2 Beekman Ln, Hillsborough, NJ 08844

The Beekman-Vrendenburgh House is the only surviving example of a gracious mid-Nineteenth Century Dutch farmhouse along the Raritan River in Hillsborough. This stately home, superbly sited overlooking the Raritan River, was built in 1839 on a 250-acre tract that had already been owned by the Beekman family for over one hundred years. All the modern conveniences of contemporary suburban living are within a 10-minute drive from the Beekman-Vrendenburgh House: the world-class Bridgewater Mall, organic farmer's markets, multiple supermarkets railway station with access to Manhattan, dozens of great restaurants and the vibrant town of Somerville, the county seat of Somerset, which has recently been transformed into a cosmopolitan pedestrian-scaled urban center. The current owners have struck a balance between careful historic preservation and providing all necessary contemporary comforts - a large modern eat-in kitchen, a master bedroom suite with a gracious bath and walk-in closet, 3-zone HVAC, advanced alarm system, and whole-house generator. Wander around the grounds and walk through the seasons of color in the landscaped gardens, gently sloping meadows and lawns; yellow daffodils and forsythia spring into bloom; then yield to white blossoms of dogwood, bridal spirea and mock orange. Trees spring into full leaf in multi-shades of green and coppery reds, joining purple lilacs, iris and myrtle. The orange lilies spread across the side lot and the beebalm reds mix with the white and pink phlox. Summer brings the blue hydrangea to compliment the butterfly bushes. Then the pool is surrounded by blue spirea. All the seasonal colors reflect off the archaic extra-wide clapboard coated in a carefully chosen glowing hue. Harvest vegetables all summer and fall from four gracious raised beds. View the glorious Fall colors reflected in the Raritan River from the screened-in porch. White pines and hemlocks bordering the property with rhododendrons and azaleas hugging the house offer Winter privacy. Sit on the porch with the river in view. Listen for the chirps of frogs welcoming spring and the splash of ducks and geese landing on the river. Watch the hawks circle in the sky. Listen to their long whistle cries and know they are nesting nearby. Hear the owls. Wonder at the magic of the lightening bugs. Now step inside. This house has good bones - and they've been filled in with antiques and fleshed out with art. They've been exercised with joyful parties and tickled with musical soirees and scintillating conversation. Oh if these walls could talk! Original features of this circa 1839 house include wide yellow pine floorboards, monumental six-over-six windows, with much of the original wavy glazing intact, stylish raised panel doors, some of which have been repurposed - along with hand-wrought hardware - from an earlier residence most likely located on the Beekman Estate. Gracious twin parlors with 11-foot ceiling, crown moldings, matching elegantly carved fireplace mantels, and fully operable paneled pocket doors surrounded by twin pilasters on either side and a carved architrave above. A former kitchen - now a cozy den - with exposed hand-hewn beams and a large fully restored brick fireplace with a 9-foot mantel, baking oven and wrought swivel crane, chain and cooking pot. The original kitchen with large fully restored fireplace has "secret stairway," part of earlier structure that now serves as extra storage area. And a barn-size attic with arched fanlights surrounded by brick chimneys at either end, and a gambrel roof supported by hand-hewn pegged and mortised posts and beams - many recycled from earlier structures and some 50 feet in length. Large windows make a sunny family room or lovely den for reading and relaxing. The master suite offers spacious privacy and the best year-round views in the house.