site of Rutgers University. The original site was on the north side of the street, just east of The Wallace House, but the house was moved west on greased logs when the railroad went through its original location. The original kitchen, constructed of wood, collapsed during the move and was not reconstructed. A "sister" house is now the site of the Raritan Public Library.
Mount Holly Firehouse Mount Holly 1752 Firehouse Oldest firehouse in the USA, established by what is now the oldest continuously operating volunteer fire department in the USA[51][52]
Steuben House New Bridge Landing 1752 Museum
Nassau Hall Princeton 1754 Academic Housed the entire United States government in 1783
Holmes-Hendrickson House Holmdel 1754[53] Residence
Dickinson House (Alloway, New Jersey) Alloway Township, New Jersey 1754 Residence
Shippen Manor Oxford 1755 Residence Possibly oldest house in Warren County
John Van Doren House Millstone c. 1755 Residence Served as the headquarters for George Washington, the night of January 3–4, 1777 after the Battle of Princeton.
Gabreil Daveis Tavern House Glendora 1756 Tavern also known as the Hillman Hospital House, this tavern was built in 1756 near the Big Timber Creek and housed boatmen who used the creek to ship goods to Philadelphia. It was designated a hospital by George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
Steele-Condit House Roseland 1757 Residence Built approx 1720-1730. First recorded in 1757. Post & Beam construction. Oldest house in Roseland.[54] Served as first school to area.
Old Barracks Trenton 1758 Military Last of its type, now National Historic Landmark & museum
Brainerd Schoolhouse[55][56] Mount Holly 1759 School Oldest one room school, now a museum
William Chamberlain House[57] East Amwell 1760 Residence
Proprietary House Perth Amboy 1762 Government Oldest remaining colonial proprietary governor's residence in the original Thirteen States
Sandy Hook Light Sandy Hook 1764 Light house Oldest surviving lighthouse in the United States.
Franklin House Woodbury pre-1765 Residence Built before 1765 and originally a log cabin, the oldest surviving house in Woodbury was bought by a Joseph Franklin in 1823, and remained in his family until 1911. The exterior logs are intact but now have weatherboard cladding. Its front door, exposed beams, and one fireplace made from square handmade bricks are original.[58][59][60]
Ford Mansion Morristown 1772 Residence The headquarters of George Washington and the Continental Army during the "Hard Winter" from December 1779 until May 1780.
Liberty Hall Union 1772 Residence The home of William Livingston the first governor of New Jersey.
Christ Church New Brunswick 1773 (tower) Church Episcopal Church, founded in 1742.
Wallace House Somerville 1776 Residence

Post 1776

Building Image Location First Built Use Notes
First Reformed Dutch Church Hackensack 1781 Religious Oldest Dutch Reformed Church
New Jersey State House Trenton 1792 Government Second oldest statehouse in continuous use in the U.S.[61]
Old Queens New Brunswick 1809 Academic Oldest building at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Burlington County Prison Mount Holly 1811 Prison Possibly oldest prison building, which operated from 1811 to 1965
Barrow Mansion Jersey City c. 1835 Private home Adapted as community center beginning in 1890s
Saint Francis Roman Catholic Church Trenton 1846 Church Oldest Roman Catholic church. Catholics became entitled to own property only with the passage of the state's revised constitution in 1840.[62]
Spermacetti Cove Life-saving Station Sandy Hook
Highlands		 1849 Maritime Last surviving of first federally built by United States Life-Saving Service
Relocated from Fort Hancock to Navesink Twin Lights in 1954[63][64]
Long-A-Coming Depot Berlin 1856 Rail station Oldest railroad station
Ramsey Station Ramsey 1868 Railroad Station Oldest passenger station in service
Mount Pisgah AME Church[65] Salem 1871 Church Oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church
Chalfonte Hotel[66] Cape May 1876 Hotel Oldest continuously operated hotel on the East Coast of the US and contributing property to the Cape May Historic District.
Congregation Adas Emuno Hoboken 1883 Synagogue Oldest surviving synagogue building in New Jersey[67]
Weehawken Water Tower Weehawken 1883 Water tower Possibly oldest water tower
East Jersey State Prison Avenel 1901 Prison
Better known by its original name, Rahway State Prison, oldest operating prison
Fireman's Insurance Company Building Newark 1910 Skyscraper The 220 foot (67m) 19 story building is the oldest existing skyscraper is located in the Four Corners Historic District[68][69][70]
Max's Diner Harrison 1927 Restaurant Oldest diner[71][72]
Newark Airport Administration Building Newark 1935 Aviation First airport terminal in the United States[73]

relocated in 2002[74][75][76]

Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station Forked River 1969 Nuclear power station Oldest operating nuclear power station in the United States
Either the Caesars Atlantic City or Bally's Atlantic City Atlantic City 1979 Gambling Casino Oldest legal purpose-built gambling casino. (While Resorts Casino Hotel is a year older, it used an existing building for its business, Haddon Hall. Caesar's expanded a pre-existing building for its casino.)
Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm Atlantic City 2005 Wind farm The first coastal wind farm in the United States and New Jersey's first wind farm, consisting of five towers

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Swedish Store House and Granary". Cumberland County Historical Society. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  2. ↑ "The Swedish Granary". Cumberland County. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  3. ↑ "Jersey City History - The Sip Manor". Cityofjerseycity.org. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  4. ↑ "Sip Manor House". Njcu.edu. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  5. ↑ "Jersey City's oldest house....in Westfield?". Hiddennj.com. February 2, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-11.
  6. ↑ Shalhoub, Patrick B (Oct 1, 1995). Images of America: Jersey City. Arcadia Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 0-7524-0255-2.
  7. ↑ "Revolutionary War Sites in Hudson: Sip Manor formerly of Jersey City, now of Westfield". NJ.com. 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  8. ↑ Salomon, Jane (2010), Westfield, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7385-7368-7
  9. ↑ "Parker Homestead Plan Advances". Red Bank Green. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  10. ↑ "Preservation Salem County, Inc. presents the First Annual Award Winners". Preservation Salem, Inc. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
  11. ↑ "Timeline Seventeenth Century Salem County, New Jersey – 1600 through 1699" (PDF). Salem County Office of Archives and Records Management. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
  12. ↑ "Historic Walking Tour of Woodbridge". Twp.woodbridge.nj.us. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  13. ↑ "The Jamesburg Historical Association". Jamesburghistory.com. 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  14. ↑ "Buckelew Park Historic Marker". Jamesburghistory.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  15. ↑ Archived July 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ "New Jersey Historic Trust|". State.nj.us. 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  17. ↑ "Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA - Fisher House". Uocofusa.org. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  18. ↑ "Newkirk House 510 Summit Avenue". Get NJ. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  19. ↑ Karnoutsos, Carmela. "Summit House/Newkirk House". New Jersey City University. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  20. ↑ "Dr. Wm. Robinson Plantation & Museum". Dr. Wm. Robinson Plantation & Museum. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  21. ↑ "Coxe Hall Cottage". Cold Spring Village. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  22. ↑ "Wayne Township, NJ - Historical Commission". Wayne NJ. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  23. ↑ "Andrews Family". Tuckerton Seaport Vitual Tour. WebQuest Project of the Little Egg Harbor School District. 2010. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  24. ↑ "Tuckerton History". Tuckerton Seaport Vitual Tour. WebQuest Project of the Little Egg Harbor School District. 2010. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  25. ↑ "Walking Tour Map of Historic Site" (PDF). Woodbridge Township Historic Preservation Commission. 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  26. ↑ "Ancestry of Barack Obama". Retrieved 2009-06-06.
  27. ↑ Charles Henry Pope (1900). The Pioneers of Massachusetts. p. 416.
  28. ↑ "Westerbrook - Bell House". www.sussex.nj.us. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  29. ↑ "Westerbrook - Bell House". Historical Marker Data Base. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  30. ↑ "Vreeland House Marker". Hmdb.org. 2010-07-24. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  31. ↑ "Burlington Saint Mary's (old)". Njchurchscape.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  32. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20100616060743/http://www.njdar.org/watson.html. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. ↑ "Plume House". 10 Most Endangered Landmarks. Preservationnj.org. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  34. ↑ Kiriluk-Hill, Renée (October 13, 2010). "Hunterdon County's oldest house, in Delaware Twp., is open as part of a tour". nj.com.
  35. ↑ "The John Holcombe House". Holcombe-Jimison Farmstead Museum.
  36. ↑ "Holcombe-Jimison House and Farmstead". Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission.
  37. ↑ "Woodbury Friends' Meetinghouse - Woodbury, New Jersey - Quaker Meeting Houses on". Waymarking.com. 2008-07-27. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  38. ↑ "OLDEST - Quaker Meeting House in New Jersey - Seaville, NJ - Superlatives on". Waymarking.com. 2009-02-23. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  39. ↑
  40. ↑ "Van Wickle House". The Meadows Foundation.
  41. ↑ "Somers Mansion, Somers Point". Stockton University. 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  42. ↑ Holcombe House Information Sign. Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission.
  43. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20080807161358/http://www.salemcitynj.com/trails.html. Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  44. ↑ "Salem City Municipal Court NJ". Town-court.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  45. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20100619032012/http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/directory/munctadr.htm. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  46. ↑ Archived January 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  47. ↑ "Jersey City History - Jersey City's Oldest House". Cityofjerseycity.org. 1935-09-17. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  48. ↑ Epstein, Rick (April 28, 2015). "State to auction historic Holcombe house". nj.com.
  49. ↑ "Early History". Westville-nj.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  50. ↑ "Oldwick-Lutheran". Njchurchscape.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  51. ↑ Archived March 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  52. ↑ Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  53. ↑ "Historic Houses". Monmouth County Historical Society. 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  54. ↑ "Six historical houses become honored Roseland landmarks" (PDF). Thebondforcelegacy.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  55. ↑ "The Brainerd Schoolhouse Museum - Mount Holly, NJ - History Museums on". Waymarking.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  56. ↑ "New Jersey". Nscda.org. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  57. ↑ "The William Chamberlain House 1760 - 2008". Visionsinfoline.com. 2008-10-18. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  58. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20110927152658/http://www.co.gloucester.nj.us/cogloucesternjus/franklinhouse.cfm. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  59. ↑ http://www.nj.searchroots.com/Gloucesterco/images/Woodbury-historic.pdf
  60. ↑ https://books.google.com.au/books?id=8fo2GBxixkUC&pg=PA94
  61. ↑ "NJ Legislature State House History". Njleg.state.nj.us. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  62. ↑ "St. Francis Roman Catholic Church". New Jersey Churchscape. www.njchurchscape.com. Retrieved 2011-05-15. Although Catholics had regularly held mass in Trenton for years, they became entitled to own property only with the passage of the state's revised constitution in 1840.
  63. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20081121144215/http://www.highlandsnj.com/history/twinlights.html. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved June 27, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  64. ↑ "Life-Saving Stations to Visit". Nps.gov. 2001-12-05. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  65. ↑ "New Jersey Historic Trust|". State.nj.us. 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  66. ↑ "History Civil War Lincoln Henry Sawyer | Chalfonte Hotel Historic Cape May Accommodations". Chalfonte.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  67. ↑ "Hoboken-AdasEmuno". Njchurchscape.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  68. ↑ "Firemen's Insurance Building | Buildings". Newark /: Emporis. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  69. ↑ "TALLEST BUILDING IN NEW JERSEY; Firemen's Insurance Co.'s New Home in Newark Will Be 205 Feet High". The New York Times. 1910-02-06.
  70. ↑ "Office Buildings". Oldnewark.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  71. ↑ "Diners - Various, 1920s & 1930s". Art and Archtitecture of New Jersey. Stockton University. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  72. ↑ Patrick Kevin (July 21, 2010). "Endangered New Jersey Diners". Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  73. ↑ "NEWARK DEDICATES NEW FLYING CENTRE; $500,000 Building at Airport Hailed as Reply to New York's Bid for Mail Terminal". The New York Times. 1935-05-16.
  74. ↑ Collins, Glenn (2002-04-27). "Slow Return as Hub for Aviation; After 67 Years, Newark's First Terminal Has New Life". The New York Times.
  75. ↑ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Essex County" (PDF). NJ DEP - Historic Preservation Office. January 10, 2010. p. 3. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
  76. ↑ "SECTION106". State.nj.us. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
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