The Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus sits on five acres of land that has seen more American history than almost any other building in Bergen County. George Washington stayed here. Aaron Burr got married here. And right now, it needs a new roof.
The house was built in the 1750s and expanded over the years. It is a National Historic Landmark, open to the public for tours, and run by a nonprofit that has been patching it together for decades. But patching only works for so long. The organization recently put out a call for help because the roof is failing and water is getting into the structure.
This is the same problem a lot of Bergen County homeowners face with older properties. You buy a house with character. You love the wide plank floors and the original moldings. Then the first big rain comes and you realize the character comes with a price tag.
The difference is that the Hermitage cannot just call a roofer and write a check. It needs grants. It needs public funding. It needs the community to care enough to keep it standing. And the reality is that historic preservation in New Jersey is always a fight. There are over 50 National Historic Landmarks in the state and many of them are in the same position as the Hermitage — one bad winter away from irreversible damage.
What makes this interesting from a real estate perspective is that Ho-Ho-Kus has always been a town that values its history. You see it in the stone walls that line the properties, the pre-Revolutionary homes that still stand on main roads, and the way new construction is designed to blend in rather than stick out. That is not an accident. It is a reflection of what the town chooses to protect.
If you drive through Ho-Ho-Kus this month, stop at the Hermitage. You do not need to be a history buff to appreciate a 270-year-old house that is still standing. And if you are thinking about buying an older home in Bergen County, let the Hermitage be a reminder: the bones matter, the roof matters more, and nothing lasts forever without someone willing to fight for it.
Daniel Chamoun, REALTOR
[email protected] | (201) 543-1774
