Van Wagenen House

The Van Wagenen House is a house in Jersey City, New Jersey. It is also known as the Apple Tree House. It has been part of the National Register of Historic Places since August 16, 2006. History The main part of the house was built in the 1740s, and an addition was made to it in the 1820s. A legend states that during the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette talked about war strategy under an apple tree in front of the house in 1779. However, this is probably not true. There used to be an apple orchard and a cider press at the house, which is why it is also called the Apple Tree House. The house was called one of the most endangered (which means it is at a very high risk of being ruined) historic sites by Preservation New Jersey in 1996. The building really needed to be improved (made better). In 1999 the City of Jersey City bought the house and started to make it better. The city plans to use the house as a museum. References