New-York tribune., 1902-09-07
HISTORIC ENGLE WOOD.
IT'S HISTORY DATES BACK TO 1876
FORMERLY CALLED ENGLISH
NEIGHBORHOOD.

Tho history OF what IS now the city of Engle-
wood dates back 1916. when II was hrst
settled by a few farmers OF Dutch descent. II was
a part of the settlement then called English Neigh
borhood which covered territory Of some twenty
I'VE square miles ana which name was derived from
the fact that many % the settlers were Tories and
its being great rendezvous for the English troops
Several Of settlers took sides with the BRUSH
IN the Revolution and were compelled TO leave the
locality. When however, they saw that the tnslsh
were being defeated they became anxious 10 return
but were told by the Committee OF Safety that they
could do So provided they brought back with them
certain men who had been taken prisoners by the
English. otherwise they could not
Among the names of the original settlers Of
English Neighborhood found that OF Lydecker,
which family obtained the first patent: Westervet
Denarrst. Van Buskirk. PowIesen. Bosert, Lozier
Vaudel!nda. ZatrlskIe Banta, Dledrich. Terhune
Van Dusen. De Mott and Van Brunt and 1t Is
peculiar fact that all these names are represented
In Englewood to-day.
The place then consisted Of farms. and nothing
Of moment occurred in its history until l716, when
Washington evacuated Fort Lee (Which is about
four miles soutueastD. when General Howe ap-
peared and made his first halt At the Old Liberty
Pole Inn. which then at the corner OF what Is
now known as P1Iisade and Lafayette aves
WASHINGTON again visited this inn and made il his
HEADQUARTERS in i7>0 and wrote to Governor Liv-
ingston then Governor of East New-Jersey com
planning ef the difficulty he encountered in getting
cattle for his troops. Thl- old inn destroyed
think is the original. This moved back. and
the West Presbyterian Church now occupies the
site
is said that flag was raised on a pole near
the spot to celebrate the defeat of the British
The nrst schoolhouse in these parts built OF
stone by Peter WesterveIt, jr., in 1878. this
place ana was called the Liberty Pole Union
School This was taken down In the early SOS
ard rebuilt in what is Hghwood. where
stiu stands.
The Oldest house standing in Engewood is
the De Mott homestead. which built in 1901
as shown by the figures TO be seen on one of the
brownstone blocks. which used for all build
ing PURPOSES here at that time. This house is still
in good condition and is occupied by descendants
the original owners.
In the early 5gs a telegraph wire was stretched
across the Hudson River from a point just above
Fort Lee 10 Fort Washington Point. connecting
with wire from Hoboben. This was blown down
so many times that cable was laid across, just
above what is now Edgewater
The beautiful natural scenery of the locality
attracted J. Wymal Jones. who surveyed the
route for the Northern Railroad of New-Jersey in
1854 and he Immediately Interested his most in
innate friends and induced them to visit the place
with him. WITH the result that toGetner thty
buiId and improve il. At that time there were
seventeen house in Tlat @ Is NOW ,6 "i
laying out the streets and naming them He Stlil
side there his business interests being located else
where.
first by the old settlers all along the line and
one man Started "a stage coach in opposition. This
ken The railroad was competed IN IS79 ana
one train each way was run Tor a while, which
was not sufficient to keep the grass down between
the tracks, and a man was regularly employed to
keep ii cut
shnn T9ar what was then Van Brunt station to
choose a for the new town. Some were in