Set back from Scotch Road behind tall spring grass and fading white clapboard, the Van Wagoner farmhouse still commands attention.
The two-story home, believed to date to the early 1800s, rises above what remains of a once-active farmstead that for generations sat amid open agricultural land in Hopewell Township. Though age and deterioration are visible throughout the structure — peeling paint, broken windows, sagging porch supports and sections of stripped roofing — preservation advocates say the building remains one of the township’s most recognizable historic farmhouses.
Now, as development planning advances around The Wedge property, local preservationists are once again drawing attention to the house and asking what future may remain for the historic structure.
In March, members of the Hopewell Township Historic Preservation Commission submitted the Van Wagoner house to Preservation New Jersey’s 2026 “10 Most Endangered Historic Sites” program, a symbolic statewide designation intended to raise awareness about historically significant properties facing uncertain futures.
The house sits on property owned by CF Hopewell, part of the broader land associated with The Wedge development proposal near Scotch Road. Earlier this year, the Hopewell Township Planning Board approved subdivision plans creating separate residential and commercial parcels on portions of the property, though no formal site plans for the immediate area surrounding the farmhouse have yet appeared before the board.
Hopewell Township officials confirmed no demolition permits have been submitted for the property.
MercerMe reached out to CF Hopewell for comment but did not receive a response.
A Farmstead With Deep Roots
In a set of aerial photographs taken in 1946, the Van Wagoner farm appears surrounded almost entirely by open fields. The images show the farmhouse, barns, orchards, pastures and farm lanes stretching across what was then a far more rural landscape.
Handwritten notes on the back of the photographs identify the property as the “Van Wagoner Farm” and label surrounding features including orchards, barns, chicken houses and neighboring properties.
Historic surveys conducted over the decades repeatedly identified the property as historically significant.
A 1984 Hopewell Township cultural resource survey described the farmstead as dating “from at least the early 1800s” and noted that the surviving structures retained “a reasonable measure of historic architectural integrity.” While the property was not individually recommended for National Register designation, the survey identified it as an important contributing element within a broader Burroughs rural historic landscape.
The Preservation New Jersey nomination submitted this spring similarly describes the structure as an early 19th-century Greek Revival farmhouse associated with the Burroughs family, whose farming holdings once extended across large portions of the area.
“This is one of the iconic houses in the landscape of Hopewell Township,” said Max Hayden, chair of the township’s Historic Preservation Commission.
Hayden said preservation advocates believe the structure still retains important architectural features and could potentially be incorporated into future plans for the property.
Charlie Hunt, a member of the commission, said the property also carries personal significance for local families with longstanding ties to the area. Hunt said his own great-great-grandfather once owned the farmstead as part of the broader Burroughs family holdings.
Signs of Deterioration — and Survival
Today, the house shows clear signs of prolonged deterioration.
Paint peels from the siding. Vines push through portions of the structure. Several windows are broken or open to the elements. Portions of the roofline and decorative trim show visible damage.
Earlier photographs submitted as part of the preservation nomination show sections of corrugated metal roofing over portions of the porch roof that are no longer present on the structure.
Inside, however, many original details remain intact.
Wide-plank wood floors, marble fireplace mantels, deep window casings and decorative millwork survive throughout portions of the house despite years of neglect and exposure. Recent photographs included in the preservation nomination also document cracked plaster, collapsing materials and evidence of water intrusion in multiple areas of the building.
The property’s agricultural setting remains partially visible as well. A large barn still stands nearby, echoing the farm complex seen in the 1946 aerial photographs.
For preservation advocates, the contrast between the home’s deteriorating condition and its remaining craftsmanship underscores both the urgency and complexity surrounding the structure’s future.
An Uncertain Future
No formal redevelopment plans for the farmhouse itself have yet been presented publicly, and no demolition application has been filed.
Still, visible recent changes at the property and the continuing evolution of The Wedge development have prompted renewed public discussion online, where residents have shared photographs, memories and reflections about the house’s place in Hopewell Township’s landscape.
For now, the Van Wagoner farmhouse remains standing — weathered, increasingly fragile, but still visible from Scotch Road much as it has been for generations.
