House and outbuildings of Colonel Abram Van Campen (1698-1767) (Moses' Great Uncle). Located in Pahaquarry Township, Warren County, New Jersey (41.055633, -75.005948). The house, built about 1725, is the oldest dwelling in Warren County, NJ.
Contributions to the Family History and Genealogy of the Van Campen Family of America Ulster County, N.Y., Branch, Volume I, by David A. D. Ogden Jr. and LeRoy DePuy, provides the following description of the house and a biography of Colonel Abram Van Campen.
"Situated on a ridge, [the house] ... commands a magnificent view of the river valley. It is built of red sandstone, with huge hand hewn oak timbers, and is of a type common among the early Dutch settlers. It is a story and a half in height, with full basement. Originally it contained but three rooms on the ground floor, with a large fire place; the kitchen was in the basement where a huge fire place with old chains and trammels still exist. The sleeping quarters were on the second floor. About 1870, the outside of the house was plastered and dormer windows added."
"Colonel Abram Van Campen, the founder of the Pahaquarry branch of the family, was born in Ulster County, New York, in 1698, (baptized October 9, 1698, Kingston, N.Y.) and died in Pahaquarry in May 1767." ... "His youthful years were spent on his father's farm in Ulster County, N.Y. where in 1715 he was a private in a company of Ulster County Militia."
"His first purchase of land in Pahaquarry was made on March 8, 1732, when there was conveyed to him by John Van Horne and others of New York City a tract of land containing 1666 acres called by the Indian name "Pahaqualin", later corrupted to Pahaquarry." [Together with other purchases], "Snell and other local historians estimate Colonel Abram's real estate holdings as high as 10,000 acres..."
"Colonel Abram played a very prominent part in the early life of the settlement of the Valley and of Sussex County. Pahaquarry was a part of Sussex County till 1824. In 1739 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace for Morris County, which comprised Sussex County. In 1753, when Sussex County was erected, he was, by Royal decree, appointed one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas. He served as Presiding Judge of that Court until incapacitated by illness in August 1766. In other respects he enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his neighbors and fellow citizens. He was for many years an elder in and a member of the Consistory of the Minisink Dutch Reformed Churches. He was one of the "Managers" of the erection of a court house and jail; was instrumental in the creation of new townships and took active part in the boundary line dispute between New York and New Jersey. The title of Colonel was gained as Colonel of a regiment of West Jersey Militia during the French and Indian War of 1755. During the war four forts were erected by the colony for the protection of the settlers. Fort number one was erected at Colonel Van Campen's."
"Colonel Abram died in May 1767. He was probably buried in the family cemetery located a few hundred yards from his house, though his grave is now unmarked and unknown."
"In 1766, in anticipation of his death, Colonel Abram made a partial distribution of his real estate." ... "...Conveyances of the Pahaquarry lands were made to his sons Abraham and Moses; the latter received the homestead which he occupied till his death in 1818."
This collection includes photos from the following sources:
- Photo by United States Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1941.
- Photo by George Eisenman for United States Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1968.
- Photo by D.C. Hopkins for MosesVanCampen.com, 2010.