GSBC General Meeting + Presentation
Monday, 24 June, 7pm
Ridgewood Public Library—All Are Welcome

The Hermitage: Its History and Its Families

The history of the Hermitage was shaped by the families who lived there.

During the American Revolution, the Hermitage was home to Theodosia Prevost, the wife of a British officer. While her husband was away, Theodosia saw the war play out around her in Bergen County. And when her beloved home was threatened, she entered the fray, engaging in a battle of intelligence and charm to defend her family.

Theodosia's husband died during the War and the same year she married Aaron Burr at The Hermitage. Burr later became Vice President of the United States—and while in office killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey.

In 1807, the Hermitage was purchased by Dr. Elijah Rosencrantz and his wife Cornelia Suffern. The Rosencrantz family would call the Hermitage home until 1970, when Mary Elizabeth, the last member of the family, died and willed her home to the State of New Jersey. Four generations of the Rosencrantz family lived and worked at the Hermitage, actively participating in the changing landscape of Bergen County, from sprawling farmlands and hamlet towns, to centers of industry, commerce, and suburbs.

Free and open to the public—all are welcome.

Victoria Harty is the Executive Director of The Hermitage Museum, A National Historic Landmark in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Bennington College and two Master's Degrees from New York University. She has worked in the field of public history and historic preservation for the past decade in various institutions in Vermont, New York, and New Jersey. Victoria has been involved with The Hermitage Museum as an intern and, since 2011, as a staff member.