USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > Bergen > Program, 250th anniversary of the founding of the Village of Bergen, 1660 : with illustrated historical sketch and maps > Part 4
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On the southwest corner of present Academy Street and Bergen Square, opposite the Columbian Academy, was the oll Van Winkle general store. the department store of that day: offering for sale groceries, liquors. dry-goods. boots and shoes, drugs. farmers' uten- sils, etc., and on the same side of Academy Street, about midway between the square and Tuers Avenue, stood the homestead occupied
THE TISE TAVERN
51
HISTORICAL SKETCH
BERGEN REFORMED CHURCH Parsonage Adjoining
by Dr. John M. Cornelison, the son of Dominie Cornelison, who ministered to the congregation of the old Dutch Church from 1793 to 1828. The doctor practiced from 1825 to 1840 and at this latter date removed to lower Jersey City.
On the east side of Tuers Avenue, near present Vroom Street, stood the Van Houten homestead, a stone building of the old type, the farm connected with which, extended to present Summit Ave- nue. On the opposite side of Tuers Avenue was the home of Peter Earle, the first operator of a stage line from Bergen to the ferry.
5.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
On the southeast anner of Academy Street and Tner- Avenue, Jaes 1. Van Winkle had created his comfortable home, with his Bon Mot extending to Summit Avenue. On the opposite side of Academy Street, ale ut midway between Summit and There Avenue. was located the old Van Winkle homestead, built of stone and of the usual type, with well adjoining., which, until recent years, afforded a generous supply of pure water to the thirsty wayfarer.
Toward the west of this and between Tuer- Avenue and the Square, were the Romine homesteads, with capacion- barns and wagon sheds in the rear along Tuers Avenue. On the opposite Sale of Ther- Avenue was the Dennison homestead. the farm occupy- ing the northerls portion of the block between present Tuers and Summit Avenue.
The Columbian Academy stood on the northeast corner of the "Plain" and present Academy Street, the site of present No. 11 school, and directly in the rear and facing the "Plain" was Abraham Spor's blacksmith shop. a cosy place in which to gather on wintry or stormy day-, and discuss the various questions that interested the body politie: and the controversies were more earnest and Sincere than at the present day, although perhaps in the light of modem conditions, seemingly trivial and unimportant.
PARKS' HOMESTEAD Vroom Street and Hergen Avenue
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HISTORICAL SKETCHI
-
..
-
DEMOTT HOMESTEAD-Bergen Square
Toward the north, on the corner of Bergen Avenue and New- kirk Street, was the Sip homestead, still standing, and owned and occupied by a lineal descendant of the original owner. It is the oldest house of the town, and although modernized, retains many of its early characteristics. The original grant of this and adjoin- ing property translated from a Dutch patent marked "m" is as follows :
"Petrus Stuyvesant, under the High and Mighty Lords, States- General of the United Netherlands and the Honorable Directors of the authorized West India Company, at the Chamber of Amster- dam. Governor General of New Netherland, Curacoa, Bonaiva, Amba and dependencies thereon, with the Honorable Council make known and declare that on this day, the date hereunder written, we have given and granted to Nicholas Varleth and Balthazar Bayard a piece of land lying near the Town of Bergen, on the northeast side of Harman Smeeman, etc. * And further a double lot in the Town of Bergen on the northeast side of the Plain (or green) on the west side of Laurens Andressen ; broad, 15 rods; long, 121/2 rods, and lastly 2 gardens on the east side of Engelbrecht Stuynhuysen, and on the west side of Tillman Van Vleck, being broad 15 rods, long 35 rods.
(Signed) PETER STUYVESANT,
Jannary 3, 1662.
Fort Amsterdam."
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
Directly at the head of There Avenue and still standing, was the Newkirk homestead, having been in the continuous occupancy and ownership of the family since early days. The farm connected with this divided with the John Newkirk, hereafter referred to, the block now Founded by Newkirk Street, Bergen, Sip and Summit
Following Bergen Avenue still north and along present Sip Avenue, at about Enos Place, stood the old John Newkirk home- stead, the farm connected with which extended along the southerly side of Sip Avenue from Bergen to Summit Avenues. This was afterward purchased by Mr. John Jones and is still in great part owned by his descendants.
Farther east and on the northwesterly corner of Bergen and Summit Avenues, was the Cornelius Van Winkle homestead. still standing. although much changed and enlarged. Returning along Sip to Bergen Avenue, the building known as the Hornblower homestead is found, although the actual home of Dr. Josiah Horn- blower was located north of the railroad cut, on the west side of Summit Avenue, between Magnolia and Pavonia. He was the first and only physician in the present limits of Hudson County and practiced from 1789 to 1844. Hle built the house first referred to for his son-in-law, Dr. Thomas B. Gautier, who prac- ticed in Bergen from 1823 to 1835, when he moved to lower Jersey
SIP HOMESTEAD Corner Heigen Ave. & Newkirk St
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
City. He was succeeded by Dr. A. L. Cadmus, who occupied the same house for many years.
Following the west side of present Bergen Avenue south to Bergen Square we reach the second parsonage of the Dutch Church (originally the Cornelius Sip homestead) with barn in the rear, and around on the north side of present Academy Street, midway be- tween the square and Van Reypen Street, was the Van Wagenen homestead with the cider press adjoining, and capacious barn nearby. These two buildings at this time were the only ones on the north- west section of the town.
NEWKIRK HOMESTEAD Newkirk St., Head of Tuers Ave.
In a northerly direction, and on the north side of present Tonnelle Avenue, corner of Sip Avenue, stood the old Van Horne homestead, a substantial stone building, occupied by Mrs. Hines as a boarding-house, probably the first building used for that pur- pose in the village of Bergen, and Mr. and Mrs. George Gifford, Messrs. Bowen and Maynard and Prof. House, the electrician, were among the first sojourners.
South of this and standing on the hilltop facing the present Academy Street. stood the home of Garret Sip, surrounded by the farm land extending to West Side Avenue.
500
HISTORICAL SKETCH
CORNELIU'S VAN WINKLE HOMESTEAD Sip & Summit Aves
On the southeast corner of Van Reypen and Academy Streets. as How, was the old Van Reypen homestead. retaining many of the features of the old Dutch home until very recent times Adjoin- ing was the well whose cooling waters were much sought after, and within a very few years on hot summer evening -- even after the introduction of city water-many could be seen wending their way thitherward with pail and bucket. On the opposite side of Van Reypen Street stood the well-filled barns, in the rear of which was located the negro burying ground.
The Van Wagenen cider press stood on the opposite side of Academy Street and was considered by the younger generation -- especially during the fall months-as the most attractive institu- tion in the town.
The buildings thus mentioned were practically the only one standing at this time on the territory of old Bergen In tween the present Montgomery Street and Sip Avenue, and he- tween Summit and West Side Avenues, the remaining territory being ceenpied and cultivated as farm land : and the most thickly populated residential sections of the Heights, were but little more than half a century ago, broad fields of waving grain or other farm produce, separated by post and rail fences almost hidden by the elder bushes or blackberry vines, that grew in great profusion along the dividing lines.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
Along the line of present Monticello Avenue, through the marsh, flowed a stream of water connecting Tuers Pond, located north of Montgomery Street. with Raymond's Pond, south of Bram- hall Avenue, and likewise with the offal; a steep declivity of rock near Prescott Place and Communipaw Avenue, affording an outlet to the waters to the meadows below.
The township of Bergen comprised the territory purchased by Governor Stuyvesant from the Indians in 1658. It was bounded by the Hudson River on the east, Kill van Kull on the south, New- ark Bay and the Hackensack River on the west, and the line of the original grant, or the present northerly boundary of Hudson County on the north. This territory, with the lands lying between the Hackensack and Passaic rivers, comprising the present town- ships of Harrison and Kearney, became the present County of Hudson February 20. 1840. and the first Hudson County court was organized with Hon. Chief Justice Hornblower presiding and as associate judges :
Cornelius Van Winkle. Henry Sonthmayd. Stephen Garretson. Sheriff. George H. Brinkerhoff.
SECOND PARSONAGE BERGEN CHURCH North West Corner Bergen Square
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
The first court was held in the Lyceum Building, on Grand Street, between Warren and Washington Street, Jersey City, and afterward and until the completion of the County Court House in 1-15, in a portion of the old hotel then standing at the junction of Newark and Hoboken Avenues. Hudson City.
The governmental functions of Bergen township were executed mainly Is a town clerk and trustees, and afterward by township 1
Un occasions of unusual interest. public meeting- were held under special call, when the more important questions affecting the public gereally were determined. The general elections often-
THE VAN REYPEN HOMESTEAD
times consumed two days, and the polls were opened one day at the Three Pigeons, a hotel located in the northern end of the town- ship, to be closed the next day at the old Stuyvesant Tavern in Bergen. Afterward but one day was devoted to the elections. Poll- hold in the morning at Beatty's or New kirk's Hotel at Hudson City, and closed in the afternoon at the Stuyvesant Tavern.
January 20, 1820, the city of Jersey was incorporated. being the old Paulus Hook of colonial times. under a board of five Select- mon. ViZ. John Seaman, Joseph Lyon, John K. Goodman. Samuel Cassidy and John Condit. The first meeting was held at the
HISTORICAL SKETCII
59
天
VAN WAGENEN'S CIDER PRESS Academy St , West of Square
house of Joseph Lyon, innkeeper, May 22, 1820. July 3, same year, an ordinance was adopted authorizing "the arrest and fine of persons found guilty of throwing filth elsewhere than in the river." Au- gust 22, Joseph Kissam, City 'Treasurer, reports : Receipts, from June 10 to August 10, of $2.25, which amount was expended for city purposes, and a resolution adopted "that any member of this Board who neglects to attend a meeting of the Board for fifteen minutes after the time of regular meeting, he be fined 50 cents for each neglect." The same territory was reincorporated as Jersey City in 1829, but remained part of Bergen township until 1838, when its territory was extended to Grove Street, and it became a separate municipality and so remained until March 18, 1851, when it was farther extended to include the township of Van Vorst, thus reaching to the foot of the hill, the Mill Creek becoming its westerly and southwesterly boundary.
February 10, 1843, that part of the old Bergen township lying north of the New Jersey Railroad (now Pennsylvania) cut, was set off and known as North Bergen township, and April 11, 1855,
HISTORICAL SKETCH
Hangi Cis, and the following person- successively elected mayor :
Cabral E. R. F. Wright.
Garret D. Van Reypen.
Last- 'T. Carpenter. Thatany Callen.
Borjaman F. > wver.
Under the letter'- administration the existence of the city - o -Karate morgenality ceased. it being merged with Bergen, into
For non ser- the only poteter for Bergen township was grated in this section, and the mail distribution was the voluntary Yo of inflation - youth, who nightly journeyed thither, and. if incon- union to make instant delivery of the letters procured. left them a Van Winkle's Store, to be called for, or distributed as opportunity offeredl.
In 145; the section of Bergen township lying south of the W mi- Canal was created into a separate and independent com- u units. governed at first by commissioners. This territory became l'e city of Bayonne March 15. 1861.
These several secessions left the territory of the old township of Bergen greatly diminished, being limited by the Mill Creek and New York Bay on the cast, the Morris Canal on the south. Newark bay and the Hackensack River on the west, and the New Jersey Railroad out on the north. This territory was incorporated as the town of Bergen March 24. 1855, and governed by five councilmen, elected yearly. The first conneil organized May, 1855, with Garret Sip. president: Benjamin Mills, secretary: George Vreeland, treasurer. He chter was amended in 1862 and the town divided into farer wards, or school districts. The northerly portion. from New Jersey Railroad to Hudson, now Storm Avenue, and Fairview to Hackensack River, known as Columbian. The southerly section, from above district to the southerly boundary line of the town, as the Franklin district, and what is now known as the Lafayette station a- the Communipaw Ward.
Separate educational facilities were provided for each of these sections. The school building on the square. created on the site of the Columbian Academy, affording ample accommodation for the children of the Columbian district. For the Franklin district a school building was created on the northeast corner of present Monticello and Harrison Avenues near the site of the original Wall's school recently known as Jersey City School No. 11. now
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IHISTORICAL SKETCH
demolished : and for the Communipaw district a school was built on Pine Street. Lafayette. Rev. B. C. Taylor was elected superin- tendent of schools in 1864 and 1865, followed by Lewis A. Brigham, 1866-69. The total amount of tax levied in the Township of Bergen for the year ending April 13, 1857, was $11,195.60, dis- tributed as follows :
School, general and special $5,327.89
Support of the poor 540.94
Road tax 744.09
County tax 3,703.91
with other small appropriations.
At the breaking out of the Civil War in 1861 Bergen responded nobly to the call for troops. Scarcely had the echo of the- l'resident's call for three-months' troops died away, before the. Bergen contingent, captained by Garret D. Van Reypen, was on the march for the front, and on this roll of honor may be found the names of some representative, of almost every family of the- Bergen of that time.
Greenville was separated from the town of Bergen, and became- a distinct township March 18. 1863. The territory was included within the following boundaries: On the north the line of present Myrtle Avenue : west by the Hackensack River and Newark Bay : south by lands of Currie and Morris Canal : east by New York Harbor. It was governed by a township committee of five. The. first township committee elected were :
James Gibson. H. G. Vreeland,
D. L. Van Horne, James Currie. J. O. Seymour, Clerk. Jacob J. Detwiller.
In 1866 the charter of Bergen was amended, and the city ad- ministration was composed of a mayor, recorder, superintendent of schools, treasurer, collector of revenue, city clerk. overseer of the. poor, chief engineer of fire department and two city surveyors. Henry Fitch was elected the first mayor of the infant municipality. He was succeeded the next year by Doctor John M. Cornelison. Henry H. Newkirk was city clerk 1866-67.
¡The regular place of meeting of the city government at this time was in a hall on the corner of Belmont and Monticello Ave -. nues.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
The power- conferred by the last charter were found too re- Pericial, and Match I. Detis, under the name of "The Mayor and Unnon Connell of Bergen." the legislature granted adequate and diments. The first mayor elected under this charter was John Hiten, who served but a short time and was succeeded by William Brinkerlet. The first board of aldermen under the amended char- uur was composed of the following citizens :
William Briskethoff. President.
Abraham Speer. Thomas F. Hay. Jacob .. Van Riper. John T. Sutphen.
James Super. Jeremiah B. Cleveland. William Van Keuren.
A. A. Woodward.
Michael D. Vreeland.
William Bumsted. Hiram Sigler.
and Samuel McBurney elected city clerk.
Library Hall having just been completed, was selected as a city hall, and all the department of the city government were now located here.
The necessity for a uniform system of sewerage and water supply, and the interdependence of the fire and police de- partments, together with the excessive burdens imposed upon property owners, through oftentimes extravagant assessments. and multiplicity of officials, induced the more conservative of the citizens to consider the advisability of consolidation with adjoining municipalities. Stephen D. Harrison, who followed Mayor Brinkerhoff in 1869. was much interested in the project of consolidation, and at a meeting of the citizens called by him in the fall of 1869, for the consideration of this subject. John M. Cornelison, George Gifford. Jeremiah B. Cleveland. Thomas W. James were appointed a committee to consider and submit a feasible plan for such procedure. Subsequently William Brinkerhoff and Robert Gilchrist were appointed a committee to formulate and present a plan whereby such project could be equitably carried out. A bill was submitted to and passed by the legislature, empowering a special election whereby the senti- ment of the different communities of the whole county might be a-certained. An election was held October 5, 1869, which resulted
THE OLD TOWN OF BERGEN AS PARTOF JERSEY CITY IN 1882
VAN REYPEN
PLACE
VROOM
ACADEMY
H.N. Van Wagenen
J.V.H. Van Reypen
G
10 WIRD
Reynolds
123
A
0
11
N
John P.Lewis
p
M
K
7
1
G
BERGEN
BERGEN
A !!
SQUARE
37
21
22
23
A
36
JOH
7. Speer!
Est of Rich 5p
Stru ET
5
3
Geo. Tree
Aso AAshby
33
124
5
30/09/2827
24
3
Carat G.NewKirk
Grave Yard
TUERS
400
100
200
Scale
Garret G Norikirk
ST
GLENWOOD
ref. Church
HIGHLAND RUE
AVE
35
17
11
16
10
15
C
AUE
STR
34
14
7
32
31
25
vicin R. Formeine
Jo 757
John Winner
BERGEN
7
-.
300
C
B
C.C. Van Typen
CC.Van Reyper
C.C. Van Reyport
3
NEWKIRK
The E Borley
Geoc. Toffey
Est B.C. Taylor
John C. Scary
7
MASTU
W. Toffey
/
2
3
Grave Yard
Grave Yard
20
8
12
B
6
2
.MONTGOMERY
25
0
11
HISTORICAL SKETCH
of .Jepe Cus. Bergen. Hudson City and township of Union. The Listning munpali- voted "No." The township of Union the other affirmative municipalities la inter- .1 woning towns, could not be included. Thus the historic name and town of Bergen passed out of existence. March 17. Ist0, and was. with its neighbors. Hudson City and Greenville, merged into the Inore progressive Jersey City, and now forms part of the great municipality, reaching in its development toward the remaining territory of Hudson County: the whole of which must at no very distant date be consolidated into one great city, even rivaling its opulent neighbor across the river. May we not hope that the old, unstorie name of Bergen may be revived, and reappear as one of the boroughs composing this great city of the near future.
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