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This document is a historical anthology titled 'A Short History of River Edge, NJ', published by the Bergen County Historical Society. It provides a detailed account of the area's development from its first European settlement in 1683, including significant colonial events, its role in the Revolutionary War, and its evolution into the modern borough of River Edge. Key historical landmarks, settlements, and community developments up to the early 20th century are described.
The narrative covers the establishment of key infrastructure like bridges and mills, the impact of transportation (railroad) on suburban development, and the incorporation of the borough. It also highlights the preservation efforts for historical sites like the Zabriskie-Steuben House.
The document was edited and published in 2020 by Deborah Powell, with original content from 1994 and contributions by Kevin W. Wright, serving as a comprehensive historical record for the community.
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--- Document: History Document --- Cornelius Matthew, a Swedish land-clearer, made the first European settlement about 1683 at the narrows of the Hackensack River in the vicinity of the Steu ben House. This area was known as Tantaqua’s Plain or Aschatking (meaning “at the narrows, where the hill comes close to the river.”) Tantaqua was a Hack ensack sachem and a successor to Oratam. The earliest landowners were John Adams, Eptkey Jacobs (Banta), Richard Pope, Daniel River, Andrisse Tibout, John Durie, John Demarest, and Albert Zabriskie, who purchased tracts of land in 1685 and 1686. 1 David Ackerman bought 420 acres from Mathew Cornelisse in 1695. His son Johannes’ widow, Jannetje Lozier, sold property at New Bridge to Jan and An netje Zabriskie in 1745. 2 The Ackermans had a tidal gristmill by 1713. The Demarests sailed up the Hackensack River to the vicinity of what is now the River Edge Train Station in May 1677. The first house in which David Des Marest resided was located “on the East side of the Hackensack and doubtless very near to his mills at the Old Bridge,” probably on the south side of River Edge Avenue in New Milford, just east of the present bridge. 3 A History by Kevin W. Wright Edited and Published by Deborah Powell © 2020 Originally Published © 1994 A SHORT HISTORY OF RIVER EDGE, NJ Bergen County Historical Society Anthology HISTORIC NEW BRIDGE LANDING Warrior from 1609, A Country That Was Never Lost, pg 126 by Kevin W. Wright Image from HNBL Brochure 2 A SHORT HISTORY OF RIVER EDGE, NJ | Bergen County Historical Society Anthology Map by Claire Tholl. Larger area version of this map is on our website: BergenCountyHistory.org River crossings were built at the gristmill hamlets of Old Bridge (by the present River Edge train station) in 1720 and at New Bridge in 1744. The name New Bridge did not come into use until after the Paulus Hook Ferry was established in 1764. Several houses appear on Robert Erskine’s No. 113, 1779 map, noted along Kinderka mack Road. The surrounding land was woodlots, and farm fields for grain and orchards. The roadside farms, lying along the Kinderkamack Path between Old and New Bridge, formed a neighborhood known as Steenrapie, a vanished place-name. Steen is the Dutch word for “stone,” which prompts some to mis takenly believe — as with the kinder in Kinderkamack — that the word is of Dutch origin. Most likely, Steenra pie is an approximation of the Lenape “Lenacki,” meaning “high ground, upland.” The countryside atop the hill, extending from northern River Edge into Emerson was anciently known as Kinderkamack; the path leading up from Hackensack was called the Kinderkamack path or road. The first spelling (1686) was Kindokameck, a form of the Lenape word Wenhakamike or Linhakamike, meaning “upland.” The Dutch later corrupted it to Kinderkamack. This road climbed the mountain ridge at Cherry Hill (just as it does to day). 4 3 A SHORT HISTORY OF RIVER EDGE, NJ | Bergen County Historical Society Anthology Despite centuries of change, three pre-Revo lutionary War homes still survive (in 2020), including two along Kinderkamack Road. The homestead of Christian Dederer, built around 1760, stands at the foot of Wayne Avenue. The Heritage House on Kinderkamack Road, overlooking the head of River Edge Avenue, was constructed, perhaps as early as 1760, on “that certain Farm, or Plantation lying and on the West side of the Hackensack River oppo site the Place where the old Mill stood, being the farm or plantation whereon David Demar est lived and died and containing 270 acres.” 5 The Zabriskie-Steuben House (now a state his toric site) was built 1752, enlarged 1767. The Zabriskies had a tidal gristmill, shipping wharf and schooner. The Jersey-Dutch sandstone gambrel roof house is located at Historic New Bridge Landing along the Hackensack River. There was much activity throughout the war because of it’s stragetic location at the bridge, the first bridge above Newark Bay. 6 Heritage House, Kinderkamack Road Wayne Avenue and Kinderkamack Road Zabriskie-Steuben House, 1209 Main Street Zabriskie-Steuben House date stone with tide mill paddle wheel relief 4 A SHORT HISTORY OF RIVER EDGE, NJ | Bergen County Historical Society Anthology Considerable military activity occurred in River Edge throughout the Revolution. Surprised by British invasion on November 20, 1776, General Washington led the retreating garrison from Fort Lee across the New Bridge to safety, inspiring Thomas Paine’s memorable refrain, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” British troops built earthworks and troop emplacements upon Brower’s (later Cherry) Hill in September 1778. 14,000 soldiers of the Continental Army encamped at Steenrapia in September 1780. Washington’s correspondence lists his headquar ters at New Bridge, undoubtedly in the Steuben House. At war’s end, the State legislature presented Jan Zabrisk ie’s stone mansion to Baron von Steuben, the Prussian Inspector-General of the Continental troops. The historic Zabriskie-Steuben House at New Bridge probably survived more of the American Revolution than any other spot in America, having served as a fort, military headquarters, encampment ground and battleground throughout the war. 7 Famous Faces of New Bridge Image from HNBL Brochure Washington leading the troops across New Bridge, painting by B.Spencer Newman, BCHS collections. 5 A SHORT HISTORY OF RIVER EDGE, NJ | Bergen County Historical Society Anthology AMERICAN BATTLEGROUND While a constant arena for conflict, the following significant Revolutionary War events are associated with New Bridge: • British troops under Major General Vaughan attacked the American rear guard on November 21, 1776, and seized the New Bridge, which American engineers were dismantling. • British and Loyalist troops under command of Captain Patrick Fergusen attacked about 40 Bergen militiamen at New Bridge on May 18, 1779. • Major Henry Lee led American troops from New Bridge, August 18, 1779, to attack the British earthworks at Paulus Hook (Jersey City). • A force of Bergen Militia and Continental troops attacked 600 British troops and German auxiliaries at New Bridge on their retreat from Hackensack & Paramus on March 23, 1780, during the 2 hours it took for the British to repair and cross the New Bridge. • A body of 312 British, Loyalist and German infantry attacked and overwhelmed an American outpost at New Bridge commanded by Lieutenant Bryson on April 15, 1780. • Eight British soldiers were killed and several wounded by friendly fire when British troops attempted to attack a body of Bergen Militia in the Zabriskie-Steuben House at New Bridge on May 30, 1780. • Brigadier General Anthony Wayne led American troops from New Bridge on a raid against the Bull’s Ferry Blockhouse on July 20, 1780. • General Washington made his headquarters in the Zabriskie-Steuben House during the Steenrapie Encamp ment (along Kinderkamack Rd) of the Continental Army, encompassing 14,000 men, on September 4-20, 1780. 8 Map from Andre’s 1780 Journal that shows New Bridge and Old Bridge and British 5,000 troops in red, encamped from Cherry Hill to Englewood. Note the two forts on Cherry Hill. 6 A SHORT HISTORY OF RIVER EDGE, NJ | Bergen County Historical Society Anthology Utilizing the thick bed of glacial clay that man tles the Hackensack Valley, Henry Van Saun opened a brickyard and pottery near what is now the River Edge Swim Club around 1811. Pot-baker George Wolfkiel took over op erations in 1848, producing crockery and slip-decorated pie plates that are today highly collectible. Based upon the seasonal harvest of cattail rushes for seating, chair making was another important cottage industry. Schooner on the Hackensack River Captain Stephen Lozier had a general store at the Old Bridge, which was a thriving lumber port during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, sending great quantities of cordwood to New York and other coastal cities. In 1874, the Hackensack Water Com pany erected its first pumping station at New Bridge, feeding river water to its reservoir atop Cherry Hill (hence, Reservoir Avenue) to supply potable water to Hackensack by gravity feed. Because the brackish river water drawn from this location proved undrinkable, the company relocated to New Milford at the head of tides in 1881. The Hackensack & New York Rail road extended northward in 1870, initiating the first suburban development. Commuter residences rose on streets surrounding the depot near New Bridge, named Cherry Hill, and another at Old Bridge, re named River Edge. The King Iron Company installed an iron bridge at Old Bridge in 1887 and at New Bridge in 1889. The latter still survives and is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places as the oldest highway swing bridge in the state. Developer Gustav Peetz purchased the 25-acre David W. Christie farm in 1892, lying between Kinderkamack Road and the Hackensack River, adjacent to the River Edge Station, and surveyed the tract into streets and building lots. He remodeled the old Christie Homestead on Spring Valley Avenue for his own residence. Emil Baumgertel opened the River Edge Hotel at this location in May 1894. On June 29, 1894, by vote of 37 to 3, citizens of Riv er Edge and Cherry Hill approved incorporation of the new borough of Riverside. The first town officials were: Mayor John G. Webb; Councilmen, Albert Z. Bogert, Nathaniel Board Zabriskie, James D. Christie, Nicholas R. Voorhis, Frederick H. Crum, and D. An derson Zabriskie; Assessor, John R. Voorhis; Collector, James D. Holdrum; and Commissioners of Appeals, Henry Spatz, Conrad Freidman, and Henry Lozier. James D. Holdrum built his store building at the corner of Park Avenue and River Edge Road in 1895. In July 1895, Albert Z. Bogert built a new store along side the river at the west end of the Old Bridge. At about 3:30 p. m. on Saturday, July 13, 1895, the black funnel of a tornado appeared atop Cherry Hill. This 1848 Pie Plate made near the River Edge swim club 7 A SHORT HISTORY OF RIVER EDGE, NJ | Bergen County Historical Society Anthology “hellish wind,” soon known as the Cherry Hill Tor nado, caused considerable damage along Main Street in its eight-minutes of fury, killing three persons and injuring eleven. Albert Z. Bogert, Mayor Joseph Brohel, and Wm. Mar tin purchased about 14 acres of the Webb and Demar est farms in 1905, formed the River Edge Land Com pany and began selling building lots on the hill above the train depot. Many fine homes were subsequently built along Summit Avenue and its vicinity. The first Cherry Hill School House was built on Grand Avenue in 1901. The River Edge Volunteer Fire Department was incorporated in June 1903. The post office and depot at Cherry Hill were renamed North Hackensack in 1907. The North Hackensack Hose Company was incorporated in 1907, with 35 members and 500 feet of hose. A new River Edge railroad depot was erected in 1907. In 1911, contractor Carl Ufheil, of Peetzburg, built a small post office building of concrete blocks for River Edge, opposite the train station on the west bank of the river. It served as a post office until 1931 and the building still survives. Also in 1911, the Freeholders ordered the installation of a new bridge near the River Edge depot, using the Bascule patent, which employed a counterbalance apparatus on the principle of the seesaw, in which one end rises as the other falls. The borough name changed to River Edge in 1930. The literature department of the Women’s Club estab lished the River Edge Library in 1931. As late as 1938, 25% of River Edge remained farm acreage. The popu lation, however, doubled in the decade between 1930 and 1940. Over the next several years, the Borough accepted 4.6 miles of new streets and Kinderkamack Road was widened. The present Borough Hall opened in 1941. Charles H. Reis developed the Clarendon Hills section of River Edge. In 1941, the Sunnyslope subdivision had sites available for 51 dwellings to sup plement the 350 already constructed. A new Borough Hall opened in 1941 in the former residence of Mayor Elmer Howell, situated on the dividing line between the old north section of town and new subdivision housing developments. The State of New Jersey acquired the historic Zabrisk ie-Steuben House through eminent domain in 1928, largely at the urging of the Bergen County Historical Society. The Historical Society opened their museum headquarters in there in 1939 and purchased the adja cent eight-acres in 1944 to provide a buffer and refuge for threatened historic sites. The Historic New Bridge Landing Park Commission was created by legisla tion in 1995 to coordinate governmental and private development within the historic park, preserving this rare fragment of our past. After a flood in April 2007, further legislation turned over administration of the state-owned lands and buildings to the commission, not only to better protect this Revolutionary War battleground from modern intrusions, but to promote it as a major heritage destination. From New Milford the Demarest House Museum and Westervelt-Thomas Barn were moved in 1954-54 and the Campbell-Chris tie House in 1977 to BCHS property at the site. The pace of suburban subdivision and development accelerated rapidly after World War II. In the past de cade, new and larger residences have already replaced houses built in the postwar boom. In 2009, the name of the NJ Transit stop in the south end of the borough was changed from North Hackensack to New Bridge Landing, restoring the historical identity of the neigh borhood, where exciting new hopes and plans for redevelopment are now under consideration. 9 Footnotes: 1. Kevin W. Wright with Deborah Powell, The Bridge That Saved a Nation, Bergen County, New Bridge and the Hackensack Valley, (England: America Through Time by arrangement with Fonthill Media, 2019) p. 50. 2. Wright, op. cit., p. 44 3. Demarest, D. D., The Huguenots On the Hackensack, (New Bruns wick: The Daily Fredonian Steam Printing House, 1886), p. 10 4. Wright, op. cit., p. 42 5. Kevin W. Wright, unpublished manuscript. 6. Kevin W. Wright, Historic New Bridge Landing Brochure. 7. Kevin W. Wright, Historic New Bridge Landing Brochure. 8. Kevin W. Wright, BCHS website: https://www.bergencountyhistory. org/newbridge-revwar 9. Kevin W. Wright, website prior to January 1, 2020.
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First Discovered
Apr 28, 2026
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