Revolutionary War Era 1740 Bogert House

The Revolutionary War era 1740 Bogert house still stands today and has quite a history.

Demarest NJ was a beautiful area of farms and mills in the 1700’s.  It was also the setting for one of the American Revolution’s major campaigns:  Washington’s Retreat from New York.  Washington’s army crossed the Hudson going through Bergen County where they camped in Fort Lee.  They eventually ended up in his famous Delaware Crossing into Pennsylvania.

Mattias Bogert was one of those farmers.  He built a house alongside what is today called Old County Road.  Mattias worked very hard.  As a result, he had a prosperous business.  Just to his north was the Demarest family.  They had a farm and grist mill.  Six or seven farmers settled here by the late 1700’s.  Most were patriots.  As a result they helped supply the Continental Army in Fort Lee with flour, produce etc.  The story is that one of their sons took off on horseback to warn General Washington that the Tory’s were coming down Closter Dock in pursuit of him.

This was the time of Washington’s famous retreat having been badly beaten by the British in New York.  On May 9, 1779 the Tory’s unleashed a brutal attack on these farmers because they knew they were patriots.  The British burned their homes, destroyed their crops, killed people and took many prisoners.  Matthias Bogert, his family, his home and his farm were not spared.  They suffered along with all the other patriots in the area.  Everyone returned after the war to rebuild their homes and farms.

The Bogert House is a registered National Landmark and preserved forever with a conservation easement.   Magnificently kept, the main part of the house is wonderfully elegant.  This beautiful Dutch Colonial estate home is constructed with the material of the day that all better properties shared – sandstone and wood.  The large front porch is an absolute delight and looks out upon most of the nearly 3 acres of property.  The 2 car garage was once a full sized barn with stables.  One stable still exists inside.  None of it’s original charm and appointments is missing.   Bergen County was a large part of the American Revolutionary War as one of the 13 Original States.  This wonderful 1740 Bogert House is part of that heritage for all of us.