The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-21
AN OLD HOMESTEAD.
Built in 1742 by William Shipper
Its Guests, Hunting and
Wine Parties.

Probably the oldest dwelling house in
the State Of New jersey. says the Wash
ington Star, is located at Oxford Fnr-
mace. 1t is the large mansion opposite
the Oxford Iron Gompauy's store, now
occupied by Mrs. Fowler as a boarding
house, and known as the Fowler
House," 1t was erected in 1T42 by VIII
liam Shippen, who had received a grant
of 10, 900 acres Of land from King George
of England.
The tract extended over the mountain
to near Karrsville, thence through Jack
son Valley to the Pleasant Valley school
house, where IL met the Bowlby grant OF
land. The lines ran parallel down the
valley to n large stone on The farm rc-
| Gently occupied by Jacob Bowers, and
| now owned bv William Shurts; thence III
~ northwesterly direction between the
George BAYLOR farm and the Winter
homestead.
OLDEST HOUSE N JERSEY.
The matsion consists of TWO stories and
a basement, with walls three feet thick.
1t was built to stand the rayages Of time,
and so well has it faced the storms of
ISL years that today it is in a good state
of preservation. The great chimneys
that start from the cellar resemble
square towers built within the house.
The freplaces, seven in number, were
large openings In the chimney walls aud
were lined with iron plates. The middle
or pack plate was ornamepted with the
British coat OF arms. At different times,
as changes were made In the interior of
the house, these hreplaces were walled
up. Several years ago John Jourdan, a
Philadelphia BANKER with his family
spent the summer at Oxford Far
mace with his cousin. S L. Scrau-
ton. While being shown Though
the old house u day Mr.. Jour
dan noticed the British coat of arms on
the middle iron plate of the only fireplace
that had not yet been walled up. He
asked permission to remove the plate,
saying that be would like to present 1t to
the Philadelphia Historical Society, OF
which he was q member. Permission
being granted the plate was removed
and now forms part OF q fireplace Ia the
ciety, and filed by 1t with PROBABLY the
most interesting collection of relics to be
found anywhere in this country.
H SHIPPENS.
The Shipptns came flom England and
settled in Philadelphia. They were a
wealthy family and stood Ugh In society.
During the Wal of the Revolution. ant
while PHILADELPHIA WAS In possession of
Lord Howe, the British commander. d..
Shipments house Was the headquaIt.r s
socially OF his officers. HIS daught r
married General Benedi t Arno'd, Al dis
1inguishea officer of the American army.
who atterwald turned traitor and at
tempted TO deliver West Point, on the
Hudson River, which he commanded.
into the hands Of the enemy. Major
Andre, British officer sent to negotiate
the surrender. was captured by three
Continental soldiers, and the papers
which he had concealed in his boot dis
closed his mission. Arnold, being az
prised of the capture of Andre, escaped to
the British lines, aud for his attempted
treachery was re awarded with a brigadier
generals commission in their army.
Andre was tried for being q spy within
the American lines, convicted and hung
at ~Tarrytown, N. Y. Years afterward
the British government obtained per-
mission to have his remains transferred
10 Westminster Abbey, London, where a
tablet marks his last resting place.
William Shipper, who built the Flow
Ter House, was a son of DR.. Shippen u
a brother-in-law of Benedict Arnold. He
occupied the house for a number Of years
and raised a family. In the fall of the
year he would be visited by friends from
New York and Philadelphia and q grand
hunt with hounds wonld be inAugurated.
They would spend u considerable tims rs
his guest, and tradition says that the
stone house would echo and re-echO the
sounds OF reyelry within it's walls as
they warmed up under the stimulating.
effects of the contents Of the wine cellars
IN this old stone mansion Judge Robe
son lived and here his son, General George
NJ. Robson, secretary of the Navy III
President Grant's Cabinet. was born.
Judge Robeson died in Belvidere many
years ago.
N OF THE LADIES.
Tradition says that Shippeu was ne yer
married to the woman with whom he
lived ut Oxford, though several daughters
were born to them. He did. however,
provide each with a marriage portion
The woman. it is said, was very food of
wine. aud while under It's influence
would become exceedingly hilarious.
Shipper concluded that he would
break up these orgies by locking
the wine cellars. But she proved more
thar a match for him. During his alb
seuce she set one OF her colored
male servant at work to cut a hole
through the stone wall that separated
the kitchen fireplace from the wine eel
lars. He first removed the iron plate
embiazoned with che British coat OF
arms from the back of the fireplace and
then with the pick and crowbar he made
a hole in the wall large enough to admit
the woman's body. After drawing u sup
ply from one of tue casks she would re-
turn to the kitchen aud slide the iron
plate In place. She drank a great deal OF
wine before her method of obtaining 1t
was discovered. But in spite OF her fond
ness for strong drink she was as thor
oughIy aristocratic as the times would
warrant. While taking her morning
walks she would be accompanied by Il
colored boy named James Burr, who car
ried her train over his shoulder. Burr
lived 10 be q very old man and was for q
number of years in the employ of Low
Emerson and his son James, in Franklin
Township.
Shipper did not end his days In Oxford,
and there Is no record at that place of
where he did die. It is more than prob
able, however, that he returned to Phila-
deiphia, as that city was the home of his
ancestors.