It’s the 50th anniversary of the Van Riper Hopper House being added to the National Register of Historic Places and the NJ Register of Historic Places. Come celebrate this anniversary and National Preservation Month with Passaic County. On Saturday, May 21, 2022 from 1:00pm - 2:00pm, guest speaker Andrea Tingey (from NJ Historic Preservation Office) will share with us the importance of historic preservation and how these lists preserve, protect, and promote New Jersey's historic resources in a free online talk. Click here to register.
The Van Riper-Hopper House (533 Berdan Avenue in Wayne) is significant as a Dutch Colonial stone house on its original site; it has served as a museum since 1964. It was placed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places because of its unique construction and design in criterion C.
Built in 1786 by Uriah Van Riper for his bride Maria (Polly) Berdan, this Dutch Colonial house offers a rare walk back in time. In 2013 architectural research produced evidence that the house was built in three stages. The Van Riper-Hopper family occupied the house from its beginnings to 1928. An abundance of artifacts make it easy to imagine succeeding generations living in the house. Five lower rooms contain 18th and early 19th century furnishings.
Located on its original site, the museum represents the agricultural society that dominated Wayne for over 200 years. In 2013 the first Community Gardens were built on the site to correlate with its traditional agricultural roots. The farmstead includes an historical herb garden, Archeology Laboratory, and Albert Payson Terhune Collection.
