Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-10-11
HObJE ,ISTORY
IN WOODBRIDGE
Tenement House Commission
Gets After Famous Old
Structure There.
0 M FOR HUNGARlARs

Woodbridge, Oct. 11:--Time has
laid upon this towns most historic
house a heavy hand. 1t has so alter
ed what was once Washington's head
quarters, and the stopping place of
General Lafayette, hat the Tene-
ment-house Commission has stretch
ed out it's long arm to put upon the
structure its mark of disapproval,
and now the place is undergoing re-
pairs.
Years and years ago, in what was
and still Is called 1.-The good old
times" there was built at what is
nov known as the northwest corner
of Amboy avenue and Main street, a
two-story peak roo inn, which in
Revolutionary Days was famous as
the Gross Keys Tavern" In it early
Jersey settlers dined and slept, quar-
relied and made love, and there the
genial, smiling proprietor boosted of
the way in which he provided for
man and beast.
Whether or not these proud boasts
ever reached the ears of General
Washington no one living knows, but
1t is asserted on the strength Of I'M
questioned tradition that on more
than one occasion when New Jersey
was the stage for the stirring scenes
of the Revolution he and some of his
staff dfned and slept at the Gross
Keys" Also it is said that at least
once General Lafayette was there.
AS proof of the latter's visit those
who had heard of it were wont to
point out in one of the windows a
pane of glass Upon which was writ
ten, apparently with a knife or a dia-
mond, the famous French generals
name. 1t was said, and " denied,
that he himself had scratched his
name upon the glass. Once, it is said,
President Harrison visited the house
and saw the writing on the glass.
Time and time again it was suggested
that the pane should be removed for
the preservation of the signature,
but nothing was ever done toward
that end and eight or nine years ago
all chance of ever doing anything of
the kind was lost in the accidental
breaking of the window.
There are some who have since in
sisted that that was a bad omen
that 1t. was the beginning of the end
of the historic place. Whether it
Noo W INV Nv OhS VS. puI SfStI
one in the town knows that along
about that time the place began to
run down. Soon it was rented to
Hungarians. They, in time, brought
others of their race to the house, and
for some years 1t has been a low type
of a tenement. Recently it's condi-
ton was brought to the attention of
the Tenement-house Commission.
TnGnaatnro Wnrn cont tn tho n1opa tr
make an investigation, and almost
without looking they found three dis
tinct violations of the tenement
house law.
In the house five families resided
That, in itself. was q" right, but the
arrangement Of the rooms, the lack
of water in the building and the alb
sence of the most primitive sanitary
devices and necessities were all
wrong. On the first floor the tene-
ment-house men found an apartment
of two rooms. These rooms were oc-
cupied by a woman and her child and
eight boarders. In the room used as
a kitchen there was one bed, and in
the other room " re five beds. The
other four families in the house each
had from three to seven boarders.
All that is q violation of a section
of the tenement-house law, and It
was 'ght there that the commission
began work. 1t ordered the use of
the place as a lodging-house discon-
tinued. On that point the occupants
reluctantly gave way, and then atten-
ton was directed to the sanitary
conditions. 1t Is to bring these up to
the required degree of perfection
that repairs are now being made,
and until this work has been finished
the Tenement-house Commission will
keep the structure under s~urveil-
lance. The property Is owned by
Mrs. Mary Franklin, who is now a
resident of Maryland.