THE VAN VEGHTEN HOUSE--A State & National Historic Site

The Van Veghten House, recognized as both a New Jersey State Historic Site and a National Historic Site, has endured for more than three centuries. It stands as a powerful example of how dedicated individuals can preserve and protect significant national treasures.

The Van Veghten House is one of only five surviving colonial-era homes where General George Washington and his senior officers stayed during the Second Middlebrook Encampment in the winter of 1778–1779. These residences, collectively known as the Five Generals Houses, include the Van Veghten House, Staats House, Wallace House, Vanderveer House, and Van Horne House. Several other sites in Somerset County housed Continental Army officers, but those structures no longer survive.

The Van Veghten House, now a stately two-story brick residence, has stood on the north bank of the Raritan River for more than 300 years. Its history begins with its first owner, Michael Van Veghten, who purchased acreage from the East Jersey Proprietorship and built a home on the site. The exact date of initial construction is unknown; however, a baptismal record for Michael’s son Derrick, born in 1699, states that the child was “born on the Raritan.” The dates displayed on the historical marker reflect the earliest documented reference to the house—a 1725 map showing a building on the site labeled “Van Veghten.”

In the photograph above, the lower section on the left contains an original colonial open-hearth fireplace and was long believed to be the oldest portion of the house. More recent analysis of the brickwork and interpretations by historic architects suggest that two walls on the opposite end of the house may be the oldest surviving elements. Additional clues, including unusual double walls and irregular beam lengths in the basement, add to the mystery. As a result, the evolution of the house remains only partially understood. Visitors are invited to explore the evidence and join the discussion; a short interpretive video is available on site.

Today, the Van Veghten House serves as the headquarters of the Somerset County Historical Society. It is located at the rear of an industrial park off County Road 533, also known as Finderne Avenue, and is not visible from the roadway. Finding us is part of the adventure.

First Owners

Michael Van Veghten settled in Somerset County in 1685. In 1694, he acquired 836 acres on the north side of the Raritan River, extending to the first ridge of the Watchung Mountains. A prosperous Dutch landowner, he expanded his holdings in 1712 by purchasing more than 1,000 additional acres on the south side of the river, bringing his total land ownership to more than 2,500 acres. He later built a Dutch Reformed Church on the eastern portion of his property.

Following Michael’s death in 1732, his son Derrick inherited the estate and expanded the house to accommodate his growing family; his second wife bore him three children. Derrick also constructed a bridge connecting both sides of the river, which became known as the Van Veghten Bridge.

The house itself reflects the family’s prosperity. The west wing windows, with their twelve-over-twelve panes, are a notable example. The brickwork clearly reveals the various additions, and in photographs a visible line marks where the second story was added after Derrick’s death. Visitors may view a short video on site that explains the evolution of the structure.

Revolutionary War Involvement

On December 6, 1776, Derrick Van Veghten was arrested—effectively kidnapped—at sword point by British forces. This occurred while General Washington and the Continental Army were retreating across New Jersey toward Pennsylvania, just three weeks before the Battle of Trenton. Derrick may have been targeted because he owned property along a strategic roadway and had previously served as county road commissioner.

The incident is described in vivid detail in the diary of Hessian Captain Johann Ewald, who carried out the arrest largely on his own. At the time, Ewald was serving under General Charles Cornwallis, who was stationed in New Brunswick. The following day, a British detachment accompanied by Cornwallis’s mapmaker advanced toward Basking Ridge. Only six days later, British forces captured Continental General Charles Lee at a tavern in Basking Ridge.

On January 22, 1777, one of the earliest engagements of what became known as the Forage War took place at Van Neste’s Mill on the Millstone River, near the southern boundary of the Van Veghten property. General Philemon Dickinson and approximately 400 militia successfully drove off British troops, capturing 40 wagons, 100 horses, and numerous sheep and cattle the British had seized.

In April 1777, British forces again made use of the Van Veghten Bridge as part of a flanking maneuver during the Battle of Bound Brook. This battle is reenacted annually each April at the Staats House and Van Horne House.

The following year, Derrick Van Veghten offered his property for use by the Continental Army. During the Middlebrook Encampment of 1778–1779, the house served as headquarters for Quartermaster General Nathanael Greene, at a time when nearly 10,000 Continental officers, soldiers, camp followers, and animals descended on Somerset County.

Portions of the Pennsylvania Line under General Anthony Wayne, who reported to Greene, encamped on Derrick’s fields. These troops arrived late and found no available space in the Watchung Mountains, where the rest of the army was stationed. A small remnant of the mountain encampment is preserved today by the Washington Camp Ground Association, and it was there that the official flag of the new United States was first flown. Wayne’s troops remained on the south side of the Raritan River during the winter layover, in what is now the town of Manville. A historic marker at the Manville Public Library commemorates this encampment, and the town’s Complain Street is believed to be a corruption of its original name, Camp Lane.

After the winter encampment at Valley Forge, General Washington appointed Greene Quartermaster General, a formidable responsibility. Greene oversaw a staff that eventually grew to more than 3,000 and was charged with supplying food and provisions for Continental troops throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England, as well as approximately 3,000 prisoners captured at the Battle of Saratoga. British forces controlled the Atlantic’s navigable waterways and were encamped in New Brunswick along the Raritan River. New Jersey had been devastated during the previous winter’s Forage War skirmishes, leaving few local resources. As a result, supplies had to be transported overland from the west. Greene himself had recommended Middlebrook as the site for the winter encampment, as it reduced supply transport by at least two days.

The winter also provided opportunities for social interaction among officers, their families, and staff. While residing at the Van Veghten House, General Greene wrote to his friend and supply agent Jeremiah Wadsworth on March 17, 1779, describing “a pretty little frisk” held at the house a few days earlier. He noted that General Washington danced with Mrs. Greene for “upwards of three hours without seting [sic] down.” When spring campaigns began and the army departed, the Greenes presented Mrs. Van Veghten with a mahogany tea table in appreciation of the family’s hospitality. Unfortunately, the Society retains only a photograph of the table.

Revolutionary War activity at the site did not end there. In later years, British Lieutenant John Simcoe, during his notorious second raid, burned the Dutch Reformed Church built by Michael Van Veghten, Sr. Still later, French General Rochambeau and his troops marched past the house on their way to Yorktown, Virginia. As a result, the Van Veghten House is recognized as a “witness site” along the Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, administered by the National Park Service. This trail extends more than 700 miles through nine states. A marker identifying the route can be found just before the house’s driveway.

Nineteenth Century

After Derrick Van Veghten died in 1781, his land was divided among his three children. His son Michael inherited the portion containing the house and later raised his own family there. Around 1831, the property passed out of the Van Veghten family.

Over the following years, the fertile farmland and house changed hands several times. From the 1830s through the early 20th century, the house underwent a number of renovations. Evidence of these changes can be seen throughout the interior, including alterations to the fireplace mantels. Despite these updates, the original wide pine floorboards remain intact on the second floor.

In 1897, German immigrant Bernard Meyer purchased the house along with a portion of the original property. The Meyer family farmed the land for three generations, and their descendants remain members of the Somerset County Historical Society today.

Twentieth Century

Bernard Meyer established a stock farm on the property, where he raised a breed of cattle that he exhibited at agricultural fairs across the country. During World War I, the French government undertook an experimental program in which horses and mules bound for the European front were temporarily pastured at the farm before shipment overseas. At its peak, the project reportedly involved more than 7,000 animals. Unfortunately, the initial shipments were lost to German U-boat attacks, and the program was soon abandoned. Research into how this French connection was established is ongoing.

In 1934, the Singer Company purchased approximately 300 acres of the property from the Meyer family. Singer used part of the land to construct a manufacturing facility for its Diehl division, which produced small electric motors for fans. For a time, additional acreage served as an employee recreation park, and memories of gatherings at Singer’s riverside pavilion are still shared by longtime Manville residents. Eventually, the remaining land was sold for industrial development. Where livestock once grazed, tractor‑trailers now service warehouses, manufacturing sites, and county offices to the north and east of the house.

In the 1970s, a real estate developer and the county considered converting the former pastures south of the house into a sanitary landfill. However, in 1971 the Singer Company, along with Mr. Stanley Rustic, deeded the house and one acre of land to the Somerset County Historical Society. The Van Veghten House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

In 1982, the Society marked its 100th anniversary by planting a commemorative tree, which still stands behind the house and now rises well above the roofline.

In 1999, Hurricane Floyd caused severe flooding across the property, resulting in significant damage. A marker on a tree near the parking lot indicates that floodwaters reached at least one foot above the ground level on the bluff overlooking the river.

Twenty-first Century

The story continues. Between 2000 and 2012, the house was stabilized and restored to its colonial‑era appearance through a series of preservation projects. Funding for this work was provided by the State of New Jersey and administered by the Somerset County Historical and Cultural Commission.

Around the same time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers transformed former pastureland south of the house, between the building and the river, into the Finderne Wetland Mitigation Project. Native grasses, trees, and flowers were planted, and the area now includes hiking trails, athletic fields, and excellent opportunities for birdwatching. The Historical Society periodically sponsors walking tours of the site. Restoration work is currently planned for 2026, and public access may be limited during that time.

In 2016, as an Eagle Scout project, the grandson of one of the Society’s trustees created two museum rooms in the oldest section of the house. One room featured historic hand tools, while the other displayed Indigenous stone artifacts. In 2020, his brother completed a second Eagle Scout project by restoring the shed porch on the east end of the house. The 20th‑century shed structure was removed, a slate floor was installed over the concrete patio, and cedar shakes replaced the asphalt shingles, among other improvements.

The Van Veghten House, along with the other Five Generals Houses, is also part of an official geocache network—an added adventure for visitors.

With assistance from the Native Plant Society of New Jersey, Society members removed overgrown shrubs more than 70 years old and installed a garden of native plants on the west side of the house. Yard work and gardening projects helped keep the Society active during the COVID‑19 pandemic shutdown.

In September 2022, Tropical Storm Ida once again flooded the area. A second marker shows that water levels exceeded those recorded during Hurricane Floyd. Between 12 and 16 inches of water entered the lower level of the house, and the basement was completely flooded. Although the house remains structurally sound, moisture damage to the plaster walls is visible. Thanks to a federal grant awarded in 2023, plans are underway to protect the house from future flooding. Initial work began in June 2025 with a ground‑penetrating radar survey of the surrounding land. As of 2026, the Society is awaiting approval of its remediation plan from the State Historic Preservation Commission.

In the summer of 2025, the Society’s Board approved plans to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary by creating a Revolutionary War museum within the house. Two rooms were redesigned to interpret the Van Veghten site’s role during the Middlebrook Encampment. The renovated museum opened in fall 2025 during the county’s annual Weekend Journey Through the Past event in early October. Docent‑led tours are now offered once a month.

Visit and Discover the History in Your Backyard!

Currently, we welcome visitors for research, tours, and talks every Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Hours may change as construction continues, so please check our website for the most up‑to‑date information.

When you visit, please be sure to sign our guest book. Admission is $5 for adults.

Come and experience this remarkable local treasure. Walk the trails that once served as pasture for World War I horses and mules. Explore the colonial features of the house up close, and tread the same floors once walked by colonial heroes, heroines, and everyday people alike. Imagine standing where the Lenape once camped, or where you might have encountered:

• Martha and George Washington
• General Henry Knox and his wife, Lucy
• Baron von Steuben
• Alexander Hamilton and his future wife, Elizabeth (“Eliza”) Schuyler
• General Nathanael Greene and his wife, Catharine (“Caty”)
• Light Horse Harry Lee (grandfather of Robert E. Lee)
• Lord Stirling and his wife
• General Anthony Wayne

Now picture the grounds filled with hundreds of wagons and teams of animals, replacing the warehouses and trucks seen today.

It’s all right here in Somerset County, New Jersey—close to local restaurants and pubs in Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Hillsborough, Manville, and Somerville. Come and visit!

To learn more, visit our historian’s website at somersetnjhistory.com.