As America celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, Friends of the Hermitage said that it has been awarded a combined $128,000 in historic preservation planning grants.
The money will go toward the Bergen County Historical Commission Open Space Trust Fund and the New Jersey Historic Trust to complete a Historic Site Management (HSM) Plan for The Hermitage, one of Bergen County’s most significant historic landmarks.
During the American Revolution, The Hermitage estate played host to General George Washington in July 1778. He was on his way to White Plains following the Battle of Monmouth.
Among the visitors to the house during the Revolution were James Monroe, William Paterson, the Marquis de Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton, Lord Sterling, Peggy Shippen Arnold and Aaron Burr. Burr married Theodosia Prevost, the widow of the owner of the house, in 1782 and briefly owned the property.
Members of the Rosencrantz family owned The Hermitage from 1807 to 1970. The Hermitage estate includes a 14-room Gothic Revival house museum built in 1847-48 for Elijah Rosencrantz Jr. that incorporated the historic colonial house.
The site was designated a National Historic Landmark because of its architecture and was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places a year later.
The announcement coincides with the official start of on-site assessment work this month as the selected consulting team from Clarke Caton Hintz (CCH) arrived at The Hermitage to begin the initial survey and evaluation phase required for development of the plan.
This marks the first step in a detailed assessment process that will evaluate existing building conditions, historic fabric and site features. The consulting team includes experts in historic preservation architecture, archaeology, and masonry analysis and structural conservation, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the property and its preservation needs.
“The Historic Site Management Plan is a critical first step in the preservation process,” said Julie Zier, Director of Development for Friends of the Hermitage. “Completion of the HSM Plan is required before major capital work — such as roof replacement and side porch restoration — can move forward. This planning effort allows us to responsibly address much-needed repairs while ensuring all work meets historic preservation standards.”
Clarke Caton Hintz was selected due to its exceptional qualifications and deep expertise in historic preservation planning and architecture, as well as its extensive experience working on projects funded by the New Jersey Historic Trust.
The firm is familiar with New Jersey Historic Trust requirements and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, ensuring that the final HSM Plan will fully meet all grant and regulatory expectations.
Once completed, the Historic Site Management Plan will serve as the foundational planning document guiding the long-term preservation, restoration, and phased capital improvements at The Hermitage. The plan will establish a clear, strategic roadmap for future investment, prioritizing repairs and improvements necessary to protect and sustain the historic site for generations to come.
