New Jersey Historic Trust Affiliated with the Department of Community Affairs

John A. L. Zabriskie House

Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund
Capital Level II
Grant Award: $199,166 (2021)
Grant Recipient: Village of Ridgewood
County: Bergen
Municipality: Ridgewood Village

The Zabriskie-Schedler House was originally constructed circa 1825 and was the home of farmer John A. L. Zabriskie. The house is an example of a late third-period Dutch-American frame building and exhibits several characteristics of the type including a construction date of c.1752-c.1840, was built by the “Dutch” cultural group, is south facing, follows the Dutch framing tradition, uses a gambrel roof for the main block and gable roof on the wing, uses native sandstone for the foundation material, uses oak timbers for heavy framing members, has interior end fireplaces, and has plaster ceiling finishes at the interior. The house survives as one of the few remaining nineteenth-century frame homes in Ridgewood. Over the course of his lifetime through inheritance and purchases, John Zabriskie tripled the size of his landholdings. Following his death in 1864, the house and property passed to his son James Zabriskie, also a farmer, who did not realize the same level of success as his father and was forced to mortgage and eventually sell off portions of his property. The Smith family purchased the home in 1908 and over the next century made several changes including adding the south entrance, raising the original gambrel roof at the circa 1840 section, reconfiguring and refinishing the second-floor level, and upgrading the kitchen. A small addition with a bathroom and sun porch were also added during the mid-twentieth century. Florence Schedler, daughter of Carman Smith, lived in the house until her death in 2007. The Village of Ridgewood purchased the property in 2009 and has been rehabilitating the building and grounds for use as a public parks and recreation facility. 

The Trust grant will help fund interior rehabilitation and barrier-free improvements.