Metlar-Bodine House
Encyclopedia
History
In the early 1700s Raritan Landing, New JerseyRaritan Landing, New Jersey
Raritan Landing is an historical community in Piscataway Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, which was once an inland port, the farthest upstream point ocean-going ships could reach along the Raritan River, across from New Brunswick...
had 70 homes belonging to Dutch merchants. In 1728 Peter Bodine, who owned a storehouse, built a two story house near the Raritan River
Raritan River
The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
. In 1733 he sold his house to Hendrick Lane (?-1761). After Lane's death in 1761 this widow, Margaret lived in the house, but in 1780 she sold the property to William French, the son of a sea captain. Isaac Lawrence bought the house from French in 1814. In 1840 William Phillips was the owner and he added an addition to the house. In 1853 Samuel Knapp purchased the house and 220 acre (0.8903092 km²) of the property, and he may have added a second addition to the house around 1870.
In the 1890s, the house was owned by George Metlar, of New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. He used it to house his property manager
Property manager
A property manager or estate manager is a person or firm charged with operating a real estate property for a fee, when the owner is unable to personally attend to such details, or is not interested in doing so...
, John Mason. Metlar's son John moved to the home with his wife in 1904 and shared it with the Mason. In 1914 John Metler inherited the property. John sold some of the land and in 1955 sold the house and the remaining 0.73 acres (2,954.2 m²) to John P. Newton.
In 1977 the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
purchased the property. They planned to use the property for the New Jersey Route 18 bridge to cross the Raritan River
Raritan River
The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
from New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
to Piscataway, New Jersey. It is now owned by the New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
.
On July 17, 2003, a fire damaged the house.
See also
- Road Up Raritan Historic DistrictRoad Up Raritan Historic DistrictThe Road Up Raritan Historic District is located in Piscataway, New Jersey, nearby the site of Raritan Landing, a important inland port on the Raritan River during the 18th and 19th centuries. The name is taken from an earlier colonial era name for what was once a Lenape path, Assunpink Trail that...
- Cornelius Low HouseCornelius Low HouseThe Cornelius Low House is a Georgian manor in Piscataway, New Jersey built for Cornelius Low II in 1741 at Raritan Landing. The Cornelius Low House is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and National Register of Historic Places, and was surveyed in 1937 for the Historic American...
- List of the oldest buildings in New Jersey
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, New Jersey