Arizona republican., 1894-12-27
STILL STANDING.
The House in Which Washington Wrote His Farewell Addre ss.
Some Interesting Facts About the His. 1oric Structure Once Occupied by the First President of the
 United States.

The state of New Jersey, as ever,
 schoolboy knows, was the scene O / many stirring events during the revolu
 tlon, and almost every city, town ant
 hamlet has, or claims to have. land
 mark of which its inhabitants are very
 proud and delight to point out to wis
 iGofs. AS Tn many other parts of the
 country, however. some of these monu
 ments, which should have the greatest
 claim on the American people from a
 historical point of view, have been neg-
 lected, apparently forgotten and all
 lowed to go to decay and ruin. One of
 these IS the old Berrian house at Rocky
 Hill. It was in this house that Wash
 lngton resided for many months, and
 among other acts wrote his farewell
 address to the continental army. The
 house, says the New York Tribune. is
 an old-fashioned structure, with large.
 square rooms and low ceilings to re-
 tam the heat from the hickory and
 oak logs burned in the big, open fire
 places. At the time that Gen. Wash
 lngton occupied the house it was the
 homestead of the family of Judge John
 Berrlan, one of the oldest families in the
 state, which at that time owned vast
 tracts of land, obtalned by grants from
 the crown. Judge Berrian, when the
 clash came, remained loyal to the
 American cause, and his house became
 a refuge for Gen. Washington on more
 than one occasion. The old Berrian
 mansion IS located about quarter of
 mile from the village, on a steep bluff
 overlooking the Millstone river. The little village of Rocky Hill is about six miles from Princeton as the crow flies. /! Off the old post road and located in among the densely wooded hills of
 Somerset county it was unknown to
 CornWallls or his soldiers, and after the
 battles of Trenton and Princeton was
 Just the place for Washington and his
 handful of continentals to retire to for
 rest and refuge. |
 Washington afterward returned at different periods to Rocky Hill during
 the progress of the war, but the longest
 tune he resided in the Berrian house
 was rom June, 17S3, to the following
 November. This was just after con gress had adjourned at Trenton to meet
 at Princeton in the old college build lngs, and here Washington was sum- moned to meet them. Accompanied by Mrs. Washington and part of his mil ltary family, Washington took up his
 residence in the old Berrian house. The
 general and his staff rode daily over P the seven miles of road to Princeton. where congress was in session. Gen.
 Washington evidently found life ex- + ;eedlngly restful and pleasant in the
 berrlan house, and found time to in- 2 dulge in the simple social recreations
 ot the neighborhood. Among the peo- E 9le he called upon was the family of t 'ohn Van Horn, wealthy farmer, H With whom was staying at the time the 2 loted painter, John Dunlap. The lat z CT, in his "reminiscences of Washing < on' mentions the agreeable surprise K mors the people over the pleasant < lscovery that the great general DOS 2 essed liking for social pleasures and K ould appreciate joke by laughing as 2 eaftlly as other men. It was supposed E nat Washington Was always serious K nd grave E Gen' Washington and Mrs. Washing E 9n were still living in the Berrian + ouse on November 3, 17S3, and while <. lere the general wrote his farewell K ddFess to the little army of patriots. H lashington left Rocky Hill at the end A. November and went to Newburg to E tepare for his triumphant entry with IS IS army into New York It is prob- G G= Die that he never returned to the old R errlan house on Rocky Hill, although Rl left behind him many interesting N of his prolonged stay ii lere. R About fifteen years ago the land and E 'use were purchased by David H. 70 ount, wealthy miller in the village. k tter 1t was sold to Martin A. Howell. Nl New Brunswick, N. J. Mr. Howell H ade many necessary repairs to the A Berrlan house, but by the removal Ri the great two-story veranda in front I- 1t, which was supported, as were W ose of most colonial houses of pre- kt7 1slons, by large, round pillars, it 4l 't It's characteristic picturesqueness. FY e architectural beauty of the old 20 onlal style of house, with it's con- Ek table, hospitable look, has been en- H ely lost and the house looks to-day RII1} e many other farnhouses built for @ only. It is now occupied by RE chael Hines, boss quarryman, and M family They revere the memory H Washington even more than others fhzSs tt have lived in the house since he RH ppled it, and delight to show visit H5 through it. 10