Wallace House - Somerville, NJ
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 40° 34.140 W 074° 37.280
18T E 532053 N 4490982
Wallace House served as the headquarters for General George Washington during the winter of 1778-79 during the American Revolutionary War.
Waymark Code: WMHFNC
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 07/05/2013
Views: 3
The historic house is now a Museum.
Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"The Wallace House is a Georgian style historic house which served as the headquarters of General George Washington during the winter of 1778-79, located at 38 Washington Place, Somerville, Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It was listed on the New Jersey Historic Register and then the National Register of Historic Places in 1970...
The Continental Army camped in the Watchung Mountains at Middlebrook, 3 miles (4.8 km) from Hope Farm during the winter of 1778-79. The Wallace House became George Washington's headquarters, though he only stayed there for 11 days before leaving to attend the Continental Congress in Philadelphia for 6 weeks. Washington returned in February 1779 bringing his wife Martha. The Washingtons may have been the first occupants of the house. He then used the house to host foreign dignitaries and official dinners, and to plan military strategy. In particular, he planned the 1779 campaign against the Iroquois League known as Sullivan's Campaign. Guests at the parties included Benedict Arnold, Nathanael Greene, Alexander Hamilton, Henry Knox, and Baron Steuben.
Washington left on June 3, 1779, and paid Wallace $1,000. The Wallace family and their slaves then returned to live in the house.
John Wallace, his wife, and his mother-in-law all died in 1783-84, and his youngest son William inherited Hope Farm. William lived there until he died at age 33 in 1796, leaving three orphan children. William's brother Joshua took care of the children and sold Hope Farm to Dickinson Miller in 1801.
The Revolutionary Memorial Society bought the house in 1896, and gave it to the State of New Jersey in 1947."