This historic farm has only been occupied by two families since 1756, the Garretsons & Hagemans. Their Dutch roots fit in nicely with the Dutch community that was  developing in what is now Franklin Township. 

The first Garretsons moved from Gravesend, Brooklyn, to the Piscataway area of New Jersey in 1668. Barnardus Garretson was the son of Gerrit Garretson (b 1698) and Marytje  (b 1701) Wyckoff.

He purchased the property in 1756 from a cousin of his wife, Cornelius Wyckoff, which was part of his holdings on the original Lot 5 of the Harrison Tract. Barnardus served as Revolutionary War soldier and as a local constable after the war.He was married to Leah Suydam and farmed the property for over four decades. When he died, his wife Leah continued to farm but mostly under the supervision of her four maiden daughters. The fifth was Magdalena, married Benjamin A. Hageman II. They had two sons, Bernardus (b 1810)and Benjamin (b 1812). Their mother Magdalena died in 1814 leaving two very young sons. Their father then persuaded her Garretson sisters to take care of them for him, as he could not run his farm and take care of them. So the young boys moved to the Garretson Farm and lived there into the 1840s.

Adrian and Catherine Hageman immigrated from Dutch Amsterdam to New Amsterdam either late in 1652 or early 1653, settling in Flatbush, New York. By 1701 farmland was not available for growing Dutch families. In 1702, four grandsons of Adrian moved to the Six-Mile Run area. A great, great grandson, Adrian, purchased 350 acres. He had seven sons and three daughters. One of their sons was Benjamin B. Hageman, who married Magdalena Garretson. You read about her two sons above. Benjam moved to the Bridgewater area to farm in 1845, after he married Jane Van Wickle, a direct descendant of Symen Van Wickle. He farmed there for sixteen years. While there, they had two sons, Garretson and Samuel. He must have done very well there as you will see in the next paragraph.

In 1861, Benjamin was persuaded by his aunt Elizabeth, the last Garretson sister, to return to the Garretson homestead on South Middlebush Road. That very year he built the regal Italianate-Victorian house that we have today.  His son Garretson graduated from the Rutgers School of Engineering in 1868, and was responsible design and construction of the Wagon, Horse and Dairy Barns built in 1876-7. There are no other barns like them anywhere else in the World. Their design was influenced by a combination of Dutch, English and Victorian design styles.  Garretson kept a journal for over forty years in which he chronicles the 19th century rural life. He also went into some detail as to where he got his ideas for the barns. Benjamin had two sons, the oldest, Samuel who died in 1876, and Garretson. Garretson who became the area's land surveyor, civil engineer, and notary. The house passed to his son Peter, in 1933, after the death of his grandmother. Peter was the Franklin Township Tax Collector from 1928 until his death in 1943; his wife assumed his duties, continuing for another 24 years from the house.

For nearly 40 years, the large room off the south porch served as the official office of the Franklin Township Tax Collector. Peter's son, Garretson continued to live on the farm with his family until 1972, when the threat of the proposed Six-Mile Run Reservoir and state pressure forced them to leave.

The Hageman Farm remained deserted for five years, deteriorating from the weather, neglect and extensive vandalism. Public concerns and the postponement of the Six-Mile Run Reservoir moved the state to agree to dispose of the farm buildings. On July 13, 1978, the Franklin Township Council passed an ordinance authorizing the purchase of the farm and out-buildings for $100 and an annual lease of the surrounding 1.5 acres to be returned to the Township in lieu of taxes.

Open house tours of the Hageman House and Farm are held the Second Sunday of each month. The Second Sunday house tours have been suspended until further notice.

Hageman Farm
209 South Middlebush Road
Somerset, NJ 08873
tel. (732) 828-7418
Map and directions

The Hageman House and Farm is available for third party-private events including weddings, receptions, holiday parties, and corporate meetings. For pricing and availability, please contact Carol Sas at Carol@themeadowsfoundation.org

Thank you to all of you that joined us in celebration of completion of the restoration of the historic Horse Barn at Hageman Farm at Colonial Times. We had a great time and are so glad that you came to support the Meadows. Pictures of Living History weekend can be seen here.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

Hageman Harvest Festival Family Event September 21, 2008 from 12- 4 p.m. at the Hageman House and Farm for the Harvest Festival Family Event. This old-fashioned harvest festival will feature historic house tours, an apple pie contest, apple tasting, and 19th-century games and crafts for children and adults. Admission is free but a donation is suggested for parking. For more information, please call, (908) 447-8360




Meadows' Banquet at Hageman Farm Saturday, October 11th from 6 p.m. at Hageman House and Farm. At last years event, guests enjoyed an authentic Colonial meal surrounded by Colonial re enactors in authentic period clothes at the Hageman House and Farm. Last year, we had 18th Century Music featuring the Harpsichord Baroque Flute and Recorder.

Tickets for the banquet are $40 and the public is invited to attend. For additional information, please call (732) 560-1977

Olde Fashioned Christmas Family Event
December 14, 2008 from 12-4 p.m. The old-fashioned Christmas at Hageman Farm will feature tours of the historic houses, participation in making tree decorations, children's holiday crafts, music, punch and cookies.