Old Dutch Parsonage
New Jersey’s Birthplace of Rutgers University — 1751 Georgian Brick Parsonage, Dutch Reformed Church History, Jacobus Hardenbergh First President of Rutgers, Raritan Valley Theological Education, National Register 1971, Somerville Somerset County New Jersey
Old Dutch Parsonage is a state historic site at 65-71 Somerset Street, Somerville, Somerset County, New Jersey, administered alongside the adjacent Wallace House State Historic Site. Built in 1751 for Reverend Johannes Frelinghuysen with funds from three Dutch Reformed churches in the Raritan Valley, this Georgian-style brick house is where Jacobus Rutsen Hardenbergh — the first president of Rutgers University (then Queen’s College) — received his theological education. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971, the site features the room where Hardenbergh studied under Frelinghuysen, interpretation of 18th-century Dutch Reformed religious life, connections to the founding of Queen’s College (Rutgers) chartered 1766, the Wallace House next door (Washington’s 1778-79 headquarters), and free public access as a state-maintained site.
The Rutgers Connection
The Old Dutch Parsonage is directly linked to the founding of one of America’s oldest universities. Reverend Frelinghuysen tutored students in theology here, including Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh, who became the driving force behind establishing Queen’s College (chartered 1766, later renamed Rutgers). Hardenbergh served as the college’s first president from 1786 to 1790. After Frelinghuysen’s death in 1754, Hardenbergh succeeded him as minister, married his widow Dina Van Bergh in 1756, and continued living in the parsonage.
Preservation History
In 1907, the Central Railroad of New Jersey purchased the property and planned to demolish the house. Local preservationists successfully intervened, and the structure was moved to its current location in 1913. The State of New Jersey acquired the property in 1947 and now maintains it as a public historic site alongside the adjacent Wallace House.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the connection to Rutgers?
Jacobus Hardenbergh, who studied here under Frelinghuysen, founded Queen’s College (now Rutgers) and became its first president.
Was the building moved?
Yes, it was relocated in 1913 to save it from demolition by the Central Railroad of New Jersey.
