Hancock House Historic Site

Located at 3 Front St, Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 In Lower Alloways Creek Township, New Jersey, Hancock House Historic Site is an example of an early Salem County house. It is a two-and-a-half century-old example of patterned end-wall brick architecture. It was constructed by the Hancock family in 1734. The home is listed as a museum. There are a number of events, lectures, and classes held at the site. There is also a gift shop and a self-guided walking tour that includes 28 historic buildings.

The patterned brick house was popular during the late eighteenth century. Salem County is home to the second-largest concentration of patterned brick houses in the United States. These houses were usually homes to elite families. Some of these houses were also used as taverns. The Hancock House combines simplicity with ornamentation. There are simple interior doors and paneling and a pentroof.

Hancock House was home to a prominent Salem County Quaker family. Judge William Hancock served as a member of the Colonial Assembly for two decades and a Salem County Justice of the Peace. He was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence. However, the Hancock family did not wish to join the war. In fact, they were pacifists. They were also part of the Salem County Quaker community which largely resisted armed conflict.

When the Revolutionary War was raging across the colonies, the Hancocks were just one of many families in Salem County who remained pacifists. However, their peace was short-lived. On March 1, 1778, the Hancocks were caught off guard when 300 British troops attacked their home. During the melee, eight American men were killed. Several militiamen were also killed and many others were wounded. The British, however, did not fire a shot.

Major John Graves Simcoe’s men surprised the militiamen at Hancock House. They arrived at the house at five in the morning and surrounded the building. They waited for the militiamen to wake up, then they went into the house through the front and rear doors. The British then bayoneted everyone inside without firing a shot. The men who did not survive were captured and either imprisoned or killed.

Although Hancock House was not built in 1778, it did feature some of the aforementioned notables. One example is the blue-glazed brick pattern. The pattern consists of a series of bricks that were placed in a variety of positions to create the brickwork’s unique herringbone pattern. The pattern is also a reminder of the year the house was constructed. Learn more.

The Hancock House was also the site of a major occurrence in the Revolutionary War. When Major Simcoe’s troops arrived at the house, a pregnant militiaman’s wife was asleep. In order to escape, the woman jumped out of the window on the second floor. Her child was born within 24 hours and still lives in the Lower Alloways Creek township today.

The house has received an average rating of 4.6 stars from 87 reviews. Although no shots were fired, visitors have reported hearing the sounds of a battle. They have also reported seeing slain Patriot soldiers patrolling the grounds. Some have seen blood stains on the floorboards. Next article.