Mission Statement
The mission of the Historical Society is to bring to life and help maintain the history of the Borough of Oakland by activating the Van Allen House site along with the Vygeberg Farm Office Building, and by curating a museum showing living displays and memories of Oakland's past. We encourage the participation of groups and individuals in practicing crafts and the wisdom of our ancestors who survived the birth and growth of Oakland (a.k.a. The Ponds) such as herb gardening, quilting, open-hearth cooking, ancestry recording, poetry, philosophy, music. sewing and many other useful talents.
The Oakland Historical Society was established in 1966 to preserve the Van Allen House, a Dutch stone house built in 1748 by the Van Allen Family. It stands at the corner of Ramapo Valley Road (U.S. Route 202) and Franklin Ave in Oakland, New Jersey. The site is on the National Register of Historical Places especially because George Washington and his troops are documented to have stopped at the house July 14, 1777 on the way to West Point during our War of Independence. A copy of a letter written by George Washington's hand at the house is available for viewing or for sale.
*We are now supporting the Ramapough Conservancy in their efforts to restore the buildings to their maximum useability as centers for local communication and understanding. Visit The Ramapough Conservancy for more information.
Donations support care of the Van Allen Site. The Oakland Historical Society is a 501(c)3 organization, whereby donations are tax-deductible to the amount the law allows. Volunteer work on the site and in the house is also appreciated.
The mission of the Historical Society is to bring to life and help maintain the history of the Borough of Oakland by activating the Van Allen House site along with the Vygeberg Farm Office Building, and by curating a museum showing living displays and memories of Oakland's past. We encourage the participation of groups and individuals in practicing crafts and the wisdom of our ancestors who survived the birth and growth of Oakland (a.k.a. The Ponds) such as herb gardening, quilting, open-hearth cooking, ancestry recording, poetry, philosophy, music. sewing and many other useful talents.
The Oakland Historical Society was established in 1966 to preserve the Van Allen House, a Dutch stone house built in 1748 by the Van Allen Family. It stands at the corner of Ramapo Valley Road (U.S. Route 202) and Franklin Ave in Oakland, New Jersey. The site is on the National Register of Historical Places especially because George Washington and his troops are documented to have stopped at the house July 14, 1777 on the way to West Point during our War of Independence. A copy of a letter written by George Washington's hand at the house is available for viewing or for sale.
*We are now supporting the Ramapough Conservancy in their efforts to restore the buildings to their maximum useability as centers for local communication and understanding. Visit The Ramapough Conservancy for more information.
Donations support care of the Van Allen Site. The Oakland Historical Society is a 501(c)3 organization, whereby donations are tax-deductible to the amount the law allows. Volunteer work on the site and in the house is also appreciated.
