Pequannock Township Historical Society
The Martin Berry House
The Blue Tour
Saturday, May 6, 2023
12pm to 5pm
Pequannock Township Historical Society
The Martin Berry House
Event Information
- Tour the Martin Berry House (if construction completed)
- Learn about the Berry family, early Dutch immigrants
- Learn about former Berry House owners: James R. Evans, Medal of Honor recipient and Jessie May, late 19th century
woman photographer - Discover the history of Pequannock and its role in the formation of our country
- Visit the Township Museum nearby in the Pompton Plains Railroad Station
- On-site parking is available. On-site parking also available from east end of Cedar Road (+ADA access)
The Martin Berry House c.1720 is a one and one-half story, center hall, five-bay stone Dutch house with a gambrel roof and a small one-story addition on the east side. Built by four generations of the Berry family, this house is the quintessential example of the evolution of a northern New Jersey Dutch farmstead from a simple utilitarian structure to a high style symmetrical architecture. In the late 19th century, the 300-acre Pompton Plains farm included, in addition to the main house, a general store and post offce at the southwest corner. In 1936, the house operated as the “Stone House Inn” until the Great Depression brought foreclosure two years later.
The Martin Berry House was included in the 1939 Historic American Buildings Survey and was listed on the NJ and National Registers of Historic Places in 1973. Today, it is the home of the Pequannock Township Historical Society which operates it under agreement with the Township. One of the oldest houses in NJ, the Martin Berry House was purchased by Pequannock Township in 2017. Restoration is ongoing. The first floor is now wheelchair accessible.
