Originally published in 1939
Some of this information may no longer be current and in that case is presented for historical interest only.
Edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2003

1. The GREEN, S. end Main St., was the Revolutionary camping ground for both American and British regiments. Encircled by a row of hedges and interspersed with flowers and shrubbery, the handkerchief-size square is a well-kept lawn traversed by concrete walks. The county's first courthouse, built on the Green in 1732, was burned to the ground by Hess an mercenaries in 1780. In Colonial days stocks and pillories for crimnals stood here. Among the monuments are a bronze STATUE OF AN AMERICAN SOLDIER, erected as a war memorial in 1924, on a concrete gad granite base with scenes representing all American wars, and a STATUE OF GENERAL ENOCH POOR, Revolutionary war hero

2. The CHURCH ON THE GREEN (First Dutch Reformed) (open weekdays on request), NE. corner of the Green, is one of the oldest churches in New Jersey. Built in 1696, rebuilt in 1728, and then enlarged at various intervals until 1869, the red sandstone structure is a fine example of Dutch Colonial church architecture, and the prototype of the other churches in Bergen County. Eleven members of the French Huguenot congregation three miles up the Hackensack River became communicants of the Dutch church. They brought from the French church stones bearing their names, some of which still form part of the present structure. Early in the nineteenth century a doctrinal controversy threatened to divide the congregation. In the midst of one bitter meeting, it is related, a bolt of lightning struck the keystone over the doorway, splitting it in two. Regarding this as a divine omen, the rival factions immediately settled the dispute. The adjacent cemetery contains the remains of many of Bergen County's pioneer settlers.

3. The MANSION HOUSE, NE. corner Main St. and Washington P1., facing the Green, was built in 1751 by Peter Zabriskie and is still operated as a restaurant. A three-story, whitewashed sandstone building, it is of simple Dutch Colonial design, square and unadorned. A veranda which formerly ran along the front of the house was torn down many years ago. After the fall of Fort Lee in 1776, Washington was quartered here.

4. The BERGEN COUNTY COURTHOUSE, opp. the Green, constructed in 1912, architecturally is one of the most successful buildings in the State. This neo-classic structure designed by J. Riley Gordon was well conceived in proportion, detail and setting. The straightforward treatment of the entrance portico, with columns placed in antis, is strong and pleasing.

   Directly east of the courthouse is the BERGEN COUNTY JAIL, a striking five-story building with modern lines and medieval battlements. The light brick surface is handsomely illumined at night by flood lights. Only the unobtrusive bars and screens on the windows indicate the building's use.

5. The BERGEN COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING, corner Main and Hudson Sts., designed by Tilton, Schwanewede and Githens, is neoclassic in style, excellent both in scale and detail. Completed in 1933, its four stories of Arkansas marble are well composed in a mass of great dignity. The building houses county agencies and administrative departments.

6. The JOHNSON FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY (open 9-9 weekdays), 274 Main St., also houses the HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS of the Bergen County Historical Society (open 10-6 weekdays). In addition to documents of various kinds the exhibit includes a large square stone used as a counterbalance in early hangings, a dugout canoe and other Indian relics. The building is of rock-faced Belleville stone in Victorian style, with a fancy bell tower and vine-covered walls.

7. The MUNICIPAL BUS TERMINAL, River St. opp. Demarest Pl., is a modern one-and-one-half-story structure of white-faced brick and glass. Designed by Spencer Newman and opened in 1937, it was financed jointly by the city and the Works Progress Administration. The severity of the functional style is relieved by effective planting on the approaches. The terminal serves most busses operating in the Hackensack section.

8. The TERHUNE HOUSE (private), 450 River St., near the Anderson Street bridge, is now shielded from the adjacent highway by a galvanized iron wire fence. Built in 1670 by John Terhune, a Hollander, it is the oldest building in Hackensack, and has the first known gambrel roof in New Jersey. The low porch, a later addition, faces the south, overlooking a broad expanse of the Hackensack River. It is shaded by a giant elm, said to be more than 600 years old. Few changes have been made in the Dutch Colonial house of whitewashed sandstone since it was built.

9. The HOPPER HOUSE, 249 Polifly Rd., now an inn, was built between 1816 and 1818 by slaves. It is an interesting example of how even the resolute Dutch succumbed to the Georgian influence in architecture. Although the original Dutch characteristics are reflected in the side and rear elevations, the front door is inconsistent with the general design.

Steuben House, 2.7 m. (see Tour 16).

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