Hopper-Van Horn House

On August 10, 1700, Blandina Bayard purchased a plot of land measuring 16 miles by 12 miles from local Hackensack Indians. At this time, Blandina believed the land to be in the Colony of New York. It was here that she established a stone cottage trading post, which made her one of the first women entrepreneurs in New Jersey. Upon her death in 1711, her will was probated and the land was granted to her daughter-in-law, Rachel Bayard. The Bayard Family joined into a company with the Laroe and Kiersted families who were familiar with the area. In 1725, the patents to the land was deemed invalid and the Kiersteds and the Laroes were tied up in negotiations until 1743. Upon the settlement, Kiersted sold his land to Hendrick Laroe, who purchased it for his son Jacobus Laroe. In 1750, Jacobus built the current structure known as the Laroe-Vanhorn House. In 1765, Jacobus sold the house and property to Isaac Bogert. Over the next few decades, the house and land would change hands a number of times.

• 1785: Jacon Bogert sells farm to Cornelius Haring.
• 1788: Cornelius Haring sold the land to Judge John Haring
• 1796: John Haring sold the property to Judge Henry Van Dalsem
• 1805: Judge Henry Van Dalsem sold the land to Roelif Verbryck
• 1806: Roelif Verbryck sold the land to Abraham Hopper.
• 1823: Abraham Hopper died (1820) and his widow sold the house to her son-in-law, John G. Hopper and his father, Garret W. Hopper
• 1841: Garrett I. Hopper purchased the land from his mother.
• 1849: Garrett I. Hopper sold the land to his Aunt Margaret and her husband, Abram Van Horn.

In 1889, Havemeyer purchased the Laroe Van Horn House from William Van Horn. The house was to be used as part of his estate Mountainside Farm and it housed workers who worked on the estate. While Havemeyer lived in the house, he added a new roof. The In 1917, Havemeyer sold the house to Stephen Birch of Marapo Farms and used it to house the herdsmen who worked on the farm. The House became state property in 1972 and housed the President of Ramapo College, which was originally part of the Havemeyers Mountainside Farm. George Potter was the first and only President of Ramapo College to reside in the Laroe Van Horn house. In 1980, the Laroe Van Horn house housed students at Ramapo College for the Environmental Studies Program. In 1989 was purchased by Byrant and Joan Malcolm. A restrictive covenant was attached to the deed, the house had to be preserved and maintained in accordance with the recommended approaches Interiors Standards for Rehabilitations. Any changes to the house needed approved in writing by the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.[5] In 2014, they sold the house to Anne-Lise Jacobsen.[4]