Garretson Forge and Farm is a farm owned by the Garretson Family since 1719. Located in Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn, New Jersey

Fair Lawn is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and a suburban municipality in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 32,457. Fair Lawn was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, it is one of the oldest historic sites in Bergen County.
The Peter Garretson House (also known as Garretson-Brocker Home) was built in 1720 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 on November 19, 1974.

History

The history of Garretson Forge and Farm began during the 17th century, with the immigration of three Dutch emigres

New Netherlander

New Netherlanders were residents of New Netherland, the seventeenth century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the northeastern coast of North America, centered around the Hudson River and New York Bay, and at the end of the colony in the Delaware Valley.The...

: Gerrit Gerritse, his wife Annetje Hermansse, and their son Gerrit. In 1719, Gerrit purchased a huge plot of land known as the Slooterdam Patent from a businessman named David Daniellse. This plot of land was very large, encompassing many towns that are now in Bergen and Passaic

Passaic County, New Jersey

Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...

, one of these towns being Fair Lawn. Gerrit's son Peter started construction shortly after the land purchase, and the history of Garretson Forge and Farm began. Originally called "The Garretson-Brocker home", Garretson Forge and Farm housed six generations of Garretsons for over 100 years.

During its early existence, Garreston Forge and Farm was a large plantation that grew various types of crops and also housed multiple slaves. Over the years, however, pieces of Garretson Forge and Farm were sold off. Currently, the property is just under 2 acres. Many additions were made to Garretson Forge and Farm throughout the years including the construction and renovation of the main estate, which is part of the living museum. In 1902, major changes were made to the manor house, adding a second floor, outside porch, and a new roof. These 1902 renovations made Garretson Forge and Farm look like what it does today.

Location

Garretson Forge and Farm is located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey on 4-02 River Road. It is also in very close proximity to the Passaic River. Water from the river was used to make bricks in the early stages of construction of Garreston Forge and Farm. Numerous Lenape

Lenape

The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...

 artifacts have also been found on the property. The region around the Passaic River

Passaic River

The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...

 was the territory of the Acquackanonk and Hackensack.

Living museum and garden

Today, patrons can visit Garretson Forge and Farm to explore the outdoor living museum as well as the extensive garden. The living museum contains numerous historic buildings and artifacts which patrons can explore and interact with. The main estate contains a rustic kitchen that was used by the Garretson Family. Outside the main estate, is an authentic water pump, where patrons can actually pump underground water to be used for the garden. There are numerous buildings around the property that are used to store farm equipment for the garden as well.

Originally, Garretson Forge and Farm was used to grow a variety of herbs and vegetables. Commercial crops were grown as late as 1970 by the Garretson Family. Currently, the garden is mainly used to grow a wide a variety of herbs. The garden consists of over 50 herbs and spices, and also contains a butterfly garden and fruit orchard. Patrons who come to visit can participate in the cultivation and upkeep of the Garretson Forge and Farm garden.

Community

Garretson Forge and Farm provides a role in the local community as well as being a living museum and garden. The local community uses the outdoor picnic and recreation area to hold town meetings and to have guest speakers. There are also various activities that go on throughout the year, such as the Dutch Christmas celebration, that the community can participate in. Furthermore, Garretson Forge and Farm is run by the community who volunteers as tour guides, gardeners, and other useful jobs pertaining to the upkeep of the garden and living museum. There is a local elementary school in the area that hosts annual field trips to the Garretson Forge and Farm. Students from the school get a specialized tour of the grounds, and participate in various activities around the farm.