Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-10-05
Historic House
At MataWdn

The Monmouth County Historical
Asso citation will celebrate it's twenty
fifth anniversary at the Burrowes
house at Matawan on Friday. Octo-
Der ~. A program suitable to the
occasion has been arranged. There
will be an address relating to the or
ganization and growth of the associa-
ton; an address by a member of the
New Jersey State Historical Society,
and a descriptive and historical
sketch of the Burrowes House by
Miss Edith johnson. who has owned
the house for a long time. The dwell
ling is situated at "a Main street.
Matawan, and is more than zoo years
old. It is one of the most remark
able houses in New Jersey.
The hostess for the afternoon will
be Miss J.. Mabel Brown. president of
the Monmouth County Unit of the
New Jersey Woman's Republican
club, who has lived in the old man
sion for the last twenty years.
1t is Of interest to note that two
hundred years ago when the house
was built, Matawan. then Mlddletown
Point was a well developed farming
community. The house had been
lived in by others before it became
the home of John Burrowes. known
as the corn king" but under MS
regime it became somewhat OF a
community center through his ac-
tivity as a produce merchant. ana
his Revolutionary wal activities
which was reflected in his only son.
also named John.
The mistress of the BurroWes
home was a widow when she mar
ried John Burrowes. Her first hus-
band was Mr.. Burrowes' business
partner, John Watson. She was CALI
ed "a woman of superior refinement
delicate fancy" She called the
house the enchanted CASTLE" Her
husband often made business trips to
New York by water. it being a days
sail although delays We're frequent
due to wind and tide. The towns
people envied Mrs. Burrowes because
her children had the advantage OF
travel" as they frequently accom-
their father on his boat.
When the Revolutionary war broke
out the first company of soldiers was
in Matawan and they were
mustered in and trained at the Bur-
place. John. Jr.. was made
later on. One day he came
home to visit his young wife and the
Tories tried to capture him. He fed
by the way Of the back window,
swan the creek at the foot of the
yard and made his way over to
Staten Island. Later he retoined his
safely.
In the meantime. the Tories had
into his house. One of them
had been hurt and the shawl which
young Mrs. Burrowes was wearing
was demanded for O bandage. IN
refused and one of the soldiers struck
her with his sword. Her death some
years afterward was attributed to
complications which resulted from
the wound.
The original hand-cut clapboards
fastened with hand-wrought nails
still cover the exterior of the house.
and at the brick walk in the rear
the captain escaped the Tories
there is an old locust tree covered
with trumpet vine and Virginia
creeper In the front yard is a large
elm which must be very old. and the
white lilacs in the garden have prob
ably been there long enough to tell
The houses history, could they speak.
Among the a facts relating to
his house is that Slaves were hid
len" in it during the days Nof the
Underground railway" when neg
,oes were making their escape from
The, South to Canada.
The house Is practically the same
Is 1t was during the Revolutionary
There is a beautiful hand
carved arch in the front hall, and
wide moulding which supports
ceiling is very handsome. The
partitions through the house are of
brick or stone and some of the doors
are still rosewood grained. AT the
back OF the fireplace on the second
ioor is an iron tablet set into the
brickwork which reads wv. Lyle,
Furnace, 1769."
Another odd thing about this fire.
place is that 1t had no stone nor
metal across the top of the fire place
the heavy hand hewn wooden
beams which have been charred by
the heat of the fire.
The president of the Monmouth
County Historical Society is Mr.. Hal
II. Wainwright. of Manasquan.
it has a membership of more than
$50 including the most representa-
tive citizens OF the county.