Built 1750 NJRHP # 431 Opened 1750 Added to NRHP 24 July 1984 | NRHP Reference # 84002537 Designated NJRHP October 3, 1980 Area 171 ha | |
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Location Alpine Landing, Alpine, New Jersey MPS Stone Houses of Bergen County TR Similar Kearney House, Alpine Boat Basin, Campbell‑Christie House, Steuben House, The Palisades | ||
Blackledge-Kearney House, also known as Cornwallis' Headquarters, is located within the Palisades Interstate Park in Alpine, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The house was built in 1750 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1984. Lord Cornwallis was believed to have used the house as a temporary headquarters during his crossing of the Hudson River in 1776 (modern historians dispute this claim).
History
The house was built next to Closter Landing in 1750. Maria Blackledge, the daughter of Benjamin Blackledge lived in the house with her husband Daniel Van Sciver. The house was purchased in 1817 by James and Rachel Kearney. James died in 1831 and Rachel turned the house into a tavern. The house was expanded to accommodate the tavern. In 1907 the house was purchased by the Palisades Interstate Park. The house was used as a police station for the park in the 1920s.
The park now uses the house as a museum known as Kearney House.