Historic Washington Well Farm Named to Endangered Sites List

By Barbara A. Preston | Posted May 29, 2025

In May, Preservation New Jersey named the flood-damaged and vacant Washington Well Farm in Skillman to its 2025 list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places.

The Dutch farmstead, established circa 1750, is tied to the Revolutionary War and is known for a well where George Washington’s troops stopped to drink in 1778.

Flood damage caused by Hurricane Ida in 2021 severely damaged the home and some outbuildings.

Washington Well Farm, circa 1750, has been listed for sale for 150 days, according to real estate listings. A sale is now pending. It is located at 664 Route 518 in Skillman. The 8-plus acre property was listed for $405,000.

Recently, the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) removed a small cottage from the property that reportedly housed enslaved persons. It will be preserved and relocated to SSAAM’s nearby Hollow Road campus.

Behind the property is the Dureyee family burial ground. Joost Duryee, who had purchased 260 acres, had built and lived on the farmstead with his two wives, and his son Simon, who was a Revolutionary War soldier.

Click to read more about the Washington Well Farm.

>> For Sale: Pre-Revolution-Era Dutch Farmhouse

By Richard D. Smith | Posted February 20, 2025

The Washington Well Farm’s hand-hewn, wood-peg barn.

Preservation New Jersey’s list of endangered historic sites:

• Boylan House, Bernardsville.

• The Universal Building, Jersey City.

• Cornelius Doremus House, Montville.

• West Main Street, Moorestown.

• Van Houten House, Paterson.

• Perth Amboy Police Headquarters.

• Abbot Manor, Plainfield.

• Monmouth Boat Club, Red Bank.

• Washington Wells Farm, Skillman.

• Andrew Mershon Tavern, Titusville.

“These places matter,” said Paul Muir, president of Preservation New Jersey, in an email announcing the list. “They tell the stories of who we are and where we’ve been. By bringing attention to these threatened sites, we hope to inspire action, partnerships, and solutions that can save them.”

Advertisement