Dator Team Sells 18th Century Mahwah Colonial, One Of Bergen County's Oldest Houses

MAHWAH, N.J. – (August 12, 2015) – Linda Dator and Lauren O’Rourke of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Ramsey/Upper Saddle River recently completed the sale of an historic 18th Century Colonial home in Mahwah that has stood since before the founding of the United States.

“This is one of the oldest houses in Bergen County,” said Linda Dator, a past member of the New Jersey Historical Commission. Linda and her husband Bill share a mutual fondness for local history, with Bill currently serving on the board of the Mahwah Museum. The house was constructed by one of Mahwah’s first settlers, explained Bill.

The Laroe-Van Horn House, located on nearly two acres along Ramapo Valley Road, has been carefully restored in accordance with state preservation regulations included in the deed. The nine-room, stone and clapboard home offers 3,100 square-feet of living space, including four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Retaining old world charm, highlights of this home include: two fireplaces, a large front center hall entry, a formal living room, an updated eat-in kitchen, a den, an office with connecting bathroom, two upstairs corner bedrooms, a second floor master suite with a vaulted ceiling and bonus closet space, and a detached barn with garage and storage space. The 1.74-acre grounds have been extensively landscaped with perennials and sweep down to the Ramapo River.

“We felt this was such a unique house to be selling. There is a wealth of history in those walls and on those grounds,” said Bill.

As early as 1700, the property was being used as a Native America trading post operated by Rachel Bayard and Lucas Kiersted. The Lenape frequented the trading post and perhaps camped nearby. A frame house, built by Bayard, was on the land at the time, and the property was utilized as a residence and farm by Kiersted and his wife, Jannetje, from 1703-1743. The stone house currently in existence was built by the next residents, Jacobus and Rebecca Laroe, in 1750.

The next owner of the property, Jacob Isaac Bogert, resided in the home and farmed the land during the period of the Revolutionary War. General George Washington and his troops are recorded as having traveled through the Ramapo Valley, passing Bogert’s home on five occasions. Washington set up headquarters at the nearby Andrew Hopper House for 16 days in September 1780. French Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau also took the route past Bogert’s house. Several people owned the property and farmed it in the following decades, including the Van Horn family from 1849-1889.

Stephen Birch of Mahrapo Farms, located north of the house, purchased the property in 1917 and used it to raise cattle and horses. The stone residence housed Birch’s herdsmen. Mary Birch Patrick, Birch’s daughter, donated the house and immediate lot to New Jersey in 1972 to serve as a president’s residence for Ramapo College. Ramapo’s first president, George T. Potter, lived there and then the house was used to house environmental studies students. Bryant and Joan Malcolm bought the house from the state in 1989. Honoring deed restrictions, they made extensive repairs and a small addition to the home that retained its historical integrity.

“This house has silently observed 265 years of American history, from pivotal moments in the founding of our country to the everyday experiences of its many inhabitants,” said Linda. “It was exciting to play a part in matching this unique home with the next inhabitants in its incredible legacy.”

The Dator Team, which includes Bill Dator, Linda Dator and Lauren O’Rourke, is affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Ramsey/Upper Saddle River, which is located on 47 East Main Street in Ramsey. For more information about buying or selling a home in the Bergen County area, contact the Dator Team at (201) 264-1164 (cell) or (201) 825-7700 (office). The team also represents commercial real estate clients. To view listings, visit www.DatorTeam.com.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New Jersey and Rockland County, New York, a leading residential real estate brokerage company, operates 55 offices with more than 3,100 affiliated sales associates serving all communities from Rockland County, N.Y. to Monmouth County, New Jersey. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New Jersey and Rockland County, N.Y. is part of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company. Visit www.ColdwellBankerHomes.com for more information.