Woodside, the North End of Newark, N.J.: Its History, Legends and Ghost Stories Gathered from the Records and the Older Inhabitants Now LivingHine, C. G. (Charles Gilbert)
History
Woodside, the North End of Newark, N.J.: Its History, Legends and Ghost Stories Gathered from the Records and the Older Inhabitants Now Living
Hine, C. G. (Charles Gilbert)
Hine, C. C. (Charles Cole), 1825-1897; Woodside (Newark, N.J.) -- History
Some years before his death Mr. Daniel F. Tompkins called at the Sidman
house and made the statement that he had found in New York a document
which contained information to the effect that Washington contemplated
establishing his winter camp at “Sidman’s (Sydenham’s) Clove”, but owing
to its proximity to the British lines the idea was abandoned and instead
he fixed the camp at Morristown. Mr. Tompkins believed that this
referred to this Sidman property which then covered a considerable
tract, but no member of the family had ever heard any part of the estate
called the clove, and nothing further was developed. A brief search
among the records of the New York Historical Society fails to reveal the
source of Mr. Tompkins’s information.
A KEEN HOMESTEAD.
On the corner of the old road and Murphy’s lane stands another Keen
homestead. The original house, which has been added to until it has lost
much of its identity, was part of the Crane estate and came into the
Keen family through the marriage of Alfred Keen with a sister of
Nathaniel J. Crane. The older part of the house was probably built a
hundred years ago. The front part was erected by Alfred Keen about fifty
years ago.
THE FARRAND FAMILY.
The old Moses Farrand home formerly joined the Keen property, extending
to the canal. The building was torn down some years ago. It was a fine
old place in its day, having been erected, it is said, near the close of
the eighteenth century. The rooms were spacious for those days, while a
great central hall extended from front to rear. The walls were thick and
massive, the brown stone of which they were constructed is supposed to
have been taken from the quarry at Soho.
Dr. Edward D. Griffin pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Newark
from 1801 to 1809, was in the habit of riding out to this house to
conduct religious services for those living in the neighborhood.
The family record in the old Farrand Bible, now in possession of Miss
Anna B. Farrand, begins with Moses, who was born in October, 1728, and
died September 19, 1805; following him comes Samuel, born July 25, 1759,
died December 26, 1826; he married Sarah Andruss, who was born December
30, 1769, and died in June, 1874; Joseph, born January 10, 1792; Moses
Andruss (2d), born October 11, 1793, died January 26, 1862; Rachael,
born August 13, 1795, died August 19, 1816; Sarah Ann, born August 4,
1797; Charles, born July 29, 1799, died in June, 1874; Joseph, born
December 20, 1801, died August 19, 1830; Phœbe, born November 23, 1802;
Samuel Edward, born June 2, 1803; John Herman, born June 2, 1805, and
Samuel Edward (2d), born May 19, 1807.
The oldest Farrand home in this region was situated on our old road, but
across the line in Bloomfield. Here Washington is said to have been a
guest. This property fell to Charles, father of Miss Anna B., who has
given me most of the family history.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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