Nathaniel Drake House
Encyclopedia
The Nathaniel Drake House, is located in Plainfield
, New Jersey
. The house was built in 1746 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on June 19, 1973. It now operated as the Drake House Museum and is the headquarters of the Historical Society of Plainfield
, though the building is owned by the City of Plainfield. The most famous piece in the Society's collection is the painting, "The Death of General Sedgwick
" by Julian Scott
.
kitchen. George Washington
stayed at the home during the Battle of Short Hills
in 1777. John S. Harberger purchased the home in 1864 and remodeled the building. Harberger's additions to the building included a mansard roof
, ballroom
, a 3-story tower in the rear of the building and a turret
on the side of the home.
Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
, 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...
. The house was built in 1746 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 June 19, 1973. It now operated as the Drake House Museum and is the headquarters of the Historical Society of Plainfield
Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
, though the building is owned by the City of Plainfield. The most famous piece in the Society's collection is the painting, "The Death of General Sedgwick
John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He was the highest ranking Union casualty in the Civil War, killed by a sniper at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.-Early life:Sedgwick was born in the Litchfield Hills town of...
" by Julian Scott
Julian Scott
Julian A. Scott , he was born in Johnson, Vermont, and served as a Union Army drummer during the American Civil War where he received America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Lee's Mills; he was also an American painter and Civil War...
.
History
Issac Drake built the home in 1746 for his son Nathaniel Drake. The original home was a -story building with four rooms and a lean-toLean-to
A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....
kitchen. George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
stayed at the home during the Battle of Short Hills
Battle of Short Hills
The Battle of Short Hills was a conflict between a Continental Army force commanded by Brigadier General William Alexander , and an opposing British force commanded by Lieutenant General William Howe...
in 1777. John S. Harberger purchased the home in 1864 and remodeled the building. Harberger's additions to the building included a mansard roof
Mansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
, ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
, a 3-story tower in the rear of the building and a turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
on the side of the home.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Union County, New Jersey
- List of the oldest buildings in New Jersey