Historic Revolutionary War Era Von Steuben House Bergen County, NJ Damaged by Heavy Flooding.

Friends of mine tell me that the damage to the house, site and collections is far worse than the pictures indicate. Some historic artifacts are totally ruined. Unfortunately much of this could have been avoided if the scope of the flooding hadn't been so grossly underestimated.

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“Many priceless artifacts, entrusted to the care of the state in the Steuben House at Historic New Bridge Landing, which we have furnished for the past seventy years, have been damaged. “

What a terrible shame.

Wow, that place is about 10 minutes from where I work and I’ve never heard of it. Maybe I’ll look into it when I get back(in Honduras ATM).

What a shame about the flood though.

Oh no, how sad. I visited there many times as a kid. It was a wonderful place, hope they can salvage it.

That house has been there a long time - I guess the watershed doesnt soak up the water now that it is paved over.

Flood-damaged Steuben House faces hazy future

The future remains in doubt for an irreplaceable collection of flood-damaged antiques at the historic Steuben House in River Edge. Deborah Powell, president of the Bergen County Historical Society, which owns the collection of roughly 1,000 artifacts and pieces of Jersey Dutch furniture, said late last week the collection will soon have to be moved to a location where the water-logged pieces can be conserved. She said that it is unclear who will pick up the tab for the estimated $135,000 in repairs -- or where the collection will ultimately be housed.

"Basically, it doesn't seem very promising to move the collection back into the Steuben House when the state says it doesn't have any responsibility for it," said Powell. "There has been talk of building a museum for the collection near the Steuben House, but we are keeping our options open." The collection -- which ranges from a 6,000-year-old dugout canoe to the shovel used at the groundbreaking for the George Washington Bridge -- is insured, but losses that result from flooding are not covered.

The one bit of good news is that the current damage estimate of $135,000 is far less than the $1.5 million figure given just after the April 15 storm. For nearly 70 years, the historical society has provided the furniture and exhibits for the Steuben House, a state-owned property on the banks of the Hackensack River that is under the care of the Department of Environmental Protection.

A spokeswoman for the DEP said that Commissioner Lisa Jackson would not consider using public money on the collection until all other avenues, including federal and private insurers, had been explored. The Steuben House has been closed to the public ever since the storm overwhelmed the historic site. The structure dates from 1752 and is part of Historic New Bridge Landing, which became a state park three years ago. In 1776, as Gen. George Washington's troops retreated from Fort Lee across the Hackensack River at the landing, It was a moment that inspired Revolutionary pamphleteer Thomas Paine to write the classic passage: "These are the times that try men's souls."

Jose Fernandez, director of the state's Division of Parks and Forestry, which manages the site for the DEP, said the house is dried out, its electrical circuits have been repaired, the site has been cleared of flood debris, and temperature and humidity sensors have been installed. On Friday afternoon, work crews were finishing up a week's worth of restoration efforts at the site. Portable fans going full blast ventilated the first floor. A collection of porcelain had been cleaned, wrapped in paper towels and placed in protective glass cases. Paint on one wall was still blistered and flaking just above the baseboards -- the most tangible reminder of flooding that filled the first floor with 28 inches of water.

Powell said that the finish on some of the wooden furniture is ruined, and the woodwork on a rare Jersey Dutch cupboard is warped. "Whether some of the items can be repaired is still unclear," she said. "But it doesn't seem promising." Members of the historical society complain that the state did not do enough to protect the artifacts. They said that on the day of the storm they offered to help move the antiques out of harm's way, but were assured that their assistance was not needed. They said flood damage had been avoided during previous storms because the collection had always been moved to the second floor.

But Fernandez said that "the state did quite a lot to protect the house and everything else." He said the collection was damaged so extensively because of the "historical magnitude of the flood." But Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, R-Westwood, was still calling for "heads to roll" over the flooding damage. She said that an employee on site "raised furniture maybe four inches off the floor, and they should have known that the place had flooded a foot-and-a-half previously, and that they were expecting twice as much water this time."

In the wake of the flooding, Vandervalk has introduced legislation to establish the position of state historic sites supervisor, whose responsibilities would include the protection, preservation and conservation of the locations. "The state has at least 49 historic sites, and the problem goes far beyond the Steuben House," she said.

History hung out to dry

Floods ruin priceless artifacts

N.J. makes a pitch for federal aid

Founding Fathers face grave problem

Was there in the mid 1970s for a visit—a lovely home. It saddens me to hear of this misfortune.

Perhaps this will spur locals to make the repairs and interest in this historic home will increase.