The Hermitage, located in Ho-Ho-Kus, Bergen County, New Jersey,

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, is a fourteen-room Gothic Revival house museum built in 1847–48 from designs by William H. Ranlett for Elijah Rosencrantz, Jr. Members of the Rosencrantz family owned The Hermitage estate from 1807 to 1970. The site was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

for the excellence of its architecture and added to

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1970. In 1971 it was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places.

History

In 1767, the original colonial estate was purchased by Ann Bartow DeVisme who moved to Ho-Ho-Kus from

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with five children. One of Ann's daughters,

Theodosia Bartow Prevost Theodosia Bartow Prevost (November 1746 – May 18, 1794), also known as Theodosia Bartow Burr, was an American Patriot. Raised by a widowed mother, she married British Army officer Jacques Marcus Prevost at age 17. After the American Revolution ...

, and her husband James Marcus Prevost, occupied another house on the property, downhill from the present structure, nearer to the mill ponds. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, while Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Prevost was fighting for the

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and

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, the women and children were left alone in Ho-Ho-Kus. In July 1778, word reached Theodosia that

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

and his troops would be passing through Ho-Ho-Kus on their way from the recent battle at Monmouth Courthouse to White Plains in

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

. When the General and his entourage stopped at a local house, Theodosia sent an invitation to Washington for him and his men to come and stay at The Hermitage. Visitors to the house during the Revolution included

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

, William Paterson, the

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...

, Alexander Hamilton,

Lord Stirling William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling (1726 – 15 January 1783), was a Scottish-American major general during the American Revolutionary War. He was considered male heir to the Scottish title of Earl of Stirling through Scottish line ...

and Aaron Burr. In 1782, after her husband was killed during the War, Theodosia Prevost married Aaron Burr at The Hermitage. For a period of time they lived in a small house adjacent to The Hermitage.The Hermitage
Accessed June 4, 2008.

Infrastructure

In 1847, the house was remodeled in the Gothic Revival style by architect William H. Ranlett. The stone house was originally built in a Dutch-American tradition.
The large house consisted of wood-shingled roofs and pointed gables, allowing the classical music that played to be enjoyed along with the beautiful architecture. One can find a large cedar barn as well. The Hermitage is owned by the State of New Jersey and is a museum, open to the public year-round, financed and operated by The Friends of the Hermitage, Inc., a non-profit organization. The home and land were willed by Mary Elizabeth to the State of New Jersey. Today, The Hermitage represents Bergen County's first National Historical Landmark.

References

External links

The Hermitage website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hermitage Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey Houses completed in 1848 Historic house museums in New Jersey Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey Museums in Bergen County, New Jersey Gothic Revival architecture in New Jersey National Register of Historic Places in Bergen County, New Jersey Houses in Bergen County, New Jersey New Jersey Register of Historic Places

History

Infrastructure

See also

References

External links