1 Of Bergen County's Oldest Homes Hits The Market For $2.1M

SADDLE RIVER, NJ - One of Bergen County's oldest homes - which was built more than 300 years ago - has hit the market with a $2.1 million asking price.

The Van Buskirk Home in Saddle River, located at 164 East Saddle River Road, is "a really special home and historically significant, as the very first home ever built in Saddle River," according to Maureen Kuntz, the Christie's International Real Estate Northern New Jersey agent representing the property.

" With its historical legacy, it has been impeccably maintained and restored with an array of period-specific architectural details," she said. "The history and stories attached to the home are riveting and the home and property could never be reproduced in Saddle River today.”

According to its listing, the home sits on 2-acres of property and has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a renovated kitchen. There's also a pool, tennis court, waterfall, footbridge, barn and two horse stalls.

For more information on the property, call Maureen Kuntz at 201-401-4398.

According to Christie's, records show the property is a portion of a larger purchase by Albert Zabriskie in 1675 from the local Algonquin Indian tribe. In the early 1700’s, Thomas Van Buskirk would become the owner of this tract of land, and he would move his family here from Greenville (now a section of modern Jersey City) to become the very first settlers to live in the Saddle River Valley.

A log cabin was initially built to house the family, until construction began on the final Red Sandstone Dutch Colonial that occupies the property. The home would then house nine generations of the Van Buskirk family. Rocks from the surrounding hills were used to build the foundation of the home and over the years, the home was expanded twice to accommodate a growing family.

As the Van Buskirk children became adults, each was given 100 acre tracts of land to build homes and start their own families. The original home stayed in the family until 1922, when it was sold to William Bond, a Canadian-born artist. Bond restored the home, but chose not to add modern amenities. He felt the exposed steam pipes and radiators would ruin the authenticity and charm of the home, and he preferred the ambiance of the fireplaces for warmth. In 1979, James and Patricia Hall purchased the home, and were faced with local pressure to raze the dilapidated barn complex on the property. The Halls fought to save the barns and eventually received permission to restore them.

Since 1993, Rosalind and Ed Zipfel have owned the property and have restored the home over the years with a focus on the irreplaceable architecture. Their renovations seamlessly blend modern amenities with the home’s original features, and take advantage of the private oasis created by the natural water features and lush landscaping. The Zipfel’s painstaking adherence to the original construction processes and the magnificent stone foundation are integral elements of their modern expansions.

“We have loved sharing the heritage of the house with family and friends, as well as hosting holiday parties and entertaining guests on the grounds in the warmer weather. We even loved the front row seats to the municipal holiday tree lighting and seasonal fireworks,” said the Zipfels of their time in the home. “But, it’s the end of an era and time to hand over the opportunity of a lifetime to care for this very special piece of history.”

• Address: 164 E Saddle River Rd, Saddle River, New Jersey
• Price: $2,100,000
• Square Feet:
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 4 Baths
• Built: 1707
• Features: A once in a lifetime opportunity to live on 2.3acreswith a Waterfall, Stream, Natural Pond, Tennis Court, Heated Pool+Barn! This Historic Country Manor has been beautifully restored+maintained. - The Kitchen/ Solarium renovation with walls of glass create indoor/ outdoor living. 1st floor Master Suite. Massive Great Room has 13' Cathedral ceiling. The back of the home offers beautiful views of the pond+visiting wildlife. Listen to the waterfall from the expansive patios or the footbridge spanning the stream. The heated Barn accommodates 2 cars (could be expanded for the car collector) 2 horse stalls/ workshops+a huge 2nd floor with high ceilings for use as an office, gym, artist studio or game room. Incredible lifestyle. Top Ranked Schools. Low Saddle River Taxes.

This listing originally appeared on realtor.com. For more information and photos, click here.