Burning of the Old Wagner Homestead Prompts
\nMr. Bush to Cite Its History
\nWas Prized By Its Owners<\/h4>\n

by Egbert T. Bush, Stockton, N.J.
\npublished in the Hunterdon Co. Democrat, January 19, 1933<\/p>\n

Note: This article was published two years after Mr. Bush\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s previous article on the Moore homestead plantation, \u201a\u00c4\u00faOld Farms in Old Hunterdon<\/a>.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9<\/p>\n

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On a kindly visit to me January 2, 1933, Rev. Henry T. Horne said: \u201a\u00c4\u00faThe old house on the Wagner farm burned down today. It was a smoking ruin when I came past a short time ago.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 That gave me a peculiar shock. A feeling of personal loss was strangely mingled with a sense of irreparable loss to the community.<\/p>\n

That old building stood on the site of the original log house built here so long ago by Jacob Moore. Jacob was the progenitor of the Moore family, still numerous in this vicinity and widely scattered. The Misses Rhoda and Catharine Wagner now owners of the farm, are lineal descendants of Jacob Moore, the first settler. They say: \u201a\u00c4\u00faWe do not know just when Jacob came here, but we have evidence that it was between the years 1700 and 1705. We call it 1705 for safety.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9<\/p>\n

This is very early for settlers in this vicinity; too early for those who came up the Delaware. But Jacob came from another direction. This was the Jacob Moore of whom, in an article published about two years ago, I told this tradition: He came here from New York, lived in a hollow tree while building his log house, then went back to New York to marry the rosey-cheeked German girl who had crossed the ocean on the same vessel that had carried him over.<\/p>\n

The house that burned down was an extension of the original, enlarged very early as necessity required, and at various periods by small and curious additions, making it one of the most interesting of all the antiquated buildings that I have found in the county. I recall the fine old work, the curious divisions rare specimens of the blacksmith\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s art as expressed in locks and hinges. I also recall that I expressed the hope that this rare old building\u201a\u00c4\u00eethen in good condition, with sound roof and substantial timbers\u201a\u00c4\u00eemight stand for a generations as a relic of the past and a reminder of old-time life in Hunterdon County. Alas! Such was not to be the case.<\/p>\n

After hearing of the fire, I watched the papers sharply, curious to see if any correspondent would think that fire worth reporting. So far as I could find, none did. I have seen no mention of it anywhere. To me that seemed surprising. But perhaps that was nothing surprising about it. My interest in old things is general and this building in particular magnified by my own feelings about its importance, just as a lack of such\u00ac\u2020interest probably minimized the feelings of most people. It is not at all strange that, to the younger generation, that building appeared merely as \u201a\u00c4\u00faan old shack not worth mentioning.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 That is natural, quite as natural, I suppose as for us \u201a\u00c4\u00faold fossils\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 to feel that the loss is very great.<\/p>\n

I know that the owners prized the old building highly. And there is no doubt that they could have realized much money for the antique parts and pieces that made a strong appeal to those who stand ready to pay well for such things. But nothing was for sale\u201a\u00c4\u00eeoh no! They have my sympathy, with sincere regrets that the rare old house must be lost to them and to coming generations.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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