Oakland History Reconsidered
Recap of Oakland History Presentation
Installment #4
By Kevin Heffernan
The Real Skinny About George Washington and the Van Allen House
This installment will focus on just one of several events that occurred in Oakland during the Revolutionary War: Washington and the Van Allen House. More to the point, did he really stay there? Is this urban legend, wishful thinking or a documented fact?
Commonly accepted Oakland history tells us that George Washington slept at the Van Allen House on July 14, 1777. Indeed one is tempted to develop an imaginary scene wherein RVR is lined with flag waving Oakland residents cheering with the passing of each troop, with George Washington on a white stallion in the lead smiling and waving at the throng of well wishers.
Hmmmmm, let’s take a close look.
In order to assess the reality, we need to look at the known facts surrounding this event to establish a context. Below is what is known and documented.
1. The source of this event is a dispatch written by big George himself on July 14, 1777.
2. His army of 8,000 troops was traveling North through Pompton Lakes at the time along Rt. 202 and passed through Oakland.
3.The Van Allen House was there as being built in 1740.
Additionally, Mr. Van Allen was a wealthy farmer and a major property owner in Oakland as his house was built of cut stone and built to last unlike most others. It was the probably the best house in the valley at the time.
A quick look at the 1779 Erskin map provides much information. First, this valley was very sparsely populated with only 8 houses in Oakland at the time with perhaps 50 or 60 people. Hence there were no throngs of flag waving Oaklanders since there was virtually no one here to wave them. Also, George Washington would have passed only 2 other houses prior to arriving at the Van Allen House: The Schuyler house in Pompton Lakes on Hamburg Turnpike and the Bogert house located roughly where the current Rt. 287 overpass is. That’s 4 or 5 miles between available houses. It was also one of the very few available to sleep in at the time. Not a whole lot of choice.
Complicating the matter are the words of Washington’s dispatch itself. Specifically, it reads, ” Vanaulens (sp) 8 Miles From Pompton Plains”, not ‘at Vanaulens house’ or residence. Washington could have camped in one of Van Allen’s farm fields. And the Erskin map also tells us that there were 2 Van Allen houses at the time along RVR with the other being up by the Mahwah border. So, if he stayed at the Van Allen House, then which one? Alas, history is silent on the matter.
Sorry folks, but a clear conclusion therefore would be that there is no firm documentation that George Washington either slept at the Van Allen House or used it specifically as his headquarters on July 14, 1777. It only states that he was at the Van Allen property without specificity. But there is hope. Usually history is far less than firm or absolute and this is a prime example.
So, this writer is going to go way out on a short, sturdy limb and postulate that it is very highly probable (aka likely) that George Washington in fact did stay overnight at the Van Allen House and used it as his headquarters on July 14, 1777. And, it is equally very probable Henry Van Allen spent an uncomfortable night in the barn with his wife and a few cows. Following is the audacious basis for this reputation-risking claim.
First, George Washington was revered as a god if not a king by his troops and all those who supported the Revolution. Being viewed as such, it borders upon the absurd to think that his guard would pitch a tent for him in Van Allen’s corn field versus staying overnight at the best house in town. Second, being “8 miles from Pompton Plains” places him squarely at the current Van Allen House, not the one by the Mahwah border several miles up the road to a likely very lesser house. And third, by being located at the intersection of Franklin Ave. and RVR, he has a strategic defense or offensive position with 3 march/escape options. Hence, the very reasonable if not inescapable conclusion is that George Washington did indeed stay at the Van Allen House albeit that it is not documented. I think that if George were here, he’d agree as would Mr. Van Allen, his wife and his upset cows.
As a footnote, Mr. Henry Van Allen would become reacquainted with sleeping in the barn with his wife and cows in a few years hence as we will see next week. Ah, such is the life of a Patriot.
Next week we will discuss the founding and importance of the Ponds Church and the arrival of the Bergen County Courthouse in 1780 along with the really weird, Wild West hang’m justice that prevailed here in Oakland at the time. Stay tuned for more excitement with Oakland history.
Kevin Heffernan – kheffernan555@gmail.com