Get An Inside Look At Life In New Jersey’s Ringwood Manor During The Georgian And Victorian Eras

New Jersey's Ringwood Manor is a national historic landmark located in Ringwood State Park. The site of former ironworks dating back to 1740, the current home was not built until 1810. (Over the years, the home has had several expansions/renovations.) Built for Martin J. Ryerson (whose steel company still exists today), the manor was purchased by inventor and politician Peter Cooper and his son-in-law Abram S. Hewitt in 1954. Abram was, during his life, an ironmaster, educator, lawyer, congressman, and mayor of New York City. Perhaps more important than who owned the home is what the home offers.

The manor offers beautiful, varied architecture.

It is comprised of Federal, Italianate, Neo-Greco, and neoclassical components.

The earliest wing of Ringwood Manor is a Federal-style, clapboard-sided house.

Italianate features including a cupola in the center of the roof-line and Gothic features such as trefoil carvings were likely added before 1868. In 1878, the home was made to be more open and by 1885, toilet facilities were added. Indoor plumbing was not common in rural America until the 1930s.

The home also serves as a museum, offering a peek into the past.

The photo on the left is from the 1930s and the photo on the right is from the present day. Both clocks featured (one dating back to the 1780s and the other the 1820s) are still on display in the home.

The museum is home to a wide variety of historic collections.

You'll find period furniture, rugs and textiles, firearms, fine art, china, taxidermy, sculptures, maps, toys, books, lighting fixtures, and more.

One item in the manor's collection is this antique sideboard, also known as a buffet.

It was hand made by John Hewitt, the father of Abram S. Hewitt.

A tour of the manor is truly a terrific way to spend an afternoon but it is currently closed for all tours, events, and programming to reduce the spread of Covid-19. However, there is good news! The grounds surrounding Ringwood Manor are available for walking, hiking, biking, fishing, and picnicking. You can also enjoy immersive history lessons, brief tours, traditional recipes, and more through informative videos being uploaded weekly to their Facebook Page. My current favorite is a recipe for orange jelly made originally with Peter Cooper's gelatin. He held the first U.S. patent for gelatin!

The videos are free to enjoy but anyone able is welcome to donate what they can and support the preservation of Ringwood Manor.