Official Site of The State of New Jersey

The Kirch-Ford house is a Dutch Colonial style farmhouse, the earliest portion of which was built by Thomas Terrell between 1766 and 1774. As the house expanded over time, it gained a Georgian side-hall, a shed addition, some nineteenth century porches, and a roof dormer. Thomas Terrill Jr., who inherited the house, was the first clerk of Warren Township, which separated from Bernards Township in 1806. Captain Ford, of Washington’s army, is indicated at this location on several of Erskine’s Route Maps which associate the building with the Revolutionary War. The house is purported to have been a part of the Underground Railroad, but this has yet to be explored through historic research. The resource is individually listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places under Criteria A and C.  The site remained in residential use until the late 1970s, when the last remaining member of the Kirch family passed away. AT&T purchased the property with the intent of demolishing the house and developing the full parcel. Facing strong opposition from members of the public and the local historical society, the property was subdivided and the house on its corner lot was donated to the Township. Since 1980, the Township has maintained the building and used it as a meeting hall and house museum.   

A 2025 Trust grant will help fund the preparation of a Preservation Plan.