Dey Mansion

About

The Dey Mansion, an excellent example of Georgian architecture, is most associated as General George Washington's headquarters during the year 1780.

Story

Open for tours Wednesday-Sunday. 10:00AM - 4:00PM Last tour is at 4:00PM. Cash or Checks only.. Checks made to "County of Passaic."

About the Dey Mansion

The Dey Mansion, a superb example of Georgian architecture, achieved national recognition as General George Washington’s revolutionary war headquarters in the Preakness Valley and is considered to be the “Jewel of the Passaic County Park’s Department”.
Constructed between 1740-1750 by Dirck Dey, a Dutch-born planter, the mansion is an amalgam of Dutch and English influences, a rich and dramatic composition of country and urban elements that had few mid-18th century counterparts west of the Hudson River. Dey, in all probability, left the completion of the mansion to his son, Theunis. During the Revolution, Theunis commanded the Bergen County Militia. Colonel Dey offered the easterly side of the house to General Washington when the commander-in-chief used it for his headquarters in July, October and November of 1780.

Succeeding generations of the Dey Family resided in the house until 1801, when it was sold to a private owner. In 1930, the Passaic County Park Commission purchased the Dey Mansion, together with several barns and 55 acres of land. A plan of restoration was developed under the direction of Charles OverCornelius who was a former Associate Curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a recognized authority on early American architecture. The building was opened to the public on October 8, 1934. It is now managed by the Passaic County Department of Cultural and Historic Affairs. Located on a two-acre site, the grounds feature a formal garden and picnic area. Ample parking is available. Dependencies include a blacksmith shop and plantation house. In 1969, the National Trust for Historic Preservation considered the restoration of Dey Mansion an “outstanding one.”