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Metlar-Bodine House Museum

Metlar-Bodine House Museum, a museum in New Jersey
Metlar-Bodine House Museum, a museum in New JerseyMagpieturtle · CC BY-SA 4.0

Metlar-Bodine House Museum is a museum in New Jersey, at a modelled elevation of 11 m. Mount Freedom stands 341 m to the north-northwest, 24 miles off. The nearest named place is Raritan Landing, a ghost town 0.3 miles away. Millstone Valley Scenic Byway passes 6.5 miles off. 55 named summits stand within 25 miles.

The story

The Metlar House, also known as the Knapp House, the Bodine House, or the Metlar–Bodine House, is an historic house, now museum, located along River Road in Piscataway, New Jersey. It is also believed to be haunted. In 2003 a fire badly damaged the house. The museum has undergone major renovations over the past decade and, as of Summer 2014, is once again open to the public. The Metlar–Bodine House's "Red, White, and Boom" Madeira wine tasting event on July 6, 2014, kicked off its campaign to raise money to build a new educational wing to house the historically significant Ross Hall Wall. In July 1778, George Washington headquarters were at Ross Hall and his 11,000 patriots camped along the Raritan River in Piscataway. It was there that General Washington wrote the first order for the United States Army to celebrate the 4th of July – a tradition that continues to this day. The troops were ordered to march across the river on Landing Lane Bridge, line the banks of the Raritan in New Brunswick, and shoot their rifles down and up the line in the first organized salute to the nation's independence. They were then given an extra ration of rum and that evening the General had a party for officers (including Alexander Hamilton, the Marquis de Lafayette and Baron Von Stuben) and their ladies at Ross Hall. The building was destroyed in the 1960s but because of its significance, a parlor wall was saved and was exhibited at the New Jersey Historical Society until it was given to the Township and the Metlar–Bodine House in 2000. Currently, the parlor wall is dismantled and stored in a large warehouse owned by Piscataway Township. The wall must be restored and relocated to a facility that is climate controlled and protected. It is estimated that the wall's restoration and an addition to the Metlar–Bodine House will cost close to $1 million.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q6824173, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

What to expect

Operated by
Piscataway Township
Step-free access
Yes

Official site

How to reach it

Coordinates40.51234, -74.45666

Named places within 25 miles

Parks
  • Buccleuch Park: 0.5 mi
  • Deiner Park: 0.7 mi
  • Rodkin Courtyard: 0.8 mi
  • Johnson Park: 0.9 mi
  • Rutgers Ecological Preserve: 0.9 mi
Artworks
Historic sites
Museums
Gardens
  • Resurrection Garden: 1.8 mi
  • Highland Park Good Earth Garden: 2.4 mi
  • Rutgers Gardens: 3.2 mi
  • North Brunswick Butterfly Garden: 5.3 mi
  • Courtyard: 5.7 mi
Nature reserves
  • Six Mile Run Reservoir Site: 4.3 mi
  • Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve: 4.5 mi
  • Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preserve: 4.6 mi
  • Tices Lane Park: 4.8 mi
  • Country Lane Park: 5.3 mi
Picnic sites: 23
  • Grove 1: 2.1 mi
  • Grove 2: 2.2 mi
  • Open Grove: 2.3 mi
  • Grove 3A: 2.4 mi
  • Grove 3B: 2.4 mi
Beaches: 22
Rest areas: 7
Waterfalls: 5
Ghost towns: 3
Cliffs: 1
Springs: 1
  • Tulip Springs: 18.9 mi

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of Metlar-Bodine House Museum. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Mount FreedomNNW 344°341 m23.5 mi
Calais MountainNNW 343°334 m22.5 mi
Fox HillNW 310°314 m23.8 mi
Watnong MountainN 355°295.7 m23.3 mi
Seward HillNNW 329°289 m22.2 mi
Hell MountainNW 304°288 m21.9 mi
Pleasant HillNNW 331°287 m24.5 mi
Union HillN 352°277 m24.0 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0218:3419:10
June solstice05:2819:5120:33
September equinox06:4618:2118:57
December solstice07:1915:5116:35

Local time (America/New_York).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F323341526171767467554537
Precip in3.73.04.43.94.04.84.84.74.24.13.44.5

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — NEW Brunswick 3 SE, 3 mi away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial site

OpenStreetMap element way/1191441825

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